Evidence of meeting #55 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 women.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Would you say that it's not just the filling out of paperwork, but it's actually being the expert dealing with someone who is in a very serious mental health condition?
Major (Retired), As an Individual
I've been trying for over two and a half years to get services from Veterans Affairs on this issue, with no success to date.
My GP wrote a scathing letter, telling them they were ridiculous not to acknowledge my doctor's report. That has gone to Veterans Affairs. I don't know how long that will take.
We're coming on to the three-year mark now, and I have not been able to access any services for my issue.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
I need you to say that again. You've had no services for three years.
Major (Retired), As an Individual
I've had no services, no access to services, for the trauma experienced when the class action lawsuit opened Pandora's box for me.
I have been trying with Veterans Affairs over a long time.... I don't know what to say. I have no influence. I've tried everything I could, and they'll say....
You have to wait a long time to get in to see a specialist. I just mailed the report the other day from my GP, and we'll see what happens.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
We will do our part here to make sure that recommendation is placed high on our priority list within this report. I'm speaking for the analysts now.
Thank you so much for that.
That was very revealing and very disturbing. Thank you.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Blake Richards
Thank you, Mrs. Wagantall, and thank you, Major Seviour.
We have time for one last round of questions. That will come from the Liberal Party, with Mr. Churence Rogers.
You have about three minutes.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Thank you, Chair.
I thank the witnesses for being here today with us, on video or in person.
In the interests of time, I'll ask one question. I'd like for all three of you to make a comment on it, maybe for around a minute each.
What would be your top recommendations that you would want to see in our study report? When we conclude this study and present it to our department, what would be your top recommendations?
We'll start with Master Corporal Jacqueline and then we'll go to the other two for comments, please, for about a minute each.
MCpl Jacqueline Wojcichowsky
For us, it's on sexual misconduct for rape victims. I would like to see change for when there's trauma and PTSD for women.
We're having vaginal problems. Instead of us going through...that needs to be changed.
There are changes. Our bodies are changing. That's emotional trauma for us. We don't know what's happened to our bodies after we've been raped. That totally needs to be changed.
A male who is doing an investigation on our file doesn't know. How does he know? When he looks at the paper: “Oh, it's a female. Meh.” That goes against us right away. He needs to know what happens to our body, or “she” might know better than a male.
I know for a fact, when they saw my paperwork, they automatically.... My PTSD was already at 53%. Veterans Affairs said, “You already have it.” That's not fair, because they didn't bother going through all my paperwork.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Thank you very much.
If there are other things you have on your mind, we'd appreciate it if you'd send them to the clerk for the committee to consider.
Sergeant Ryan, do you want to comment on that question?
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Blake Richards
We have only a little under a minute.
For anyone remaining, you'll have to keep the answer brief.
Sergeant (Retired), As an Individual
The most important thing I've seen over my 40 years is that men and women in the higher-up positions need to come together and force the dissemination of that information down to the junior ranks. They have to lead by example, not lead by, “Oh, I'll speak out of one side of my mouth.”
Liberal
Major (Retired), As an Individual
I think the biggest thing is the Veterans Affairs policy that Master Corporal Wojcichowsky referred to. They don't have sufficient policies to deal with trauma that was perpetrated over years and decades, and the impact of that on mental health. I think that needs to be reviewed for women veterans at VAC.
Liberal
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Blake Richards
Thank you very much. That's a great way to close the meeting off.
There are so many things to thank all three of our witnesses for.
First and foremost, of course, thanks for your service to our country. We all thank you for that. All Canadians thank you for that.
Secondly, thanks for your indulgence. You had your meeting rescheduled from May 11, I believe, originally, until today. That's particularly for you, Master Corporal Wojcichowsky—for having to fly twice to Ottawa for one meeting. We thank you for your indulgence of that, of course, and we thank all of you for indulging the votes and interruptions that happened today. That kind of thing happens here in Ottawa frequently, especially at this time of year. I know we're used to it, but you're not. Thank you for your indulgence on those interruptions.
I think we've been able to have a very productive meeting, and we've all learned a lot. That's the last thing we want to thank you for: the great contributions you've made to this study, to this committee and to the report we will write.
Thank you, all.
With that, we will close the meeting.
The meeting is adjourned.