Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 17th, 2011

[LGen Louis Cuppens]

I think the short comment on that is for five years the country where I was born and where Andy's relatives come from was occupied by the oppressors and they were busy starving us to death. They wanted to annihilate us, and Canada came along and gave us back our freedom. It's a very precious gift, and that country will never forget.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

The NDP are passing on their last time slot. There's one more for the Conservatives, so we could allow the colonel to have a chance to respond and then if there is another question.... First we'll let the colonel respond quickly, if you would, to the question.

[Colonel Andrew Nellestyn]

Thank you for your observation.

With respect to new Canadians or those who immigrated who are not so new, such as me, I think a number of those individuals want to have Canada's story told, the story of the veterans, because as Lou says, our freedom is a consequence of Canada's participation.

The other point, which Mr. Daniel brought up, is that there are people who have immigrated to Canada from war-torn, conflicted regions of the world who also have a story to tell, and that particular story is that, if necessary, it is worth fighting for the respect of the dignity of the person in all its manifestations, whether it be democracy, human rights, what have you. It is important that this be told.

With respect to the medal, in the documentary, when word got out that we were doing this, we were absolutely flooded with people who wanted to tell their stories. I hope it will stop at 60 episodes. The number of people per episode is generally more than one. We had to start making choices, and it's very difficult to start making a choice, because one veteran's experience, while it may be very different from that of another, is just as valid.

Yes, people want to tell their stories. I'm very pleased that in the last five to ten years, the notion of recognizing contributions made by Canada's military veterans and those still serving has increased manyfold, and the interesting thing about it is it isn't just that they went to fight, but that they went to protect Canadian values. I'm talking Afghanistan, the Balkans, and all that. Canada stands for something. It stands for freedom, it stands for democracy, and it stands for the respect of the dignity of the person, human rights. That's how we are perceived in the world. And why? Because our military and all other aspects of the whole-of-government profile of missions now project that. I'm very proud to be associated with that, and so are those we interviewed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Ms. Adams.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thank you very much.

You're absolutely right on that. The Libyan mission we're all particularly proud of as Canadians, and the fact that Canadians put their lives on the line to go and protect people who were being bombarded by their own nation. We gave of ourselves to ensure that others could be protected.

That was a subject that came up as I was meeting with some grade six students last week. Obviously it was very topical. They had just gone through that in their current affairs studies and they found it remarkable to learn that 18- and 19-year-olds were sacrificing their lives to go halfway around the world to stand up for principles all Canadians believe in, and what an extraordinary outcome we've had.

So you're quite right. Thank you.

I'll go to Mr. Anders. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Mr. Anders, the time is reasonably short, but I'd like you to ask a question.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Sure.

I was very impressed with Colorado Springs as well. I felt it was like a Valhalla in a sense for the warriors who had served with Schriever Air Force Base and Fort Carson and the U.S. Air Force Academy and of course all the stuff they have inside the mountain there for NORAD.

I think every place that I ran across gave a 10% discount for veterans: restaurants, barbershops, you name it, whatever it was.

Am I missing anything? I realize their military footprint in that one location is probably larger than that of our Canadian armed forces across this country. Are there other things they do that make that place as special as it is for veterans?

[LGen Louis Cuppens]

In the Colorado Springs area, you've captured it correctly. There are lots of discounts offered to those who serve.

Remember that when you're discharged from the U.S. military, they have a different apparatus in their country from what we have. They have different medical care programs, and they have different income tax activities. So when you're discharged from the military, you get a thick book of all the benefits available to you, whether it is going into the nearest military base to get your teeth fixed, or to have a doctor look at you, or to get pharmaceuticals—and your children, by the way.

We don't, in our country, have our military dependants treated on our military bases. We have independent doctors look after the families of the military.

Yesterday, when I was flying up from the United States on Continental Airlines, they were announcing the boarding. They have their privileged passengers, the ones with air mile cards who have a massive number of air miles, and the airline asks their first class and their privileged members and armed forces members to board first, just because they're celebrating the veterans right now.

A veteran can go into an automobile dealership and get quite a substantial discount. There are a whole range of things in this book they receive.

I don't know what is issued to our Canadian Forces. I know when I left in 1998, I had a small pamphlet that was given to me, and it said that I could go to the local CANEX, I think. But they probably have something similar to that now. I'm out of date, you see, so you'd have to ask defence department officials what it is they do for their releasing veterans now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you.

Colonel.

[Colonel Andrew Nellestyn]

If I may follow up to Ms. Adams' comments and questions, war is not the only activity in which the military participates. I cite Haiti, for example. We give assistance to the civil power—floods, forest fires, and this, that, and the other. So the contribution is much more expansive in scope, and this isn't just bayonets and airplanes and ships and all that kind of stuff. It covers the whole spectrum of human activity and human suffering per se.

One thing I do want to say—and I think I can say this on behalf of Lou as well—is that both of us, having been born in the Netherlands, and having been liberated by the Canadians, feel it is just an absolute privilege, the likes of which you cannot appreciate, to have served in the Canadian Forces, to have worn the Canadian Forces military uniform, and to have gone out and done that as part of Canada abroad in the rest of the world.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

That's a wonderful place to wrap up.

Of course the additional bonus is that you've brought Peter Stoffer along. We don't know how to thank you for that.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

1956.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Before we wrap up and thank you, we have a little bit of public business. I'd ask, if you wouldn't mind, to just stay here. It's not very long, and then we're going to break. But I'll get back to you in a second.

Would committee members just bear with us?

First of all, the minister will be here on the 22nd, and not on the 24th. That will take place in Room 253 because it is televised. It will not be here. So that will be in your notice.

Committee business will take place on the 24th. I remind you that we're into the new study conversation and so on. We already have at least one submission in, so it's important that the parties reflect what their priorities are, and the discussion will take place that day.

The last thing, now that the analyst is back, is a comment on when the report could be wrapped up. So I'll turn to him to ask him to respond.

[Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Committee Researcher]

To be realistic, we could have what I expect to be about a 20-page report with fewer than 10 recommendations drafted in the first language next Friday. Translation and concordance between French and English and formatting for about 7,500 words would take about five to seven days, depending on the availability of translators. So it will take a week more for that.

The first meeting to consider the report reasonably could be December 6.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

So committee members understand that's the response to what we were talking about the other day, and we'll be able to review the draft report on December 6.

Okay. That's all I want to raise for information.

I want to thank our guests very much. We allowed some extra time, but I don't think we wasted one second. Thank you for what you do, and thank you for being here today.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

With that, we're adjourned.