There are a couple of other things. I have nine recommendations, and you have those in front of you.
I recommend that VIP and chronic care become an immediate priority of government and that relevant legislation be created and/or amended to enable members with disabilities to receive in-home services that are deemed necessary; that direction be provided to Veterans Affairs Canada and the RCMP senior management for the immediate implementation of the transition interview program; that the committee exercise whatever power it has in having the RCMP and VAC reinstitute those two liaison positions between the two organizations; that communication and education materials properly reflect the RCMP as a true VAC client; that the RCMP put in place forthwith a comprehensive program to deal with the growth of occupational stress injuries; that the RCMP senior management be instructed to separate the necessary costs of health care from the general budget and that this budget allocation be fenced so that the money given to the force in the operational budget for health is protected.
That's so they can't come running for it, scamming off 5% here and 5% there to meet government cutbacks or whatever. That money must be protected.
As well, I believe the health services delivery resource level in both the RCMP and VAC is insufficient. I'll certainly speak for my own organization. There has been a review of existing policies within VAC that restricts retired members of the RCMP and makes it impossible for them to access a Veterans Affairs hospital bed and/or a bed in a facility of a private nature that they control. Why is that, when we served overseas? We are getting hurt on the job in the same way that everybody else is.
I'll give my last recommendation, and then I'll get out of your life: the VAC ombudsman's position needs to be reviewed. We believe that the mandate needs to be widened to give a bit more flexibility for that person to also speak on behalf of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
I thank you for your patience and your extra time.