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ACVA Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 108
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 11:04 a.m. to 1:23 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Emmanuel Dubourg, Chair (Liberal)

• Scot Davidson for Fraser Tolmie (Conservative)
• Dan Muys for Blake Richards (Conservative)
Library of Parliament
• Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Analyst
 
House of Commons
• Marie-Hélène Sauvé, Procedural Clerk
• Hon. RAdm (Ret'd) Rebecca Patterson, Senator, Ontario
As an individual
• Col (Ret'd) Mark Gasparotto, Afghanistan Veteran Combat Sub-unit Commander
• LCol (Ret'd) Dean Tremblay, Afghanistan Veteran Combat Sub-unit Commander
• Sean Bruyea, Retired Captain, Air Force Intelligence Officer
• Christopher Banks, Sergeant (Retired)
Canadian Afghanistan War Veterans Association
• Michael Blois, Lawyer, Veteran
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motions adopted by the committee on Thursday, March 9, 2023, and on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, the committee resumed its study of recognition of Persian Gulf Veterans and reviewing of: (a) the definition of “war”, “wartime service”, and “special duty service“; and (b) the difference, the process of determining, and criteria for Veteran’s benefits.

Sean Bruyea, Christopher Banks and Michael Blois made statements and answered questions.

At 12:05 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:11 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Rebecca Patterson, Mark Gasparotto and Dean Tremblay made statements and answered questions.

Motion

Luc Desilets moved, — That the committee hold two additional meetings as part of its study on the recognition of Persian Gulf Veterans, as well as on the review of the definition of war, wartime service, special duty service and their distinctions, as well as the determination process and eligibility criteria for veterans' benefits; that these meetings include the testimonies of Sean Bruyea and Louise Richard, for a duration of one hour; and that an additional, one-hour meeting with the Minister of National Defence be requested.

Debate arose thereon.

On motion of Luc Desilets, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “that these meetings include the testimonies of Sean Bruyea and Louise Richard, for a duration of one hour”.

The debate continued.

Amendment

Blake Richards moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “an additional, one-hour meeting with the Minister of National Defence” with the following “two additional, one-hour meetings with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Veterans Affairs”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Blake Richards and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Rachel Blaney, Scot Davidson, Luc Desilets, Terry Dowdall, Blake Richards, Cathay Wagantall — 6;

NAYS: Sean Casey, Lisa Hepfner, Bryan May, Wilson Miao, Randeep Sarai — 5.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Rachel Blaney, Sean Casey, Scot Davidson, Luc Desilets, Terry Dowdall, Lisa Hepfner, Bryan May, Wilson Miao, Blake Richards, Randeep Sarai, Cathay Wagantall — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the committee hold two additional meetings as part of its study on the recognition of Persian Gulf Veterans, as well as on the review of the definition of war, wartime service, special duty service and their distinctions, as well as the determination process and eligibility criteria for veterans' benefits; and that two additional, one-hour meetings with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Veterans Affairs be requested.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

Motion

Rachel Blaney moved, — That the testimony of retired Lieutenant (Navy) Louise Richard on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs be adopted into the study on wartime service veterans.

Debate arose thereon.

It was agreed, — That consideration of the motion be postponed until a later date.

At 1:23 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Grant McLaughlin
Committee clerk