National Defence Committee on June 5th, 2013

[Col Russell Mann]

I read the testimony with some emotion. I am saddened to hear the plight of both the civilian family members and those who chose to make representations from the armed services. These are not easy stories.

Our team—and I'm proud of our team because they care and are very passionate—does everything they can to navigate the bureaucracy with the family. But I have to acknowledge that it is not an easy task. We deal with cross-jurisdictional issues—federal versus provincial—and a host of other caring organizations. They can make it difficult for families who are trying to cope with more important things like daily living. We try to help them navigate the complexity in whatever way we can.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

The way he described it didn't seem to be provincial versus federal or municipal or whatever—all that sort of stuff that you can get in normal situations. It seemed to be directly soldier on military. He seemed to have either been misled or poorly informed; I'm not quite sure which. He seemed to be in some need of somebody to come in and help him.

I was thinking, as you were giving your testimony, that you look like the guy. Is that fair, or is it not fair?

[Col Russell Mann]

I would like to say yes, but again I'm—

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

What would be impairing you from stepping in?

[Col Russell Mann]

One of the problems is that care of the ill and injured members is a very particular portfolio. I believe you've heard testimony from Colonel Gerry Blais, who is our director of casualty support management. When we deal with issues that directly relate to the member—and particularly in compensation and benefits—a lot of the focus comes to either the director general of compensation benefits or to the director of casualty support management.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

He can't even dial up this 1-800 number you have here to get help from your office with respect to his interaction between Colonel Blais and his operation and himself.

[Col Russell Mann]

He absolutely can call the 1-800 family information line any time of day or night and seek assistance.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

But not necessarily get any. I guess that's the picture.

[Col Russell Mann]

What he will get, if I may, Mr. Chair, is a referral to the authorities who have the responsibility and the authority to intervene or act on the member's concern.

A big part of what we do is help provide options for members and families when they are navigating complexity. The family, at the end of the day, makes a choice that is in their best interests, and they balance it against a host of factors that again makes every family case unique.

He certainly can get information. He can certainly get help navigating the bureaucracy. Then he has to make some choices based on the expert information he will get from the referral.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Well, it seemed to me—not to belabour the point because I want to move on—that there was a real question as to whether the choices he made were informed choices. At this point, it's quite clearly to his detriment, and it's become quite a stressor in his family.

My second question has to do with the rate of divorce and separation among the ill and injured. I can't point to the specific testimony, but I believe one of the witnesses said it was in the order of 90%. Does that sound right to you?

[Col Russell Mann]

I can't say that I've seen that kind of evidence in my job as director of Military Family Services.

Mr. Chair, I would have to take that on notice, if we're trying to find out what those numbers are. I just don't have those at hand.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jack Harris]

Would that be something you could provide to the committee?

Is that what you would request, Mr. McKay?

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

That would be helpful, because intuitively it would stand to reason that people returning who are ill and/or injured are, in the optimum circumstances, going to put stress on a spousal relationship, and therein may lie quite a story. So in the event that you can access it, I would be grateful, and I'm sure other committee members would be grateful.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jack Harris]

Is the request specific enough, Colonel?

[Col Russell Mann]

I'm inclined to say that I can try to get that information. It's just that I'm not too sure where we would measure that. Divorce rates are not something that is monitored in the kind of pulse I take on families in “Your Say” or quality of life surveys. Those are some of my best sources of information that come directly from families. Trying to get that information will be a tremendous challenge.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jack Harris]

Well, if you have access to it, please make it available to us.

Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

How much time do I have, Mr. Chair?

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jack Harris]

You have another minute or so.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Is that a generous minute?

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jack Harris]

That is beyond the seven minutes.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

It's a bonus minute. Thank you for that.

I would be interested in your comment on the issue of family violence and whether, among your care for the ill and injured, you have noticed in your position either patterns, in terms of volume of family violence, or specific kinds of family violence among folks who are returning from service.

[Col Russell Mann]

Mr. Chair, I would have to say I do not have good evidence about the patterns of violence specifically related to ill and injured returning members. Again, the question is, who measures and how do we measure?

We do have family violence prevention programming, and we work in partnership with other parts of the Department of National Defence to deliver preventative programming. A big part of our family services program is prevention and support and, as a last resort, intervention.

Our focus in family violence is aimed at prevention. Family resource centres and our network of care providers do intervene when we become aware of an event that's occurring.

I'd be hard pressed to give you a clear answer to the number of incidents because I don't have that at hand.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jack Harris]

Thank you, Mr. McKay and Colonel Mann.

Next, for a five-minute round, is Mr. Strahl.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I noted with interest—and I appreciate you bringing this to my attention—that military family resource centres are not-for-profit, third-party corporations with their own boards of directors. Is that a board of directors for each individual unit across the country, or is it one board of directors that governs the national organization?

[Col Russell Mann]

Mr. Chair, if I may, our mandate as given to us by Treasury Board is to facilitate the formation and creation of those non-profit organizations and to ensure that the board governance structure preserves a 51% military spouse participation rate. What I mean by that is that every MFRC is registered in the province in which it operates, and every MFRC is governed by a board of directors comprised of at least 51% military family spouses. What we do there is honour the grassroots nature of this. This began as a spousal initiative, and the Government of Canada recognized that we should honour and foster family empowerment, so they help themselves.