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ACVA Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA)
44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 32
Monday, December 12, 2022, 11:05 a.m. to 12:59 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Emmanuel Dubourg, Chair (Liberal)

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House of Commons
• Miriam Burke, Procedural Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Analyst
Committee Business
The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

Motion

Blake Richards moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee order:

  1. that all briefing notes, memos, emails, and text or other electronic messages from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) officials prepared for or sent to the Minister of Veterans Affairs regarding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), including related to the internal investigation into the matter, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion;
  2. that all internal memos, emails, and documents distributed by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to Veterans Service Agents and Case Workers regarding the department’s policy on discussing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) between Tuesday, January 1, 2019, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion;
  3. that any notes, memos, emails, and documents related to the deletion or destruction of phone calls, emails, messages, and client notes related to the subject of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) (providing for the redaction of names and personal information of veterans and VAC clients) between Friday July 1, 2022, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion;
  4. that all Assystnet requests by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employees to delete client notes related to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) (providing for the redaction of names and personal information of veterans and VAC clients) between Friday, July 1, 2022, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Luc Desilets moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the number “30” with the number “45”.

Debate arose thereon.

At 11:53 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:54 a.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Luc Desilets and it was agreed to.

The committee resumed consideration of the motion, as amended, of Blake Richards, —

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee order:

  1. that all briefing notes, memos, emails, and text or other electronic messages from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) officials prepared for or sent to the Minister of Veterans Affairs regarding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), including related to the internal investigation into the matter, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion;
  2. that all internal memos, emails, and documents distributed by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to Veterans Service Agents and Case Workers regarding the department’s policy on discussing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) between Tuesday, January 1, 2019, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion;
  3. that any notes, memos, emails, and documents related to the deletion or destruction of phone calls, emails, messages, and client notes related to the subject of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) (providing for the redaction of names and personal information of veterans and VAC clients) between Friday July 1, 2022, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion;
  4. that all Assystnet requests by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employees to delete client notes related to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) (providing for the redaction of names and personal information of veterans and VAC clients) between Friday, July 1, 2022, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 30 days of the adoption of this motion.

The debate on the motion, as amended, continued.

Amendment

Luc Desilets moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting paragraph (c) and paragraph (d).

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

YEAS: Sean Casey, Luc Desilets, Wilson Miao, Churence Rogers, Darrell Samson, Rechie Valdez — 6;

NAYS: Rachel Blaney, Terry Dowdall, Blake Richards, Fraser Tolmie, Cathay Wagantall — 5.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee order:

  1. that all briefing notes, memos, emails, and text or other electronic messages from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) officials prepared for or sent to the Minister of Veterans Affairs regarding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), including related to the internal investigation into the matter, be provided to the committee within 45 days of the adoption of this motion;
  2. that all internal memos, emails, and documents distributed by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to Veterans Service Agents and Case Workers regarding the department’s policy on discussing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) between Tuesday January 1, 2019, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, be provided to the committee within 45 days of the adoption of this motion.

Motion

Luc Desilets moved, — That the Chair of the committee write a letter to the Veterans Ombud to suggest that she review the allegations that medical assistance in dying was offered to veterans by Veterans Affairs Canada employees.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Motion

Blake Richards moved, — That Veterans Affairs Canada provide the committee with the training materials and training modules that were distributed to Veterans Affairs Employees to clarify the department’s policy on discussing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

At 12:35 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:42 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

Impact of the New Rehabilitation Contract Awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Role of the Case Manager and Quality of Service Delivery
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, October 3, 2022, the committee resumed its study of the impact of the new rehabilitation contract awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the role of the case manager and quality of service delivery.

The committee proceeded to give drafting instructions to the analyst for a draft report.

At 12:59 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Audrée Dallaire
Clerk of the committee