The Department of Veterans Affairs has defended its staffing levels despite a decrease in the number of veterans in Canada. Blacklock's Reporter says according to a federal briefing note, the departmental payroll has grown by 26% since 2015, even as the number of veterans served has been overestimated.“How are veterans’ programs impacted by data from the Census?” asked the May 8 note titled Census Data On Veterans. “The department does not generally use broader veteran population figures for operational planning.”Instead, the department relies on actual program intake and service utilization data to develop forecasts and plans. “This means the difference between Census counts and the department’s population estimate does not have a direct impact on operations. At the same time when we consider new programs and policies we will have more clarity on which veterans may benefit,” the note explained.Since 2015, the departmental payroll has increased from 2,907 employees to 3,676, adding 769 staff members. During the same period, the department acknowledged inflating the number of veterans it served.“The 2021 Census counted 461,240 Canadian veterans,” the note revealed. “This is lower than the department’s estimate of 617,800 veterans published in the department’s yearly Facts And Figures.”The 2021 short form Census questionnaire, which was the first since 1971 to include a question on military service, highlighted the department's overestimation by nearly 157,000 veterans. The discrepancy was partly expected because the department’s estimates were based on data from the 1971 Census and other national surveys. The department is now working with Statistics Canada to develop a more accurate portrait of former military personnel.A 2009 report titled New Veterans Charter Evaluation acknowledged that Canada had more employees managing fewer programs than either the United Kingdom or Australia. Canada’s payroll of 3,676 employees compared to 2,100 each in the U.K. and Australia.Critics have argued that other federal agencies are also overstaffed. The Commons finance committee was told in 2019 that the Canada Revenue Agency had five times the number of agents per capita compared to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.“There are thousands and thousands of agents at the Canada Revenue Agency but when you make a phone call you can’t even get them on the phone,” said Conservative MP Blake Richards (Banff-Airdrie, Alta.). “How is that possible?”
The Department of Veterans Affairs has defended its staffing levels despite a decrease in the number of veterans in Canada. Blacklock's Reporter says according to a federal briefing note, the departmental payroll has grown by 26% since 2015, even as the number of veterans served has been overestimated.“How are veterans’ programs impacted by data from the Census?” asked the May 8 note titled Census Data On Veterans. “The department does not generally use broader veteran population figures for operational planning.”Instead, the department relies on actual program intake and service utilization data to develop forecasts and plans. “This means the difference between Census counts and the department’s population estimate does not have a direct impact on operations. At the same time when we consider new programs and policies we will have more clarity on which veterans may benefit,” the note explained.Since 2015, the departmental payroll has increased from 2,907 employees to 3,676, adding 769 staff members. During the same period, the department acknowledged inflating the number of veterans it served.“The 2021 Census counted 461,240 Canadian veterans,” the note revealed. “This is lower than the department’s estimate of 617,800 veterans published in the department’s yearly Facts And Figures.”The 2021 short form Census questionnaire, which was the first since 1971 to include a question on military service, highlighted the department's overestimation by nearly 157,000 veterans. The discrepancy was partly expected because the department’s estimates were based on data from the 1971 Census and other national surveys. The department is now working with Statistics Canada to develop a more accurate portrait of former military personnel.A 2009 report titled New Veterans Charter Evaluation acknowledged that Canada had more employees managing fewer programs than either the United Kingdom or Australia. Canada’s payroll of 3,676 employees compared to 2,100 each in the U.K. and Australia.Critics have argued that other federal agencies are also overstaffed. The Commons finance committee was told in 2019 that the Canada Revenue Agency had five times the number of agents per capita compared to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.“There are thousands and thousands of agents at the Canada Revenue Agency but when you make a phone call you can’t even get them on the phone,” said Conservative MP Blake Richards (Banff-Airdrie, Alta.). “How is that possible?”
