Veterans Affairs Committee on June 1st, 2023

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

Thank you.

We will now move, for the next five minutes, to Mr. Wilson Miao.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today. It's very important for getting your input into our important studies.

One question I have, through the chair, is regarding a program that we currently have, which is the My VAC Account online. Is there an increase of usage among current members, and even veterans, in applying for an account through the My VAC Account?

[LGen Lise Bourgon]

Thank you very much.

I'm not sure if Dan can answer this, because this is more of a VAC-targeted question, but we'll give him the floor.

[Cmdre Daniel Bouchard]

Thank you very much, Madam.

I do not have the statistics per se on the update for the applications, but through the transition process now, it is part of the services we offer and we make the members aware. We strongly encourage everyone to enrol in the My VAC Account.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Is this usually shared with them at an early stage when they join CAF? From my understanding having an account enables current members to also update their medical records and input that existing record in place instead of waiting until the transition period starts.

Can you share your thoughts on that?

[Cmdre Daniel Bouchard]

Yes, indeed it is part of our outreach programs, as we discussed, at the various training education courses. It's also part of our outreach program where the chain of command of the transition centres will provide that awareness in their local regions to make sure to encourage people to register early.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you for sharing that with us.

I think I'm the last one on the list. Are there any other recommendations or any comments you would like to include in our studies that you can share with the committee?

[LGen Lise Bourgon]

I'm sorry. I'm going to have to call.... Can you repeat that question?

I'm not contagious, by the way. I've been tested about 12 times. It's laryngitis. It makes me cough. I tried a pressure point, in case you're wondering what I'm doing. It's to stop me from coughing.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

No problem.

Basically I want to ask if there are any other things you would like to share that can be included as part of our study. Maybe each of you can take a turn and share with us things that we haven't included in our conversation this time but you would like to add to our report.

[MGen Marc Bilodeau]

I'd like to highlight the excellent collaboration that is currently happening between us and our colleagues from Veterans Affairs. From a health perspective, I speak to my colleague who is the chief medical officer for veterans—and was a former military member, by the way—on a monthly basis at least. We're sharing challenges. She's seeing things on her side obviously that are very critical for us, specifically for women's health because she's seen some trends on her side that allow us to address those issues and try to prevent women from suffering after release by preventing injuries and diseases while they're serving.

I would say that this is, to me, a game-changer from my perspective, because it wasn't like that 10 years ago for sure.

[LGen Lise Bourgon]

Thank you very much.

I'm going to elaborate. When we look at veterans, for me, my mission is to ensure that we don't break women. We want them to have a very long career where they contribute and they feel safe. Those are the changes that we're doing.

However, we look at the stats today and I did a deep dive. Forty-seven per cent of our women who are retiring from the military are released because of a medical issue. This is a huge concern for me, and we need to do better, first, in understanding why and then in putting in initiatives and closing the gaps so that we don't hurt our women. It's super important. Again, it's the question about equipment, the question about procedures, how we train and having the right procedures and the right services in place for women so that we don't see those stats.

Again, when we look at the stats for men, about 30% release medically, and the fact that it's 47% for women is an issue that we need to target so that we can change that.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

Your time is up.

I was going to move us into a full fourth round. I sense that maybe the committee might find it more useful if we were to take a speakers list for anyone who has one or two last questions, and we'll use up the rest of the time.

Maybe I misread the room. We have lots of hands up, so we'll go back to the order then.

We will go with five minutes for the first round, and it will go to Mr. Terry Dowdall for the next five minutes.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, but I'm willing to pass it over.

There's no “I” in team, so I'm going to pass. Cathay had it last time, so I'm happy to pass it back to Cathay, though I would love to give it to either one of you as well.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

It seems as though you had lots of volunteers, but we'll give everyone an opportunity.

We'll go to Mrs. Wagantall for five minutes.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I think what I want to hear when we're finished this whole report is everything that's happening to improve the quality of women's lives while serving and, then, to have that quality still there when they retire, choose to leave or, in some cases, medically leave.

On that basis, what are the things that you see right now and hear are being done that weren't being done initially and that are going to make that significant difference in the lives of women who are choosing to sign up? There's the same situation, I believe, with women as with men. We hear from those who are significantly injured, and I don't understand sometimes why it takes so much to take care of that cohort when there are literally hundreds of thousands of others who are doing just fine. We should be doing everything we can.

What are the things that you see very honestly that we are going to be making more and more progress on and that make life better for those who are choosing to join?

[LGen Lise Bourgon]

It goes back to my point that we've changed from assimilation to inclusion. I could probably talk for days about what we're doing about inclusion. I did my fellowship, and I did all the research on things that we need to change to really look at the differences and not look at the strengths and weaknesses. They're just differences. How do we recognize those differences? How do we ensure that we have programs to provide opportunities that are not the same? They're different, but they need to be provided. That is really what we're changing. I guess it's across the spectrum of everything that we've talked about tonight.

Again, many of the things we're putting into place will make a difference, but it's the change in mentality that I don't have to change who I am to be a person serving in the military that's the big step. That is a huge step for all of us at the diversity and employment equity group.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Thank you. I have two minutes.

I'd just like to read into the record the motion that I was speaking about earlier. I hope you're able to assist with getting this information available, because it was very important to the women who have testified. It is:

That the Department of Veterans Affairs provide the committee with any results, findings, conclusions, and recommendations related to the Sex and Gender Based Analysis (SGBA) of Disability Benefits Adjudication research conducted by Dr. Barbara Clow.

We amended it by adding:

Barbara Clow reports, completed while she was on contract with VAC:

1. Description of Disability Adjudication at VAC – 13 Sep 2019;

2. Findings from Key Informant Consultations – 1 Oct 2019;

3. Analysis of Adjudication Instruments and Process – 20 Dec 2019;

4. The Evolution of Adjudication Tools and Rules at VAC – 20 Dec 2019; and

5. Sex and Gender-based Analysis of Disability Benefits Adjudication at Veterans Affairs Canada (Summary Report) - 11 Feb 2020.

There are reports that were written in 2019 and 2020, and somehow they don't seem accessible to these women.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

Just before you respond, I'll clarify that this is a motion that has been moved in this committee. The amendment that was read, as well, was moved. It has not been passed by this committee, but it is something that obviously the committee is discussing and has heard about. I think that's why he have the question, and I would welcome an answer if you have one.

[LGen Lise Bourgon]

Thank you very much. I don't think you're going to like my answer, but all of those reports are Veterans Affairs reports, so they're not ours. You will have to ask Veterans Affairs for those reports.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I appreciate that. As I was reading down the list, I was looking at you all and going, “Oh, I think I know the answer to my question.” Thank you so much.

I do appreciate all the work you have done, Ms. Bourgon, to be so very reassuring in what you have studied and researched and are now doing on behalf of the women serving.

Thank you, and thank you to both the men as well, to all of you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

Thank you very much.

We will now move for five minutes to Darrell Samson.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I'm going to give it to Sean Casey.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Blake Richards]

We're going to have a change there. Mr. Sean Casey will take this round.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm actually just going to pose one question and then share my time with Ms. Valdez.

Lieutenant-General Bourgon, earlier in the meeting in response to a question from Mr. Desilets, if I understood correctly, you said that probably the biggest and best thing we could do for serving female members is child care. Did I understand you correctly?