July 5, 2006 -- The Spring 2006 Session was a full one for members of the Veterans Affairs Committee (ACVA).

I have been honoured, along with eleven other MPs, to serve on this committee in dealing with several key issues relating to veterans and veteran’s services. With input from veterans, veterans’ advocates and other stakeholders, ACVA looked at: the Veteran’s Review and Appeal Board; the Veteran’s Bill of Rights; the idea of an independent Ombudsman for veterans; and the Veteran’s Independence Program. On June 8, 2006, ACVA heard from the Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veteran’s Affairs, as he appeared before the committee to discuss these issues.

What follows is a brief description of each of the issues that the committee examined during the Spring Session:

Review and Appeal Board (VRAB): the VRAB is a quasi-judicial tribunal operating independently of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VRAB comes into play if a veteran’s initial application to the Department of Veterans Affairs for a disability pension or award is not approved (there are several review processes before it goes to VRAB. VRAB is a last resort). If the initial application is denied or only partially accepted, veterans can request a departmental review or opt for the appeal process of the VRAB. A veteran’s application is reviewed by a VRAB review panel and, if a veteran is dissatisfied with its decision, the case can go to the appeal level of the VRAB. The Chair of the VRAB reports to Parliament through the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The mandate of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board is:

“To provide clients with full opportunity to request review and appeal hearings to ensure a fair adjudicative process for disability pension/award and War Veterans Allowance claims.”

Bill of Rights: during the last election campaign, the Conservative Party promised to introduce a Veterans Bill of Rights if it formed the government. After the election, the new government reaffirmed its intention to introduce the Bill of Rights, most notably in the Speech from the Throne. 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.

Ombudsman: one of the main elements of a Veterans Bill of Rights will likely be the appointment of a veteran’s ombudsman. Over the last few years, some veterans 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.

Independence Program: the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) was introduced in 1981 by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal was to help eligible veterans remain healthy and independent in their own homes or communities and thus delay their admission to veteran’s long term care centres. Many elderly veterans wish, and are encouraged, to stay at home as long as possible before seeking a place in a veteran’s long term care centre where the hospital style routine in some centres and the separation from family sometimes leave veterans depressed. Over the years, the VIP benefits have expanded to cover a wide spectrum of needs including grounds maintenance, housekeeping, personal care, care by health professionals, transportation for social activities, and nursing home care.

I have sincerely enjoyed working on the Veterans Affairs Committee over the past six months and look forward to the Fall Session.