Veterans Affairs committee  The average salary is very low for these people.

Veterans Affairs committee  $40,000. And if they receive their benefits through an IPSC—another program, the insurance program—the compensation provided by Veterans Affairs Canada is deducted from their IPSC benefits. There again, you have duplication. Why have both programs, when you need one that is mor

Veterans Affairs committee  In those cases, the person may receive an increase in their lump-sum payment, in their disability award, but they will not receive an adjustment equivalent to 75% of their salary. That is what we are talking about here. Is 75% enough? No. Does the 75% program do the same thing as

Veterans Affairs committee  I think you also need to consider the objective from another standpoint. There are those who have suffered serious injuries, whether physical or psychological. And despite every attempt to help them reintegrate into society, there is a strong possibility that they may not be capa

Veterans Affairs committee  —at 75% of their salary. That amount is too low. It was determined based on the salary of a private, the lowest rank in the Canadian Forces, and those individuals with severe injuries, who cannot find employment—

Veterans Affairs committee  I think that would be a fair characterization. Yes. We are concerned about the implementation. We are concerned about promises that have been made about this living charter concept. We are concerned that it's just taking too much time to come to some rational conclusions. We

Veterans Affairs committee  The problem has to do with duplication. There is some duplication in terms of employment assistance programs. Veterans Affairs Canada has a program, and the Canadian Forces has another. These programs help people find employment and make the transition from military to civilian l

Veterans Affairs committee  Honourable Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, on behalf of the Legion's Dominion president, Wilf Edmond, it is a pleasure for me to appear today at your committee to continue discussions related to the new Veterans Charter. We have consulted, and th

Veterans Affairs committee  According to the Pension Act, there is no difference in compensation whether you were in the navy or in the air force. It depends on the disability rate. If the widow's pension was reduced by 50%, it is because the veterans' pension did not reach 48%. If the pension is 48% and ov

Veterans Affairs committee  There are guidelines governing the eligibility for pensions. These guidelines are very structured and identify exactly what type of compensation is provided for every type of disability.

Veterans Affairs committee  No, not necessarily. On the contrary, there is a great deal of open-mindedness about that today. We realize that everyone can have mental health problems, whether you are in the army, the navy or the air force. The specific case you are telling me about, in my opinion, is, with t

Veterans Affairs committee  That is why, as you said, prioritizing is not a good thing. There are shortcomings and we need to solve them.

Veterans Affairs committee  And I hope we continue to consult.

Veterans Affairs committee  This is a problem not only for the soldiers, but also, at times, for the people who live close to these bases. We do not have the resources to conduct investigations and obtain information on the members. I think that it is incumbent on the government to do that. As for the comp

Veterans Affairs committee  I think I alluded to that at the start. A program that is oriented towards wellness and reintegrating Canadians into society is a very good approach. That is recognized in a number of other countries. Either they're modelling their programs on ours or we've modelled ours on their