May 9 & 10 2016 VAC Stakeholder Summit Agenda

VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT

May 9–10, 2016
Victoria Ballroom
Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent St, Ottawa, Ontario

AGENDA – DAY 1


Time
Description
Lead
Monday, May 9
0830 –0850
Coffee/Meet and Greet
All
0850 – 0900
Group Photo
All
0900 –0910
Welcome and Introduction/Moment of Silence for the Fallen
General (Retired) Walter Natynczyk, Deputy Minister
0910 – 0930

Keynote Address

The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs
0930 – 1015
Budget 2016
Michel Doiron, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery and Bernard Butler, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Commemoration
1015 –1030
Health Break
1030 – 1130
Well-being Model
General (Retired) Walter Natynczyk, Deputy Minister
1130 – 1200

Veterans Outcomes - Shaping Tomorrow

Guy Parent, Veterans Ombudsman
1200 – 1300
Lunch
1300 – 1345
Marijuana for Medical Purposes: Presentation and Q&A
Michel Doiron, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery & Dr. Cyd Courchesne, Director General, Health Professionals & Chief Medical Officer
1345 – 1445

Break-out Groups


All

1445-1500
Health Break

1500 – 1615

Break-out Groups

All


1615 – 1630
Closing Remarks
General (Retired) Walter Natynczyk, Deputy Minister
1630 – 1730
Reception
VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT

May 9–10, 2016
Victoria Ballroom
Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent St, Ottawa, Ontario

AGENDA – DAY 2


Time
Description
Lead
Tuesday, May 10
0830 – 0900
Coffee/Meet and Greet
All
0900 –1055
Feedback from Breakout Groups

All
1055-1100
Facebook Live Event Overview
Paul Thomson, Director General, communications
1100 – 1115
Health Break
1115 –1130
Facebook Live set up
All
1130 – 1225
Facebook Live Event
All
1225 –1230
Facebook Live Event & Summit Closing

The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs

1230 – 1330
Lunch

Would be nice to get an invite to say me of these stakeholder group meetings.

I've been to Stakeholder Meetings and this is pure fluff and puff. Where's the topic of Lifelong pension? Homeless vets? Improvements to Administration procedures? Mental Health?

Facebook and Medical Marijuana? That's it? Hey isn't there a review being done about MM? So why is this on the agenda?

It is frustrating to be in a constant state of flux and studies. I do not believe there is much sincerity they are just doing their best at delaying while at the same time trying to convince the masses that they are making veterans lives better. These committees need real veterans not just lip service.

I am still waiting.  Nothing has changed, expect that I heard two other gentleman stories of being left in limbo (Parl. VU) and the effects of total abandonment of the CF has on one’s mind.  
Still a struggle and I would of been coming to my official retiring date. The end of my I.E.
I signed on for another fourteen years, but two months shy after signing my reengagement orders I was honourably medically released (3(b)).  
I wanted to stay in the forces but was forced out.
Living with shame because of it follows you around day in and day out.  
What could I of been?
I know what I ended up to be.
An injured third class citizen taking Joe jobs to survive all while wondering what happened to my career and the opportunities of growth and development that comes as a service member.
What did SISIP do?
Forced me to go to school upon release.
I received a college diploma In CYC and never used it. I did the course and passed only because I was terrified that if I failed I would end up on the streets for sure (or my parents basement).
Was I gainfully employed?
No.  
My first job was as a security guard making $6.10 an hour in (2003) after having a yearly salary.
Did I want to kill myself?
I had no support.
2 years of SISIP and it was over and I was on my own.
Luckily, one of the employees directed me to becoming a Commissionaire, which paid more $8.10 an hour…did I want to kill myself?  
These jobs where for old retired members, not for a young man with no pension like me.
Veteran Affairs Canada, where were they in the picture?
Denying, delaying, and having to prove my case is what I did from 2003 until 2011.
Mine is not a clear and cut case as some others and I have overlaps with other issues and it is a mess that is still basically under repair.
Bottom line.
I wanted to continue serving and I was discriminated against because of the Universality of Service clause, which it is used as a tool to halt your growth in the CAF.  
I was forced out.  
I now live with regret due to being medically released and it will never change, but expecting it is hard when your also being toyed around with by the GOC.
These meetings should flourish into something positive, it needs to.
We need proper direction and reassurance.  
VAC is a gauntlet and the only way through it is by politely pushing our way through the system and nudging the "NEW" people in office that we will not rest until we have our sacred obligation fully fulfilled.

