New Veterans Affairs Minister

[FSTO]

Kent Hehr moving to something else?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/seamus-oregan-veterans-affairs-minister-1.4264773

 

[The Bread Guy]

Kent Hehr moving to something else?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/seamus-oregan-veterans-affairs-minister-1.4264773

There's a swearing in ceremony @ the GG's place at 12:30pm local ...
http://gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16970&lan=eng

Also, the story seems pretty clumsily put together, saying he's becoming VAC Minister while also saying "O'Regan will replace Judy Foote, who retired last week, as only cabinet member from N.L." -- which suggests Hehr may be taking Foote's old portfolio.

op:

 

[Fishbone Jones]

He can only do better. To do worse than Hehr, he'd have to be dead. I don't think we'll see much though. By the time he gets a handle on things and starts to put his footprint on that ministry, we'll be into the next election cycle.

Maybe they'll promise a return to lifetime pensions : :sarcasm:

 

[The Bread Guy]

... Maybe they'll promise a return to lifetime pensions : :sarcasm:

... again.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Someone in the office was just recently awarded a positive decision.  He said he was given two options.  1. Take a smaller lump sum or 2.  a larger percentage but with the payout in instalments.  Bloody retarded, things could only improve under the present party in power.

 

[Jarnhamar]

[quote author=recceguy]

Maybe they'll promise a return to lifetime pensions : :sarcasm:
[/quote]

Completely genuine question, why are life time pensions better than single pay outs?

 

[MarkOttawa]

Bio of The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, new Minister of Public Services and Procurement:

A successful lawyer, dedicated volunteer, and Paralympic swimmer, Carla Qualtrough’s commitment to addressing inequality and championing diversity makes her a strong advocate for Delta.

Committed to equity and inclusion, Carla has practised human rights law at the federal and provincial levels. She chaired the Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility in British Columbia, and was an adjudicator with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal. Carla has been visually impaired since birth.

Passionate about the power of sport and physical activity to change lives, Carla has volunteered locally, nationally, and internationally, including with the International Paralympic Committee and for the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. She has been President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Chair of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. Carla was on the Board of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and was Vice-Chair of the Delta Gymnastics Society. As an athlete, Carla won three Paralympic and four World Championship medals.

Carla has degrees in political science from the University of Ottawa and law from the University of Victoria. Among many awards for her work, she has been named one of Canada’s Most Influential Women in Sport six times, and received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister/honourable-carla-qualtrough

Mark
Ottawa

 

[captloadie]

I just did some research on the VAC site, and found this new (?) calculator.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services/after-injury/disability-benefits/disability-award/da-calc

It appears that they amortize the amount, so taking it over a longer period pays out more (not sure if this is to calculate interest earned, future value of money, etc.)

 

[blacktriangle]

Not to throw the thread off topic (it's heading that way) but I did the math of a 10% spread over 5 years. Sure you get a bit more but honestly if you don't need the money right now, take it and invest some of it elsewhere. Depending how you can invest and the market, you can do better. VAC probably invests your cash and makes % off it haha

 

[Teager]

Someone in the office was just recently awarded a positive decision.  He said he was given two options.  1. Take a smaller lump sum or 2.  a larger percentage but with the payout in instalments.  Bloody retarded, things could only improve under the present party in power.

How can VAC award you 2 different percentages? As far as I'm concerned if VAC rates you 25% then you are to receive 25% in payout according to the disability payout chart. Only other option is of the member chooses to spread that payment out over a period of time of there choosing. As Capt Loadie pointed out you get more money but I believe it's an estimate based on inflation.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I don't think the minister makes a difference; the problems they have run through the bureaucracy. Almost need to burn it to the ground and start over (as an L1 under DND).

The changes to INAC are huge though; they have their hands in everywhere and in theory are part of the large procurements.  Hopefully this will make them at least useful (or not obstructionist).

 

[jollyjacktar]

How can VAC award you 2 different percentages? As far as I'm concerned if VAC rates you 25% then you are to receive 25% in payout according to the disability payout chart. Only other option is of the member chooses to spread that payment out over a period of time of there choosing. As Capt Loadie pointed out you get more money but I believe it's an estimate based on inflation.

Buggered if I know.  The take away is if he chose the lump sum it was for a smaller amount than an amortized payout over whatever months.  It sounds like a three card Monte table being run by VAC to me.  They can now do a huge smoke show and bleat they're giving a monthly pension like scheme for veterans.  Ain't that just swell of them?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Completely genuine question, why are life time pensions better than single pay outs?

There is tons of reason in threads on this forum. Or you can go elsewhere and Google it up. There is a number of reasons why lump sum is worse than life long pensions. Just off the top, lifetime pensions pay substantially more, but that's for the other thread, not this one.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I don't think the minister makes a difference; the problems they have run through the bureaucracy ...

... as well as the rules the bureaucracy has to enforce - and it's the politicians who have to make the big changes.  :nod:

 

[Occam]

It appears that they amortize the amount, so taking it over a longer period pays out more (not sure if this is to calculate interest earned, future value of money, etc.)

Interest.  See the NVC, section 52.1 (1) (b).

 

[ModlrMike]

I will continue to maintain that those who think that the Liberals who wrote the NVC are prepared to essentially unwrite it and admit they made a mistake, have not given the issue sufficient thought.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I will continue to maintain that those who think that the Liberals who wrote the NVC are prepared to essentially unwrite it and admit they made a mistake, have not given the issue sufficient thought.

Given another government that could re-instituted pensions didn't, I guess we can only go by what the Team Red is promising now, right? 

Meanwhile, an interesting development with a former Minister of Veterans Affairs:  Team Blue has made former minister Steven Blaney the VAC critic - party news release here, list of critic portfolios attached. 

It'll interesting to see how long it'll take for the Oral Questions to come down to, "Why aren't you changing VA benefits & restoring pensions?" followed by "What did you do to get that done?"  #FormerMinistersNotGreatCritics

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Given another government that could re-instituted pensions didn't, I guess we can only go by what the Team Red is promising now, right? 

Meanwhile, an interesting development with a former Minister of Veterans Affairs:  Team Blue has made former minister Steven Blaney the VAC critic - party news release here, list of critic portfolios attached. 

It'll interesting to see how long it'll take for the Oral Questions to come down to, "Why aren't you changing VA benefits & restoring pensions?" followed by "What did you do to get that done?" #FormerMinistersNotGreatCritics

Won't happen. The question might get asked, but this government hasn't properly answered a question since they got elected. Nothing but Buttes' circular statements, which aren't answers.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Won't happen. The question might get asked, but this government hasn't properly answered a question since they got elected. Nothing but Buttes' circular statements, which aren't answers.

#DareToDream

 

[Eye In The Sky]

In minor VA news, a new "highest-ranking CAF Liaison Officer" will be in place shortly as well. 

Article Link

After four years in the top military job in Atlantic Canada, Rear Admiral John Newton is preparing to give up the reins of command on Friday at HMC Dockyard in Halifax to assume a new post.

...

He's moving on to the highest-ranking military job at Veterans Affairs Canada in Charlottetown, where he will work as a liaison officer.

He says he'll be relying on the listening skills he gained with the troops to help him in Veterans Affairs "to listen with empathy and understanding, to give the benefit of the doubt to people's complex stories," he said.

His job will involve understanding which cases are unique, and which are systemic, and working between the two departments to "create better bridging."