Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Senator, for coming down to talk to a bunch of commoners like us and share your wisdom with us.
I want you to know that, before you became a senator and I became a member of Parliament, I was already seeking out your wisdom. I attended some of the lectures you gave at the University of Ottawa. So it was still refreshing to hear from you today.
I did a quick study of the interim report published by your senate committee in March 2013. I would especially like to discuss recommendation 6, which reads as follows:
The Government of Canada consider streamlining the way that veterans are able to access the internal appointment process throughout the federal public service and ensure that veterans are given priority and assistance in the process.
Although the government has not yet tabled its response to your report, I am proud of what the government has done and of the commitment shown by the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
In November, we introduced Bill C-11, Priority Hiring for Injured Veterans Act, which effectively gives priority to injured veterans in the public service hiring process.
Our government has gone a step further with Bill C-27, finally allowing our highly trained soldiers, sailors, and air personnel access to internal federal public service job competitions. Additionally, these remarkable men and women will also be eligible for preferential hiring when competing against an equally qualified Canadian in an externally posted competition.
Your recommendation 9 is the following:
Veterans Affairs Canada consider involving more veterans throughout Canada to enhance the relevance of their outreach activities.
Can you clarify “to enhance the relevance of their outreach activities”?