Evidence of meeting #12 for Veterans Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was insurance.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
I get you. All right.
On the blending of the public and the military, we won't go into that in any detail, but I understand that there is that relationship. I do have a question. Other than the pension side of it, are there other services provided to the military or retired military? Peter referred to medical services, and stress, perhaps mental, and so on. Are there other programs available, particularly to those who have been injured?
BGen Sanzio Bonotto
Yes and no. After their retirement, they can stay in the association. You can't have more of a pension, but you can have more benefits for medical, for insurance, and for a normal life.
BGen Sanzio Bonotto
Yes, if you came from the military. If you are from another department, no. There are probably other associations for those people.
But for the military, after retirement we have a lot of people who are in a lot of associations, and they stay together. It's a very big number, so if you go with this big number to the insurance and ask for some fringe benefits, the insurance will probably give you some.
If you are in these associations, you have these kinds of fringe benefits, but it is not mandatory to go into these associations. It is voluntary. It is not from the state. It is private.
Conservative
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
Does that go back to the fact that you paid premiums as an individual and that gets you into the association?
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Thank you, Mr. Kerr. Your seven minutes are up.
Now we'll go back to the Liberal Party and Mr. Andrews.
Liberal
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks for coming today and giving us an overview of your service.
I wanted to follow on with what Mr. Kerr was alluding to, and go a little further in depth, and that is the auxiliary service. Did you say that it's possible to be called back into service?
BGen Sanzio Bonotto
When you have been in the auxiliary service for five years. The day after, you can come into service. Mostly it's for six months. You can stay in service for one or two years, but that's difficult. You would probably stay for about six months. After that you can come back for another six months or so or at least one year.
Liberal
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
That would be after the age of 60. What types of services would you have those people do?
BGen Sanzio Bonotto
They would be the same services, not operational, of course, but you could be on some committees or in the office. It would not be as a commander, but like other people who are working.
BGen Sanzio Bonotto
I have very few people, because when you call people back into service, you have to pay them. They go out of the service and then you have to give them the pension at the end of the month. Also, it costs a lot, because you have to pay as if they're in service. Our organization doesn't call a lot of people back into service. They would just call a few people to do some courses or something. I think the percentage is 0.1%. It's very low. There are very few people.
Liberal
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
When they're called back into service, do they pay into the insurance program again?
BGen Sanzio Bonotto
It's difficult, but if you go into operations, yes, of course, our organization pays the insurance premiums. For all the people who go abroad and are in service, the insurance covers you. Not here in Canada and not in Brussels, but if you go into an operational theatre, the insurance is mandatory.
Liberal
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
You're doing 33 missions in 21 countries. We've briefly talked about a soldier coming back from one of these duties. How much post-traumatic stress syndrome do you see in your force right now? Is it a big concern to your force now?