CPVA C-45 Committee Christmas Report Hello All, I trust that you are out there spending money lavishly while flapping around preparing for Christmas. Spending money is good for it helps to keep the tax coffers full and our pensions secure. Spend with confidence knowing that a veteran may benefit! Backing up my C-45 files I noticed that since mid April I have received and sent more that 640 e mail pieces of correspondence. Mainly the traffic was related to or on Bill C-45. What the traffic flow showed is that we got a lot of advice on this important subject. Many of those e mails came from you and they were thoughtful, timely, and constructive too. We were able to use much of the material you provided to establish our positions on many aspects of C-45 and its implementation. We then negotiated with VAC. We won some, tied some, and lost on others but overall I think we came out comfortably ahead. In the process of doing so I think it fair to say we maintained CPVA’s reputation for doing meaningful and constructive work on behalf of our members and veterans at large. Over all we have made a positive contribution to the implementation of Bill C-45. However, it is important to remember that our over arching objective with respect to C-45, which is law, was to put a human face on its emerging regulations. We strived to ensure that the regulations showed empathy towards veterans and those still serving as opposed to adding yet another layer of bureaucratic lard to the already complex and convoluted VAC process. That is not to say that our work on C-45 is done for it is clearly not. The regulations will be formally gazetted in mid January and then assuming they are approved be officially promulgated in March. Note I say assuming there is no guarantee that the regulations will be approved. From the regulations will flow the policies to actually make the regulations work. Policies are very importantly because it is the policies that we will all work with when dealing with veteran’s cases and situations.
For the coming year I see the CPVA C-45 team continuing to work with our colleagues in CVAUNP and GWVA to move VAC forward on the following areas. a. Ensuring that the spirit of empathy towards veterans that has been set in the emerging regulations on C-45 is carried forward and throughout the emerging policies. b. Closely monitoring the appeal and review process that, if approved, will see the process being subject to a two year critical review process. colleagues to ensure that the active and on-going VAC consultation process with veterans continues unabated. d. Continue to work towards achieving our overarching goal of putting a human face on all veteran’s administrative processes. It is our firm belief that veterans deserve to be treated with respect and dignity at all times and especially by VAC. e. Establish a Canadian Veteran’s Ombudsman, and lastly f. Look after the interests of all Canadian veterans.
To move the markers forward on these topics will require creative thinking, co-operation, and hard work by good people, determination, and perseverance. Fortunately, we have all these characteristics at hand within our Committee, our advisors, our Executive Committee members and our member too. What we have to do is keep everyone feeding us with ideas, concerns, recommendations and what have you. Then armed with your guidance we can forward with confidence.
In summary 2005 was a good year for CPVA’s C-45 Committee lets make 2006 an even more productive one. Thank you for all your hard work. I look forward to working with you all in the New Year to achieve our goals. Cheers Larry
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