Evidence of meeting #80 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Thanks very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you all very much for being here. Corporal Kirkland, could I pick up on one thing you said? I want to make sure I understand. You talked about there not necessarily being an incentive to go back to work because of the clawback of the pension, but my understanding is that this is one portion of what a veteran would receive. I think you can make up to $20,000 before an amount is clawed back, and then it's phased in after that. Is that accurate, or am I not understanding that correctly?
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Okay. I wasn't sure either, but that's something for us to look into to make sure we understand it.
Your transition experience, and I understand totally what you're saying about it, appears to be successful, and obviously you're doing well and are successful in your career, but that doesn't necessarily make everything about the transition a success. Can you talk a little about the importance of having peer support? I know that you're friends with other people who have testified before the committee, and you have that network of individuals who have been through similar experiences. Can you talk about how important it is to have peer support, and is there anything that Veterans Affairs can do better to assist veterans to access peer support through their transition to help make it a little easier?
As an Individual
I know it seems disjointed or as if it doesn't connect, but as soon as the current government decides to do what they said they were going to do and reinstate the pension, then maybe we would have a little security to be able to meet up and take a little time off work. I'm from Vancouver, which isn't too far away from where Aaron Bedard is, and I haven't been out there to see my family in around four years because I don't have the financial security to go out there. Again, I am considered one of the successes, but when you're spread thin trying help other veterans and to fill the gaps that the Government of Canada and Veterans Affairs create, you're pretty limited in what you can do. So yes, peer support is super important, but I think that would go hand in hand with a little financial security. Just because you guys said you were going to do it, I guess doesn't mean anything anymore.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. McAllister, can I ask you the same question about peer support? Was that an important element of your transition, and how does that continue today? Relying on other people who have been through similar experiences, I would think, would help in very difficult, perhaps vulnerable, situations for veterans as they go through a major change in their lives. Can you talk about that?
Representative, Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants’ Association of Canada
It is. Having your peers' support is important, and so is the support of others who have gone through the system before you and can give you suggestions and advice on what's going on. As I said, my friend who is retiring after 42 years was my mentor. Now he's mentoring me on the release process. Also, we have our veterans groups that I'm involved with. After we leave the army, we form these little groups that keep our peers together. We have our cohesion back that we don't have in the military anymore. We seek each other out, and we're able to help each other with certain things.
Does that answer your question?
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Yes, it does. I appreciate it.
Regarding transition, we've heard a lot at this committee, and we're trying to address different elements of the barriers to transition and to make recommendations to the government so that some of these things will be improved. I know it's frustrating because it takes a long time and a lot of things get repeated, but it's through this process that we can hopefully effect change, so I appreciate all of you being here.
One thing we have heard time and again is the importance of families through the transition process. I'm wondering, Keith, if you could talk about family being engaged in the transition process and drawing them in to help make that as successful as possible.
Representative, Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants’ Association of Canada
Okay.
It's very important to have the family there. The family is the backbone of the soldier, and when we have our SCAN seminars and that, it is important for the wives and the rest of the family to be brought into that process and to understand. If a person with an operational stress injury is not able to take up the reins, at least the spouse can pick the reins up a bit.
Liberal
Representative, Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants’ Association of Canada
I can answer it, and I can hand it over to Mr. Kirkland, if he wants.
I think it will help some injured veterans to maybe look at applying. I know that could be a big issue, because with VAC right now, the normal process is 26 weeks before a review even takes place.
I'll let Mr. Kirkland take over.
Liberal
As an Individual
Any financial benefit to soldiers is very much needed. Lots of guys are suffering. I'm just excited to see how many people, when they're writing their cheques for income tax, say it's all they can afford right now. It can go both ways. Prime Minister Trudeau is so clear in saying that he can't afford us. Well, I have a big fat income tax cheque to cut, and I just can't afford it right now, so we'll see how that goes.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
How can VAC improve in assessing PTSD and including it in disability pensions? What can they do to better assist with PTSD?
Representative, Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants’ Association of Canada
I don't know if VAC does that assessment. That assessment is done within the military before the release.
I don't know if VAC does that assessment. That assessment is done within the military before the release.
Representative, Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants’ Association of Canada
That's what I was about to say. I think the committee has heard before that VAC shouldn't be assessing it. If the military has already assessed it, VAC should not be assessing it. That has been a recommendation to the committee. The committee has made that recommendation to the government. I don't know why that is still the case.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Very good. You came out with the answer I wanted you to give.
Finally, in your experience, what is the most important resource for veterans dealing with PTSD during transition?
Maybe Keith and then Mr. Kirkland can answer.
Representative, Armed Forces Pensioners'/Annuitants’ Association of Canada
If I can lead off, the most important thing is getting it recognized right away and then getting the right professionals to help you with it. A friend of mine has been diagnosed with severe PTSD, and he went to the doctor for help getting his medications increased or whatever, and the doctor basically asked what was going on in his life right then, and said that he should just maybe suck it up.
Having more trained and more professional people in the medical system, the doctors, who are going to give us that care, is necessary.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Mr. Kirkland, just quickly, as we have no time, give a quick response.
As an Individual
Maybe if they made the whole process more human instead of it being so cut and dried. There is no black and white with PTSD especially. There is a large gray area, and we need to work like human beings.
Liberal
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you, Chair.
Glen, you started by talking about the pressures and the frustrations with the transition. I truly believe that the transitional challenges from the system—as you say, trying to get services from VAC—are impacting the mental health of transitioning service members and are causational in suicide numbers in Canada. Now, I get quite a bit of push-back when I make that kind of a statement, but when we hear of the situations going on.... Last week a veteran was diagnosed, as we say in the military, with PTSD. He's 10 years on now fighting to get that recognition from VAC, ordered to fly to a certain location, be showered up, dressed, ready to present, which he did, and then the response was, “Well, you were able to do that, so clearly you don't have PTSD.”
I'm very concerned about this and just wonder about more feedback from you on it. You're a realtor. You're in Brandon, near Shilo. Do you deal with base people requiring housing? What's your experience there?
