Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Since I have a minute and a half remaining from earlier, I want to take the time to thank the Honorable Peter MacKay and the Honorable Julian Fantino for joining us, despite the short notice.
My question is on the pension plan for army reservists. Prior to 2007, there was no pension plan for reservists, even though those people served our country, made considerable sacrifices and risked their lives. Since then, those who served as reservists in the Canadian Forces have had the opportunity to buy back service.
However, the plan implemented by the department is not well-managed. We have noted an increase in administrative issues, especially in terms of timeframes. Reservists who submit applications don't receive information within a reasonable timeframe. Apparently, sometimes the process takes up to seven years.
In her report, the Auditor General pointed out that only 4% of the 9,213 applications had been processed in March 2010. That percentage is very low and cannot be considered as a very good result. She also emphasized that the investments and administrative actions taken over the last three years had failed to resolve the issue and remedy the situation. Reservists have the right to know what kind of retirement benefits they will be able to receive and when.
Could the minister perhaps tell us what additional resources he intends to make available in order to meet the demands and legitimate needs of reservists who are inquiring about their retirement plan? How do you intend to remedy the situation? Those people have the right to have their application processed within a reasonable timeframe.