March 15, 2007 -- During the Fall Session I, along with the other eleven members of the Veteran Affairs committee, dealt predominately with completing our report on the creation of an Ombudsman for Veterans and their families.

Over the last few years, some veterans and veterans’ organizations have argued that there should be an ombudsman for veterans to help them deal with problems concerning veteran’s benefits and programs such as decisions about disability pensions or disability awards. Some veterans (both older and younger war veterans) believe they need an independent office they can turn to when they cannot obtain a satisfactory decision on benefits or to resolve other problems.

In response to the concerns by those veterans and veterans’ organizations, during the last election, Canada’s Government promised to create an Ombudsman for Veterans and their families.

I am very happy to report that on Thursday, February 22, 2007, the Veterans Affairs Committee tabled our report to Parliament, entitled “A Helping Hand for Veterans: Mandate for a Veterans Ombudsman”. For more information about the report, or to read the contents, please go to the news release found on my website.

As part of our continual learning about issues relating to veterans, members of the committee travelled to two local veterans’ health care facilities. During our visits to St. Anne-de-Bellevue Hospital in Montreal and Pearly-Rideau Centre in Ottawa, we had the opportunity to discuss veterans’ issues with both health care facility staff as well as residents. It was a tremendous learning experience and one that I would repeat if given the chance.

Now that the Spring 2007 Session of Parliament has begun we have turned our focus to the Veterans Bill of Rights. One of our first witnesses called was the Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Now that the various elements of the New Veterans Charter are in place, the government has indicated that a Veterans Bill of Rights governing how veterans will be treated, for example, in disputes concerning their application for a disability pension or award, will be introduced in the coming months. The commitment to introduce a Veterans Bill of Rights has been generally well received by veterans groups such as the National Council of Veterans Association in Canada. The appointment of an Ombudsman is a key element of the proposed Bill of Rights.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Veterans Affairs committee to date and look forward to working with my colleagues on the Bill of Rights.