Evidence of meeting #30 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was question.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Again, just to clarify, if I'm a military person who dies in the line of service and my wife then needs to go to work, does she qualify for this priority service hiring? Yes or no?
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
The regulatory priority.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
No, I'm sorry. Like the woman here just said about the hiring—not medically released—but they.... It's quite clear. If I were to die, could she call up the Public Service Commission and say that her husband had passed away and that she'd like to apply for a federal public service job? Would she be given priority similar to that of a medically released veteran?
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
She would be given regulatory priority. It's not the statutory priority; it is the regulatory priority.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Can you explain the difference, please? I'm ignorant about the difference between regulatory and statutory. I'm sorry.
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
No, that's—
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
No, that's fine. I will try to clarify.
I know you are hearing from our colleagues at the Public Service Commission after this. They are very familiar with the.... It is their legislation, so they certainly have more expertise in it.
With the priority system, there is a statutory priority, which is a higher level. It is set out in the legislation. Then there is a regulatory priority, which is set out in the regulations. It is a different level of priority. So a statutory priority is a higher priority.
Conservative
October 27th, 2014 / 4:05 p.m.
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, the Public Service Commission elaborate on it.
Conservative
NDP
John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for being here.
I notice that the RCMP is not mentioned anywhere in this bill. I was wondering, if an RCMP member were to die while in service, would his or her spouse qualify for anything in this bill? And if not, why not?
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes. I would defer to my colleagues at the Public Service Commission to provide you with details on that. There is a regulatory priority for the RCMP. I will let them explain in further detail. Again, I don't want to miss any details and they are much more versed in the legislation.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
I think, John, that question will come up again before the day is over.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Thank you.
I want to go back to Peter Stoffer talking about survivors. He says that clause 12 specifies that the definition of a survivor of a veteran hasn't changed in Bill and that the definition is restricted to survivors of veterans who served in the Second World War. So the survivor of a modern veteran would not be treated the same way. Am I misunderstanding that?
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
Sorry, could you repeat that once more?
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
I'm sure you know this from the Library of Parliament. The definition of a survivor of a veteran previously was a veteran who served in the Second World War. That hasn't changed with Bill C-27 apparently. It's still restricted to survivors of veterans who served in the Second World War. I'm just wondering why that would be, or am I completely misunderstanding something?
Director, Program Policy and Outreach, Department of Veterans Affairs
With this bill, the surviving spouse of a Canadian Armed Forces member whose death is attributable to performance of duties would be eligible for the regulatory priority.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Okay. I wonder why the Library of Parliament put that note in there. It confused me. But maybe I'm just easily confused.