Calgary West MP Rob Anders falls asleep in the House of Commons during Question Period in late 2011. Witnesses say he did it again at a committee hearing this week. Photograph by: . , YouTube

Angry veterans' advocates say a Conservative MP on the House of Commons veterans affairs committee slept through their presentation about efforts to help homeless former soldiers.

But Calgary MP Rob Anders, who is the target of the veterans' animosity, said he never fell asleep and instead suggested they are NDP "hacks" who praised Russian strongman Vladimir Putin during the meeting.

Jim Lowther, president of Veterans Emergency Transition Services, said he couldn't believe it when Anders slept through the group's presentation at the Commons veterans affairs committee on Tuesday in Halifax.

Lowther said Anders came into the meeting 10 minutes late. "He was putting his arms up and rubbing his face," said Lowther. "Then he started texting and then just slept for the rest."

"He almost smashed his head on the table, he was that out of it."

Liberal MP Sean Casey and Veterans Emergency Transition Services official David MacLeod also said Anders fell asleep. Casey said Anders has fallen asleep before at committee meetings.

But Anders says he was awake for the entire meeting and he accused Lowther of being under the control of NDP MP Peter Stoffer, the party's veterans affairs critic. He said last year Lowther tried to go to one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's rallies but was refused entry.

He also accused Casey of making incorrect statements for partisan reasons.

"If you praise Vladimir Putin with the way he deals with veterans and you're on NDP press releases and you praise Peter Stoffer and you're in favour of the unionization and you try to crash the prime minister's rallies and you criticize Rob Anders for visiting a mess hall, go figure," Anders said. "Connect the dots.

"When you guys go quoting somebody I think it would be nice if you do a little background on this guy to figure out he's a hack," Anders added.

But Anders appears to be confusing David MacLeod, in part at least, with Lowther. MacLeod said he made the actual presentation, while Lowther, who had pneumonia, sat beside him.

MacLeod said he mentioned in his presentation that the Russians had provided housing for their former soldiers and had set up a hospital to treat Afghan war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorders, something he thought was a good idea.

"I support Vladimir Putin?" said MacLeod, when told of Anders' remarks. "I was in the Canadian Forces for 27 years. I'm former military intelligence for God's sake.

"Maybe he was coming out of his sleep when he heard that," MacLeod added, attempting to explain Anders's confusion on the issue.

MacLeod noted he is a card-carrying member of the Conservative party in Nova Scotia and has voted for Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

The meeting was held at the officers mess at Artillery Park in Halifax. It was in a relatively small room with several veterans, two doctors who work with veterans, the MPs and four government employees present, say those who attended.

Lowther said he was disappointed about Anders's claims and added that the MP is "out to lunch."