Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It goes without saying that mental health disorders are a major problem. Since 2004, 168 members of the military have committed suicide. In addition, of the 2,620 veterans who have died, 696 committed suicide. Therefore, 27% of former members of the military who died committed suicide. It would seem that mental health problems are five times more deadly than the Taliban.
We should be asking ourselves a number of questions, particularly concerning section 3.7 of the report, which states that members of the military often fear declaring an illness because it might threaten their career.
The Canadian armed forces recently adopted a series of positions that seem to harm those who make these requests, particularly veterans who fought in Afghanistan.
Is it possible to avoid penalizing people who wish to access mental health services in the Canadian armed forces, by simply letting them go, for example, a few months prior to their retirement? Do you have control over this type of situation?