May 9 & 10 2016 VAC Stakeholder Summit Agenda

Join us live on Facebook! Tune in Tuesday, May 10, 2016 for the Veterans Stakeholder Summit where Minister Hehr will be answering questions about:
1. Commemoration
2. Well-being
3. Marijuana for Medical purposes
4. Service Excellence
5. Veterans in Crisis
6. Reasonable Economic Security
Leave your questions in the comment section.

https://www.facebook.com/VeteransAffairsCanada/photos/a.1438390596409983.1073741828.1437398476509195/1703345446581162/?type=3&theater

The problem is all but a few of those groups will hear from members of each of there associations and follow through with the issues brought up by there members. They as all weak people will bring forward there axe to grind or agenda and ignore the membership voice even if its valid. I only see one group that has weight and thats wounded warriors. There is no other group representing actually wounded veterans in the list....man its long teen holy cow. Thanks for bringing that ungodly mess to our attention.

Rags

With that many groups invited I cannot see any real consensus being found especially as it seems there is limited number of new age veterans. Most of the groups probably know very little about the real issues faced today but for sure feel they are subject matter experts. Thanks for the list Teen.

Just a thought or two.

Teen you mentioned " This is a controled meeting that will generate any 'real' conversation. "
Did you mean WILL NOT generate any real conversation? That's the drift I hope caught right.
Certainly rhymes with fubar and my crazy intuition...

Thought that list would've been less than half that short. Lots of very sincere outfits, and non profits in there.

Just my opinion here though... IT"S ALL PLASTIC. The fix is in and it's all superficial. I assume most stakeholders know this going in to fix wrongs. Kinda like putting your best foot forward.

I do not know quite what it is, but there is a different very legal approach outside the "box"

Trooper, this Summit Agenda? I'm apprehensive... it could curdle my milk. No lol.

Stay well all.

pinger.

Thanks for the correction there Pinger. Definitely meant Not.

This Facebook townhall is going to be so heavily edited that the real vet advocates are probably going to crawl out of their skin. But hey if your on facebook send in the questions so they are at least on the internet.

One group that I like seeing there is CIMVHR. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research. This group works with a network of university research departments on developing PTSD therapies, chronic pain research, brain scanning to map the brain for better treatment.

Teen,
Thanks for insight and info on this. I saw virtually no group that had real value for advancing seriously injured military from a war footing special duty area non work place injury perspective...other then "Wounded Warrior". Some groups I was just shocked to see at the table like CAV...less then 150 military members and non who have battle injuries and True Patriot Love who are two people who have no connection to the military are a cash generation business not military charity. I checked out the CIMVHR as they sounded interesting and i had never heard of them. Then when I ran down the board of directors and advisory team I noticed its a whos who of no one of military relevance. Most important is the foremost expert on Combat Stress PTSD who resides in BC is not anywhere on this list. Non of the staff with a medical specialty appear to be on other boards or committees or a fellow at any group other then CIMVHR. Good to watch them maybe the future will prove them out as relevant.

I am so very disappointed......but I did see a dog there! Boy if that dog could talk after a few beers bet he could tell some funny stories.

Rags

Rags it's a well organized, tightly controled, VAC manipulated event meant for one thing and one thing only....Liberal PR campaign. All one has to do is watch the "welcome to the meeting" video on facebook by Hehr and the DM.

There will be no serious discussion at all. There is an individual at that meeting that has forgotten more about VAC policy then what Hehr, DM, and ADM's will learn....Brian Forbes. He is the head of National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada and he witnessed the last inquiry into veteran issues, the Woods Report done in the 60's. He is aloted 5 minutes to address the assembly. This man knows policy inside and out and thankfully he is on the 6 man committee to reinstate the lifelong.

Rags this is the guy you want at the table. Just go to this link http://www.ncva-cnaac.ca/en/member_groups.html Scroll to the bottom, but read the groups as you scroll, and you will see The War Amps. Brian has worked side by side with Cliff Chaderton. So if anyone knows combat injuries Brian does.

Also in attendance is Bruce Moncur, I can only guess, head of the Afghan Vets is at the meeting today too.

In Hehr's welcome to the meeting message I walked away with only 2 impressions.

1. Don't bother going to Hehr go to Karen McCrimmon. Retired Col and Hehr's 2 i/c. It seems that she is running the show behind the curtain. So if you got questions email her office.

2. The Liberals are doing exactly what I feared they would do. Surveys and review groups.

Bringing back the Customer Survey is only going to be another tool that can be manipulated to make it look like VAC is a well oiled machine. These surveys were dropped by the Conservatives because some real advocates and the press requested to see the 'raw' data. Not the manipulated results.

These reviews and surveys are only going to divert manhours to work on the data instead of concentrating on what needs to be done.

Participants at the meeting were given the agenda. A two day meeting with an agenda that fitted on 1 piece of paper. And there was nine, that's 9, breakout groups discussing various topics. That is a clusterf**k of information that is going to require a very tight clock when each group gives their debrief to the rest of the Stakeholders. And another way VAC controls the information because the person taking the notes has to hand them in at the end of the day....so VAC has a record of what was discussed. In other words control the conversations.

One other thing....if anyone expects an update on the progress of the lifelong pension, education, homelessness, mental health when they tune in at 11:30 today it ain't going to happen.

Why? Because there is a room full of seniors that will want their lunch at noon. And trust me when I say this...do not stand between them and the lunch table! Let's just say I now know what the enemy feels when they see a charging group of Canadians that want something! LOL

Veterans Voice was represented by three members at the summit. I was head of delegation and Jerry Kovacs was my observer on Monday. Sean Bruyea and Jerry attended on Tuesday.

Each group is allowed two people usually, although there are exceptions. The second person is a non-speaking observer, but this in an informal rule, and usually anyone can speak. Not much time is allotted for questions and comments, so you have to be quick to join a discussion.

Since 2011, Veterans Voice has been represented at all but two summits. We were banned when Julian Fantino was minister. Our invitation was lost due to a technical problem last December.

It helps to be drunk or crazy to sit through some of these summits. There is a lot of information to understand, and it is no surprise when people become confused.

The summits began as a way for VAC to consult with stakeholders, but really control who could speak. The vocal advocates made sure that the format changed quickly. There are plenty of heated discussions and the experienced attendees are not shy about speaking.

Perry

Chief Editor