ACVA Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs |
HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 |
Comité permanent des anciens combattants |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TABLES REPORT TO PARLIAMENT CALLING FOR THE CREATION OF A VETERANS OMBUDSMAN
"I’m proud to announce the tabling of a report produced by the Veterans Affairs Committee calling for the creation of a Veterans Ombudsman,” said Rob Anders, MP for Calgary West and Committee Chair. "The tabling of this report is a testimony of how parliamentarians can work together.”
Ottawa, February 22, 2007 - Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs tabled in Parliament a report entitled “A Helping Hand for Veterans: Mandate for a Veterans Ombudsman.” The Committee began its study in Spring 2006 in order to contribute to the development of the mandate of the Veterans Ombudsman, which the government intends to create along with a Veterans Bill of Rights.
The Committee’s report recommends that the Veterans Ombudsman should have the mandate to review all issues pertaining to the care and support of all Veterans, their families, and any client of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also recommends that the Veterans Ombudsman should have all the powers, resources, and staff necessary to carry out the mandate in an independent and impartial fashion. The Committee calls for a Veterans Ombudsman who reports to Parliament with the same powers and responsibilities as other Parliamentary Ombudsmen such as the Privacy Commissioner, the Commissioner for Official Languages, and the Information Commissioner.
Over the years, many veterans and others have argued in favour of an Ombudsman focussed only on Veteran’s issues. As an independent and impartial third party, a Veterans Ombudsman could investigate complaints concerning the processing of applications for disability compensation or the delivery of Veterans services and propose ways to settle disputes. The Committee heard testimony from a broad spectrum of Veterans groups, individual Veterans, and officials and believes that its recommendations will ensure an effective and independent Veterans Ombudsman who will meet the needs of Veterans.
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