Evidence of meeting #67 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 witnesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I'll try to speak up. I was asking whether you have any specific suggestions on what can be done to pay more specific and special attention to women who are serving in the forces in those more male-dominated trades.
Veteran, As an Individual
I'm sorry. That question went right over my head.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
That's no problem. I'll tell you what: I have another one I'd like to ask.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I probably have time for only one anyway.
What I want to ask about, ironically enough, is this: I know that many times, serving around artillery guns and whatnot, you can have hearing loss. I'm not suggesting that's what it is. I think I am the problem here. I don't know if you do suffer from any hearing loss, but I know that's a common injury in that trade.
Veteran, As an Individual
There was no evidence that I reported it. However, it did get approved. Hearing loss wasn't, but tinnitus was, just because of my field. I was in artillery.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I'm out of time. I had a whole question around that, but I'm told it will have to wait.
Thank you for being here.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you very much.
Now let's go to Mr. Bryan May for five minutes.
Please go ahead.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all of our witnesses for being here today. I know this is a very challenging conversation for all of you. This study is going to have an impact, not just for those who are coming to talk to us but really for us as well.
I used to chair this committee, and I also chaired HUMA during Bill C-65, which was the study on violence and harassment in the workforce that was done back in 2018. It's important for us to hear these stories. It's important for us to understand the challenges that still exist. I again sincerely thank all of you for being here and sharing with us.
My questions today are going to be for Ms. Laverdure. I want to thank you, as well as everyone here, for their service. I believe you've been advocating for the recognition of the rights of gay veterans and 2SLGBTQIA+ groups. I also want to thank you for your involvement with and support for these groups. I think it's really important, as a government, that we be significantly more inclusive, specifically within the CAF.
I have a lot of familiarity with the defence advisory groups, and I know there's a lot of work being done on bases across Canada. However, I specifically want to focus on the new Minister of Veterans Affairs, who said to this committee that inclusion and diversity are one of her main priorities. I would like to ask you what the main issues that women veterans and specifically those who are part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are facing when they transition into civilian life.
Veteran, As an Individual
If you go back a few years, even in my time, in 1990, when there was the purge, there was no transition for these people. They were kicked out. They were kicked out so badly that they didn't have a good release because they were gay.
Today, I don't think the problem has been resolved. We know a few women who are still in the military, and they're hiding. They don't want to come forward. It will take many years for this whole process to go through, but it's still not okay.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
I have visited almost all of the bases across Canada over the last two years and, again, met with the DAGs, the defence advisory groups. I heard about the challenges they're dealing with regarding resources.
I'm wondering. In your opinion, how can programs like that, and others, be improved to better support women, and veterans specifically, and people within that community?
Veteran, As an Individual
I will speak for veterans—the ones who came out after this ordeal, the ones who got help from Veterans Affairs. I will speak for them.
These women, even the men.... There were a lot of gay men too. Veterans Affairs has to have support for them.
A couple of years ago, some went to Veterans Affairs to get help, and they were sent to OSISS. I don't know whether you have ever heard of OSISS. They were told that OSISS didn't support gay people.
Veteran, As an Individual
OSISS is an organization within National Defence for veterans who suffer from PTSD. It's all across Canada. OSISS is all across Canada.
I think OSISS is the name in English, but I don't know. We call it OSISS in French too.
Veteran, As an Individual
You have to be a veteran to be working within OSISS.
They wouldn't support the LGBTQ people.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Exactly.
Thank you so much, Mr. May.
Now we will have two short interventions of two and a half minutes each.
I will begin right away with Mr. Desilets, for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. May, with all due respect, we were on the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs together four years ago. You spoke of challenges, and I agree with you. That said, at some point, you start to know the challenges, and you know them even better than I do because you have more experience. We've been identifying the challenges for four years. For four years, we've been making recommendations in extraordinary, highly professional reports. However, the damn recommendations no matter how intelligent, are too often neither followed nor heeded. That was my little editorial piece.
Ms. Langlois, once again, thank you for your testimony.
I have a rather silly question for you. Do you think that, in order to prevent sexual assault or sexual harassment in the army, it might be appropriate, as part of the selection process for commanders, to have them undergo psychological assessments?
Veteran, As an Individual
If I could avoid it.... I didn't see it coming. When I did get approached by a lot of...it was in the workforce or even after hours. It still was coming.
Whatever happens overseas is supposed to stay quiet. I was one of over a hundred 1 RCHA members who went over to Cyprus. Everybody had to be quiet about that. I didn't want to lose my job.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Again, my question may be silly, but I'm a bit silly.
Do you think that, if units with a majority of women were formed, a lot of problems in the army would be avoided?
Veteran, As an Individual
It could be reassuring for us, but how long will that take to resolve in my lifetime?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Langlois.
I'd like to invite, for two and a half minutes, Ms. Rachel Blaney.
Please go ahead.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Nicole, I'm going to come back to you.
You gave us three recommendations. One of them was to have available veteran services that specifically target female veterans.
What kinds of services do you think would have been beneficial for you while you were serving?