Injecting veterans into all corners of the country became a catalyst for the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s. Not only did we hone their skills for civilian life, but we also provided loans, grants, insurance, and other incentives to enable their success.
In the United States, the post-World War II GI Bill is estimated to have returned $7 for every dollar invested. Canada's post-World War II investment in veterans not only positively affected our economy, it also changed the social fabric of Canadian society. The creation of our national health care system was influenced by the federal system of veterans hospitals. The socio-economic barriers to attending colleges and universities were broken by the expansion of post-secondary education institutions trying to meet the need of our returning World War II veterans. Owning a house today for most Canadians is made possible by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which started as a program for veterans.
In other economic sectors, could we not start working with post-secondary educators to capitalize on the strength of veterans and tailor programs to fit specific occupations that are in short demand?
There are many more ideas that could be considered in this regard, but the limited time allotted only allows me to give you a flavour of what is in the art of the possible.
From a sustainability perspective, one only has to remember that every year, the Canadian Armed Forces releases more than 5,000 highly skilled and experienced personnel. It is time we fixed the deficiencies of the new Veterans Charter in the upcoming budget and started to consider the long game.
We have an opportunity to help ensure the fiscal sustainability and economic growth of our country by changing the way we look at veterans. Canada can profit from that change. I say let's get the wheels turning and seize this opportunity to recognize the full potential of our veterans. Mr. Chair, committee members, we owe them that much.