Veterans Affairs committee  I would just add if I could, Mr. Chair, that the sampling—and oversampling, perhaps—of veterans and those who served as part of the mission in Afghanistan was very much an objective in this. It's not to have a representative sample of all Canadians. It's really to get that sample

Veterans Affairs committee  That is correct. I would say two things in that regard, if I could, Mr. Chair. One is that, when the monument was announced in 2014, many families of the fallen were there for that announcement. We were extremely touched. I wasn't there, but I've heard from and spoken to Afghani

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, that's true. The same day, an hour before the announcement, we contacted the four other teams that had taken part in the competition. We let the Daoust team know that we were ready to discuss the amount of financial compensation. We offered them the equivalent of 10%, which

Veterans Affairs committee  I'll ask my colleague Amy to address that.

Veterans Affairs committee  If I could, Mr. Chair, I would say this in response: The context of engagement around the monument, right from the outset and announcement, was one that consulted with veterans in order to get their perspective. First, there was a visioning exercise in 2014 about what the monumen

Veterans Affairs committee  The individuals who responded were asked to self-identify and indicate their representation, history and connection. All those who were connected through the department, as the minister indicated, were through networks we had already established with veterans, and they were invit

Veterans Affairs committee  Several things can explain the decision-making process, including the criteria that were to be assessed by the jury. Frankly, it's set out in detail and it's clear. The issues of vision and representation by—

Veterans Affairs committee  As the minister has indicated, there is an oversubscription to the program, but it has also been very successful. I would say there's been quite a mix of very small, focused, localized organizations and some larger organizations that are working on a pan-Canadian basis. Really, t

Veterans Affairs committee  There is a very clear process to come to terms on every application that comes in.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, a letter was sent to Daoust. It's a fairly normal process in the context of the procurement of services within the government, whether for small or large issues. This offer was normal under the circumstances.

Veterans Affairs committee  It's a matter of process. It was suggested that it was important to offer this amount to Daoust, since it had been very close between these two firms.

Veterans Affairs committee  I could add to that, Mr. Chair, just quickly. One key aspect of this is working through other organizations as well. We know that the Royal Canadian Legion is very present across the country, as an example. It's providing support and services directly to veterans to better under

Veterans Affairs committee  Very quickly, Mr. Chair, I think it's important for us to interact in a respectful and a productive manner with all of our bargaining agents, including the UVAE. They are the largest representative bargaining unit on behalf of their members and our employees at Veterans Affairs C

Veterans Affairs committee  If I could add quickly, Mr. Chair, the last number I have received is that 175 veterans are currently employed at Veterans Affairs Canada.

Veterans Affairs committee  We want to increase that.