Evidence of meeting #30 for Veterans Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was soldiers.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Matthias Reibold  Defence Attaché, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

You mentioned that you have...I think it's called a parliamentary commissioner, which is something like our ombudsman. How does that work in Germany? Is that person hired and paid for by the military, by the government? And how does that work in terms of someone in the military? If they have a concern about a pension, a concern about something they're not able to receive, do they go to the ombudsman if they can't find a better way of getting there or they're incapable of carrying out that request on their own?

4:30 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

Our ombudsman is the same as the one in your system. He's a neutral person, and he's elected by the Parliament for a period of four years.

He has the right to report to the Parliament and to use what I'd say is the power of the Parliament. I'm hopeful you understand; it sounds somewhat wrong when I say it. But he can force the Parliament to do something in some special cases. He is a very powerful man. His position in Germany is much stronger than yours is. For example, he has the right, whenever he likes, to visit any force, talk to the commander, talk to the soldiers, and direct...[Inaudible--Editor]...on the point measures, for example, helping soldiers on those points. So that is a very powerful position. Every soldier has the right to send him a letter.

On the second part of your question, if there's something outside he has to go in front of the law. We have a social judge and a social court, and that's the way he has to deal with it.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

So am I to understand that if someone has been in the military, they go out of the military at 35 years of age, they develop a mental health problem and they're looking for direction, the ombudsman is not part of their solution once they leave the military. Is that correct, or do they still have access to him?

4:35 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

As long as the treatment lasts, they have access to him.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Say the illness started after they left the military but it was a result of their military experience.

4:35 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

As long as the treatment lasts, he has the right to call up the ombudsman--in every case. If he is a civilian and, for example, the people caring for him make no decision, whether he is still ill or not, he can go to another committee of our Parliament and bring a petition to make sure his rights are taken care of.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Thank you, Colonel.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Anders

Thank you very much.

Now to the Liberal Party of Canada, and Mr. St. Denis, for five minutes.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Lieutenant-Colonel, for being here today to help us out. By triangulating what you do with another model, you can often get a better idea of your own, so we appreciate the ability to compare with other jurisdictions.

Obviously you've been in Canada for a little while, and you mentioned that you had participated in some of our veterans events. We have the Legions in Canada. Is there a network of social supports similar to our Legions to help veterans, either the older veterans or the newer retirees? Is there a social system like that, which is more or less voluntary and community based?

4:35 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

No, sir. In Germany we have the so-called organization of reservists. You can only belong as a member of this organization of reservists in Germany as long as you have reservist status.

After your reservist status expires, you can be a passive member, or a member without duties, as it is called in this case. We help and encourage reservist communities to organize members, to have a link between those reservists who are serving only one week per year, or whatever is needed. For example, after a reservist has finished his nine-month contract, a young soldier must serve 40 days, up to the age of 42. He can choose whenever he wants to do it. We encourage the reservist organization to take him in and, for example, encourage him to do a bit more than only those 40 days, or to apply for a higher grade and so on.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Does the organization provide peer counselling or social supports? Can you go and have a beer, or is it a setting like a service club?

4:35 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

It's a private club; it exists by private means. If, for example, they want to have a beer or do some exercising, we give them our facilities to use; for example, in the barracks they can go into the mess and have a beer there, using the messes the same way as veterans do.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

But there's not a network of these community buildings owned outside the...?

Okay, thank you very much.

I was intrigued when you mentioned that those who've served in the military, if I understood you correctly, have access to jobs in the public service. Explain a bit, sir, how that works. Is it automatic? Is it discretionary? Is there training involved?

4:40 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

As a minimum, these people have to serve for 12 years, and they can apply for a governmental job. Then they have their three years' training, as I mentioned before, and they do another training period and can then go into the administrative work of the government, for example, or join the police or the fire department.

We like to help these people, because they are well trained. They are trained to obey any order, as I like to say, and they are specialized. A soldier offers a lot of advantages.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

If a former soldier applies, he or she, I assume, is guaranteed a job.

4:40 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

He has to try the same exams and testing as any other civilian. But if he takes his exams and passes all his tests, he will go ahead of all the others.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Okay, there's a priority.

My final question is about one of the issues that came up in our hearings. In order to have continuity.... As you know, we have the medical structure inside the military and then we have the broader community health system, so that the day after a soldier leaves, in our system, he can't have access to the same doctor he had the day before: it's a military doctor on this day, and the day after he has to go to the community. One of our recommendations was to look at some time period wherein the soldier, even though he has left, would still be attached to his or her doctor in the military.

Did you not mention that they were guaranteed three months during which they could stay attached to the military structure?

4:40 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

No, sir. It can be from three months up to three years, depending on the time he has served. But in any case, as I mentioned, this only applies if, for example, in his last month of service he was injured, and it would take—

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Oh.

4:40 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

But if he is healthy and his time of duty ends, that's also when the relation with the doctor is broken off.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

So it's based on a specific injury, not just generally.

4:40 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

Let me make just one remark, if I may, sir.

We thought about the same situation also in our system, but we did not carry through with this because we saw that military doctors were so over-stretched that we could not continue the relation. That is one of the reasons we did not follow through on it.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Anders

Thank you very much.

Now we go back over to the Conservative Party of Canada, and Mr. Sweet, for five minutes.

June 5th, 2008 / 4:40 p.m.

Conservative

David Sweet Conservative Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have a couple of brief questions, but allow me, if I may, to digress a bit on behalf of Canadians who have watched western Germany unite with eastern Germany and have seen the Herculean effort it took. From what I understand from visiting for three weeks seven years ago, West Germans endured a substantial surtax in order to cover off all the development required to bring the eastern part of the country back into shape after domination by the Soviets. I wanted to give you great congratulations for what's happened and for the great efforts of the government and the people at large and to wish you continued success in it as well.

4:40 p.m.

LCol Matthias Reibold

Thank you very much, sir.