Government Operations Committee on April 10th, 2019

Evidence of meeting #168 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was transition.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Hiring Veterans for Public Service Positions

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Andrew Richards As an Individual

Wolfgang Zimmermann Executive Director, National Institute of Disability Management and Research

Debbie Lowther Chair and Co-founder, VETS Canada

Lieutenant-General Retired) Walter Semianiw (National Director, VETS Canada

Katherine Lamy Nurse Practitioner Captain (Retired), As an Individual

Danielle Boutilier As an Individual

4:05 p.m.

LGen (Ret'd) Walter Semianiw

Yes, I agree. When the policy was being developed, in 2011, that was one of the questions asked. It was a matter of determining whether the policy should be entrusted to National Defence or Veterans Affairs Canada. At that time, the decision was made to give that responsibility to National Defence, but, owing to laws, National Defence did not want to take it. I think that entrusting it to National Defence would be the best option.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

I'm afraid we're out of time, but hopefully you will have another opportunity.

We'll now go to Madam Mendès for seven minutes, please.

April 10th, 2019 / 4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

At the very least, I will try to continue for a little while in French, like Ms. Laverdière. I may switch to English afterwards.

Mr. Zimmermann, you brought up the advisory committee you sat on in the late 1990s. I would like to know whether any recommendations came out of that advisory committee on the transition from military to civilian life, especially in employment and, if so, what they were.

4:10 p.m.

Executive Director, National Institute of Disability Management and Research

Wolfgang Zimmermann

Well, it was between 2004 and 2010 that I was part of the committee. The recommendations at that time were exactly the same as I think I'm presenting today, that individuals should not be allowed to depart from DND without a very clear game plan going forward, one that has return to work and continued employment as a critical element of the expected outcome. I mean, we all identify with what we do for a living, because being successfully employed is what gives us our basis for economic participation, for social participation and for our own psychological health in the workplace. My view—and I think the recommendation in those days as well—is that there simply has to be a level of creativity brought to this.

What I saw in those days, and what we continue to see, is that sure, somebody who has served may not go into an office tower down the road, but why would they not be retrained for a career within Parks Canada or CBSA? Why would they not be retrained for a career, as Mr. Richards said, within Fisheries and Oceans or as a labour inspector within the labour program at Employment and Social Development? There is no reason. The key is to bring creativity and outside-the-box thinking to this as opposed to “this is how we've always done it”.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC

I completely agree with you. I do think that creativity is about looking beyond the simple job description of traditional public servants we may have in mind. It is about looking further.

While they are still active, before they become veterans, military members mostly need to be reassured by their employer—National Defence—that, when it comes to their mental and physical health, they are capable of entering the labour market. That is also one of the problems. If an individual is physically or mentally fragile at the end of their military career, before transitioning to a civilian job, it is certain that conditions will not really be in their favour. Am I wrong?

Is there a period at the end of a military career when the military member is guided through what we may refer to as “recovery” or, at the very least, a period of recovery to good health to enter civilian life? Is that done?

Do you get my question? At the end of their military service, do they get, not just some training but some health care, mental and physical, to ensure that they are ready to enter civilian life?

4:10 p.m.

LGen (Ret'd) Walter Semianiw

No. I released in 2015, so I am probably the most recently released individual here and I can tell you I was responsible for the process. No. What you will hear from the leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces is that men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces are now released with everything in place. We're not seeing that.

I spoke to a veteran only last week who still did not have her pension or severance pay organized. She was already out and she was struggling with mental health issues. I'm saying this in English to be very clear.