Evidence of meeting #114 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was indigenous.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Lisa Hepfner Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON
I have just about 30 seconds left, so if you or Mr. Benjamin have any final thoughts or recommendations on how your situations could be improved with recommendations coming from this committee....
Store Clerk, Veterans Association Thrift Store, Veterans Association Food Bank
I like the fact that Veterans Affairs Canada has aboriginal liaison engagement officers. I like that because it takes away—I want to say—the paperwork. More or less, it takes away the stress of having to apply and the disappointment of being turned down because of having done something or left something out, or maybe because of not being aware of the process.
I'm a strong advocate for having the liaison engagement officers, so good on the department and good on Veterans Affairs for having those positions. I agree with their assistance altogether. I wouldn't have been able to access some of the programs that are available if it weren't for these liaison officers, so I give thanks for that.
Thank you.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you, Ms. Hepfner.
We will now go to the second vice-chair of the committee.
Luc Desilets, go ahead.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, colleagues.
Thank you for your service, Mr. Benjamin. Your testimony was really very moving and quite disturbing, and I have a feeling that there is more to come.
Before I begin my questions, Mr. Chair, I want to move a motion. This may be a bit of a special situation. I actually planned to bring forward this motion sometime in the next few days, but I feel like now is the perfect time to do it.
The motion is as follows:
That the committee undertake a study on suicide prevention among veterans, with this study to include four sessions, each lasting two hours; that the committee report its findings to the House; that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request that the government table a comprehensive response to the report; and that the committee begin this study as soon as the study on the experience of Indigenous Veterans and Black Veterans is completed.
Let me explain very quickly. I don't want anyone to take—
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I'd like to provide some numbers to flesh out the motion.
Liberal
November 7th, 2024 / 11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
I don't know if it's a point of order. I just wish to speak to this motion.
Liberal
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Once again, I have just a couple of points to make.
Between 2017 and 2023, 54 people committed suicide. Without going into too much detail, among male veterans, the suicide rate has increased 50%. Among young veterans, the suicide rate is 250% higher than in the general population.
Among female veterans, the suicide rate is 150% higher than in the general population. I came across these figures fairly recently. I plan to give an interview on this subject.
I am ready to answer questions, but I would like to table this motion, Madam Clerk.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
We're talking about a notice of motion. We can continue, unless Mr. May wants to say a few words.
Go ahead, Mr. May.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to confirm some logistics here before I move on.
Am I correct that we don't have additional witnesses coming in the second hour?
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
We have witnesses in front of us. We have time later to speak at length about the order of different meetings or the content of a motion. My recommendation, and I hope everyone will agree, is that we return to the witnesses and come back to this motion in the second hour.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
First of all, Mr. Desilets was talking, so I stopped the time. We said we have one hour with the witnesses, so I'd like to stay with one hour.
On the second part that you are talking about, that the motion should be discussed in committee business, we should look to the members of the committee to see if they agree.
Go ahead, Mr. Richards.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I would agree that this is the way we should proceed. I would encourage that we have two rounds of questioning with the witnesses and then move to that. I would agree with that.
Liberal
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Benjamin, would you be able to identify the main issues facing indigenous veterans?
Executive Director, Veterans Association Food Bank
I think the biggest problem is the denial of benefits.
The most common thing we see with our indigenous veteran community is, first of all, accepting the fact that they're a veteran, because a lot of them have been told, “You're not really like one of us.” The second part is getting them in the door to get the paperwork filled out. We've had help from Blake in trying to fast-track some of this stuff, and from people within Veterans Affairs who understand that these guys have gone long enough without stuff. That is the main thing they're having to navigate through.
Bloc
Executive Director, Veterans Association Food Bank
We've had many indigenous veterans who, when they've applied for service, have been told that there is no record of injuries or whatever, or that their mental illnesses are not attributed to their veterans' service. You can clearly see.... Tommy can tell you enough stories about that, and our veterans community has also told us that. That's the denial part of things. They basically say, “We're not sure that you're even telling us the truth. Is this made up?”
That happens with all veterans—I shouldn't say all veterans, but quite a few veterans have had the same thing told to them as well. They're told, “We don't believe your story. Are you sure that's how it really happened?”, but there's documentation that it did. That's the struggle we're going through, and the delays on everything.
Store Clerk, Veterans Association Thrift Store, Veterans Association Food Bank
If I might interject, I'm in the process again—the fifth time—of applying for benefits.
On my fourth attempt to apply for benefits through Veterans Affairs Canada, I was told that they have no record of my serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. My file has now gone to the national archives. Basically, they couldn't help me anymore and they told me goodbye. These are some of the obstacles I face.
Five times is a significant number of attempts to apply for benefits. It's a frustrating process. How can I explain to anyone that I did serve in the Canadian Armed Forces and then Veterans Affairs Canada tells me that I didn't? Who am I? Am I a non-person? Did I serve in the military? Of course I did, and I'm very proud of that fact. I would serve my country again under different circumstances. I do love my country.