Universality of service is an exemption to the charter that ensures that all Canadian Forces members are employable, deployable, and physically fit in accordance with the standards of the Canadian Forces. Indeed, the Canadian Forces is meant to deploy—to Libya, to Afghanistan, and domestically in terms of crises and emergencies. As a result of that, you need a fully fit, functional fighting force to be able to respond to the needs of Canadians.
The charter means that we do not have to hire one of the designated groups, that being the disabled. It also means that when members are no longer able to be deployed, to be employed within their trade, or to meet the physical fitness standards that are reflective of the rigours of war fighting, they too no longer comply with universality of service, and therefore, based on their medical conditions, will be released from our care into the care of Veterans Affairs.
So the exemption to the charter, the universality of service, allows us to ensure that we have a fully fit and functioning Canadian armed forces.
Do I believe it is effective and important? Yes, I do. I fully believe that in order to maintain and be able to meet the three roles and six missions of the Government of Canada for the Canadian armed forces, yes, we need to have that in place.
Now, I do not see the universality of service as a negative thing. It is indeed something that says, if you're no longer fit to fight, can you be employed in another occupation within the Canadian Forces; if not, are there other places that you can be employed in the Canadian Forces, such as the cadets and rangers; and ultimately if not, how can we help you transition from the Canadian Forces, with the requisite benefits from Veterans Affairs, into community life and standing up and starting up your second career?
That is what Michel was talking about in terms of the military employment transition plan. We have a tremendous capacity now to educate, offer employment, and start our members off anew in our communities in their second careers.
Therefore, the universality of service is only one part of the equation. The other part of the equation is all of the other programs we have in place so that, when you no longer meet universality of service, you can do something else inside the military or outside the military.