Thank you, Chair. Thank you, all, for being here today.
My first question is around the fact that there has been a clearly identified employment challenge for veterans from these particular groups: younger veterans who have less service, and female veterans—partially because they leave before having 20 years of service, which means they have less access to their pensions, and also recognizing that women are more than twice as likely to have part-time jobs—and medically released veterans.
This is very concerning. In 2013 an income study showed that medically released and female regular force veterans experience larger reductions in income, 10 times the average, after release. That is staggering when we think of those numbers. Obviously, there are some significant challenges there that have not been addressed in a meaningful way.
In terms of the public consultation, was there a particular strategy of outreach to those particular groups so that, as this strategy is put together, there is a plan that actually looks at the people who are not getting the best support to make sure that in the future they do?