What a joke. It's all smoke and mirrors. Let's have a stakeholders conference and talk about how good we all are for the veterans and what a great job we are doing. Kent Hehr either has been muzzled by the PM or he's afraid to talk in case he says something he can't back up. I can just hear the closing remarks. It's been enlightening to hear the input of our stakeholders. We at VAC value the opinions of all veterans and moving forward we will bla bla bla bla. So the next time we meet whose up for a group sample of medical marijuana. A buddy recently told me VAC is run by Blue Cross and Manulife as they loan the money to VAC at high interest rates. Not sure about that but it would not surprise me.

It's a slow pace and the bureaucrats are running the show.

They announced some progress steps in the last budget such as the ELB top up to 90% but it only comes into effect in October ,  Why October , why not now ?
At least ask the question why October and not now ?
There has to be an easy answer as to why ?
It's been said that SISIP will also get the top up to 90% but here we are in the Month of May and I have yet to hear from SISIP themselves (officially) on this ?
Why is that ?

Another good budget announcement is the Increased Disability Award & Retro , I like it and appreciate it but why is it only becoming into effect in mid 2017 ?
Why not give us the answer ?
What about the calculation method used to calculate the retro ?

These are simple questions that I'm sure were asked and addressed to the Minister , why not give us the answers ?

Slow pace indeed.

Trooper, the only thing i can think of for the October date for the ELB increase is that was the month when the last major change to ELB/SISIP came into force on Oct 3 2011 when they set the minimum base rate. I know it effected thousands of us at the time, both the temporary reciprocants and long term people don’t know why but this must have something to do with it. (remember regardless of what rank you were or what year you released nobody on ELB/SISIP today is below that base rate)



Cheers

Thanks 6608 makes sense.

I just don't like it when the government announces something for us and only gives the announcement , but does not give us a simple answer to the reasons behind the implementation dates of the announcement.

Like what your thought was about only coming into effect this October , why don't they tell us that ?

I'm a little mushroom short and stout... NOT !

Actually the reason SISIP has been silent is because there has yet to be a House vote on the budget so until then SISIP will remain silent, proper procedure. Until the House votes on the changes SISIP follows the rules in front of them.

The reason for the 1 October 2016 effective date well they, the Libs, didn't want to pay retro to the budget day. And if there is a problem with the budget they bought themselves some time for corrections and re-vote.

Here is the list of participants for the Stakeholder Meeting

Stakeholder Organizations Representatives

1. Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones

2. Afghanistan Veterans Association of Canada

3. Army, Navy, and Air Force Veterans in Canada

4. Canada Company

5. Canadian Aboriginal Veterans and Serving Members Association

6. Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Units

7. Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping

8. Canadian Caregivers Brigade

9. Canadian Corps of Commissionaires

10. Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research

11. Canadian Naval Air Group

12. Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association

13. Canadian Veterans Advocacy

14. Canadians for Veterans

15. Conference of Defence Associations

16. Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

17. It’s Just 700

18. Korea Veterans Association

19. Military Minds

20. National Association of Federal Retirees

21. National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada

22. NATO Veterans Organization of Canada

23. Naval Association of Canada

24. Persian Gulf Veterans

25. Royal Canadian Air Force Association of Canada

26. Royal Canadian Legion

27. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans Association

28. Send Up The Count

29. Treble Victor Group

30. True Patriot Love Foundation

31. Veterans Canada (.ca)

32. Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada

33. Veterans Transition Network

34. Veterans UN-NATO Canada

35. Veterans Voice.info

36. Wounded Warriors Canada

37. 31/32 Canadian Brigade Group Wellness Board

38. 33 Canadian Brigade Group Wellness Board

39. 39 Canadian Brigade Group Wellbeing Network

Veterans Voice.info is there? Who are the participants representing that group?

Tx for that list teen...

pinger

Well I am very certain that absolutely very little information, updates or details is going to come from this meeting.

This is a controled meeting that will generate any 'real' conversation. And I guarentee if anyone tries to bring up any topic not on the agenda they will be ignored. Or even worse the PA vet orgs will shame the vet to be silent. I've seen it done.

This is a list that can only be described with one word....FUBAR.

Charity groups, a world recognized research organization, commemoration groups, a lot of groups that have only PA members, and some real advocates? And a real head scratcher The Canadian Corp of Commissionaires? Yeah zero results but ton's of PR for the Liberals.