Veterans Affairs Committee on March 8th, 2017

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Right, but what I'm talking about is more along the lines of actually doing an efficacy study. I'm not talking about talking to people. I'm talking about doing an actual study, a good research study. Would you not agree that it should be done?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

I think this is an emerging field where we need much more information—

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

We need more information on it, so do you not agree that we as a committee here should be accessing that information so that we can provide a better outcome and service to our veterans?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

It's probably something to take under advisement.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to move a motion, if I can. We have before us a notice of motion:

That the committee undertake a study of no more than six meetings on the implications to Canadian veterans' mental health following the reduction of the daily limit of medical marijuana through the medical marijuana program administered by Veterans Affairs Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

It's on the floor.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Chair, I move that we now adjourn debate on that. We have the minister before us to answer our questions, and before debating this motion and taking it into consideration, I believe it would be better to adjourn debate on it and finish up with the minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

This will be a vote on adjourning the debate.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Chair, I would ask that we have a recorded vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Okay.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 3)

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

The motion is carried.

We stopped the clock. You have about a minute and a half left.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Minister, I have a question for you on the increase of $1 billion mentioned in the report in front of us. Can you tell us how many veterans have come forward this year to access the services?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

If you look at our numbers, primarily our $1 billion.... We saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims that came into our office. That's a good thing. It means more people are coming in to get the help they need when they need it.

We've also had an increase in the number of claims that have been rolled through our department. People have actually received the services they applied for, and we're very happy with the direction we're moving on that.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Are you privy to tell us the comparison between the year before and this one?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

It's about 19%, but I'll give that to the General.

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

Sorry, I don't have that particular detail. I've got year-by-year in terms of releases from the Canadian Armed Forces, but when I put it through folks who've come in after their release, I don't have that data point, so we'll have to come back to you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you for getting that back to us.

Go ahead, Ms. Mathyssen, for three minutes.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

I want to get back to the issue of veterans and jobs. When veterans remain in the reserves but they're not on the government payroll, the Canadian government claims their intellectual property right. That makes it very difficult for them to find work in their field, because their particular expertise is being taken by the government.

Have you looked into this policy, and are you willing to address this problem?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

First, reserves are more under the purview of the Department of National Defence, but we are working on a whole host of issues in closing the seam and looking at the whole host of people who are involved in our military apparatus and how they transition out.

To your exact question, I've heard this from time to time. I'm certain it's been brought up by reserves. It's something to consider in the mix when we continue to go forward and close the seam with General Vance to make sure we professionalize the release service to make sure people are getting the supports they need.

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

I have nothing to add.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

It seems only fair that these reservists have access to their own intellectual property.

The DND ombudsman has suggested a concierge service to ensure those being medically released are helped through the process—pension services, medical needs—because we're hearing from some veterans that it can be overwhelming.

What is your response to that? Is this something you'd be prepared to look at?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

I appreciate the ombudsman's report and I always review it with vigour. He and our Veterans Ombudsman are hearing what people are saying about the issue. I know the gap between National Defence and Veterans Affairs can and must be closed. We are working with Minister Sajjan and CDS Vance to ensure, as I said earlier, that release is professionalized.

We want to ensure that when men and women who have served in our Canadian Armed Forces leave, they have their pension, they're good to go, and they have a place to live. We want to ensure they're going to find their new normal and know how they're going to access, if necessary, Veterans Affairs services, so that they're not struggling for five or 10 years before they come in our door. They will know right away that we're out there, that we can help and get them the services they need.

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

If I can just add, as the minister indicated in his opening comment, the department has gone through a service delivery review, and a key part of it is ensuring that the department is helping each and every one of those veterans, as they're transitioning out, to begin that process earlier in their release process. Currently it's at six months before they're released. We're trying to go even earlier, working side by side with the Canadian Armed Forces case managers, so that when these people leave the Canadian Armed Forces, they are settled on where they want to live, and if they can find a job, we do our utmost to find them a job, try to find a doctor, and so on and so forth.

It's all of that. Actually, we've been using the term “concierge” as a goal. We've got some ways to go, because again, we're seeing about 5,000 to 6,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces leaving the force each and every year. We're trying to tailor a package for every one of them based upon their specific individual and family needs.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you.

That ends our day of testimony with this panel. On behalf of the committee, I'd like to thank both the minister and the deputy minister for showing up here today.

I want to add a comment about hiring veterans, and I encourage all members to do so. I have hired one from my riding in the Bay of Quinte, and this person is a very hard worker and well trained. General, and thank you for that.

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

Thank you.