Veterans Affairs committee  If we look at what was identified as budgetary requirements for Agent Orange compensation, we will find that the moneys were not spent. If we look at what was identified as the budgetary requirements for the VIP extension for pre-1981 widows, we will see that the money was not sp

Veterans Affairs committee  I think they overestimate the unknowns.

Veterans Affairs committee  We were part of that consultation. So were other veterans organizations, academics, Canadian Forces members, etc. There was something called the Neary report, which provided the logic for basically improving on the Pension Act. The intent of the Neary report was oriented toward

Veterans Affairs committee  Again, to be very candid, we do not distinguish between veterans on whether they are peacekeepers, or from World War II or Korea, or peacemakers who served in Afghanistan. For us, a veteran is a veteran is a veteran.

Veterans Affairs committee  They don't have access to funeral and burial benefits. I presume you have read the report of the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman on funeral and burial benefits. They don't have access to that, while traditional veterans do. There are some restrictions on VIP. We could add that t

Veterans Affairs committee  We have been and are definitely in support of that. We were members of the GAC, which wrote the report, “Keeping the Promise”. It made a simple, fundamental recommendation that didn't have to be prioritized. We have now submitted another report with 15 recommendations that still

Veterans Affairs committee  There are divergent views on the lump sum approach, to be perfectly honest. Even the provision of what is given now, which is $500 for financial advice, is a good step, but it's whether or not that's sufficient to look at a lump sum of, let's say, $250,000 or $260,000 and determi

Veterans Affairs committee  It's not an automatic passing on.

Veterans Affairs committee  SISIP is an insurance plan that provides vocational rehabilitation for medically released personnel for up to two years, guaranteeing them 75% of their salary. Veterans Affairs Canada has a legislated mandate to provide rehabilitation, and not only vocational rehabilitation, but

Veterans Affairs committee  That's the simple answer. If I have a legislated mandate to services--and by the way, I do have to pay some small benefits for that--why would I pay into a program that's providing me insurance? By the way, the Veterans Affairs Canada program should not be influenced by the ins

Veterans Affairs committee  I guess I'll repeat what I said. Basically, as far as we're concerned, a veteran is a veteran, and a veteran should have access to long-term care. We realize that a universal program might be unaffordable, but there could be some criteria set that would make it affordable. Thos

Veterans Affairs committee  My rationale is relatively simple. In “Keeping the Promise”, there was one recommendation. It was simple: put in a program based on needs. There was no need to rationalize. Yet we were told, after the fact, that basically this simple recommendation really meant there had to be pr

Veterans Affairs committee  At the end of the day, decisions will be made; we recognize that. I don't think it's our role to prioritize. Our role was to tell you where the gaps were and we've done that.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm sure we will continue the discussions to get to that level if we need to, but I don't think right now is the time.

Veterans Affairs committee  But I think I did give you a hint, if I might say so, which was that I think the financial benefits are the ones that are creating a lot of furor out there. Having said that, I'm not even sure, because issues of families and mental health are also creating a lot of furor out ther