Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 8th, 2026

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

The groundbreaking or sod-turning for the monument to the mission in Afghanistan was an important milestone in the progress of the completion of that monument earlier this year, but it is one of many steps relating specifically to the families of the 158 fallen individuals. Communication was shared with all of the families in advance of that event to let them know it was happening and to invite them to participate.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Thank you, but we didn't see any veterans on the podium, and no veterans made speeches or were recognized. We heard that loud and clear right after that monument....

We'll move on to some other questions.

Minister, you mentioned in your testimony that you like the fact that we do a lot of hard work in this committee on studies, but a lot of the recommendations we bring forward don't get acted on. My colleague from the Bloc just mentioned how sexual trauma is not being recognized in Canada.

What recommendations have you put in or followed up on from this committee since you've been minister?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

I very much appreciate the work and recommendations that come forward from this committee. Those recommendations are taken. They are reviewed and worked on by the department as we move forward in our continuing journey to support veterans.

I would like to clarify a statement just made by our colleague. It was characterized that I disagreed with our other colleagues with regard to military sexual trauma. I did not disagree. I said we are taking up the work of the other studies that had been conducted externally in Canada. We are reviewing that information, and we continue to work to support individuals who have experienced military sexual trauma.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Will military chaplains be allowed to pray at Remembrance Day services?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

As I've said already, this is engagement with third party organizations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Minister. I appreciate it.

Now we will invite Madame Chatel for her five minutes.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome, Minister and officials. Thank you for being here.

I started on this committee with a very interesting study. I know the government launched in 2024 the national veterans employment strategy. I also know, Minister, that you've been working really hard. During the summer, you had several round tables, so this study could not come at a better time.

The military defence budget is increasing and enrolment has increased, and Minister, you said yourself that the faces of veterans are changing. They're coming into the workforce, having worked on dual-use technology, drones and aircraft. The military is working even more today with civilian businesses.

What is your vision, Minister, in this context of veterans changing and acquiring different skills? What's your vision for them once they leave the forces?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

I appreciate the conversation with regard to veteran employment, as this is something I have been keenly focused on since starting in this role.

In 2024, Veterans Affairs Canada undertook the national veterans employment strategy. In the past 16 months, I've been focused on operationalizing that and delivering it with employers for veterans, with veterans at the core of it.

We know that today's veterans have a wide range of skills and talents. They bring leadership, adaptability and problem solving, but they also bring highly specialized technical skills. You mentioned the aviation industry, specifically the criteria for airplane mechanic engineers. These incredible skills are in demand in the civilian marketplace.

This summer, I conducted seven round tables with employers, veterans, educational institutions and non-profits as we look at how we can help veterans with their skills and translate those from the military context, in some cases, into the civilian-language context of a job description. We look for opportunities where upskilling could be done to align things with the civilian marketplace. We are supporting veterans in making that connection quicker, sooner and in a way that fulfills them.

One of the key opportunities I saw with the national veterans employment strategy—I may refer to it as the NVES, just to simplify it—was ensuring that we had the veteran at the core of it. Our focus is on the right employment opportunity for them where they are today. That may be the same as it will be five years from now, or it might be different, but our goal is to support them where they are in that which will be fulfilling for them. As we move forward, we will be coming out with some skills translation, starting with roles in the CAF that we can translate into the civilian area.

As we launch this, I will look at it as an evergreen launch. The NVES is an evergreen document, and the rollout will be too, because it needs to be responsive to veterans and their needs, and as things change, we need to ensure that we are meeting them in the way that works best for them. I anticipate that you will see steps come out—what I'm thinking of as version 1.0—because we will then take feedback and continue to modify and enhance so that we can continue to roll out the next steps.

We will also be working with employers for veteran employer recognition as a way of connecting veterans with employers that are embracing veteran culture in order to support the veteran in their success as they move through their civilian career journey.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

I'm out of time. Thank you for your passion. It's much needed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Mrs. DeBellefeuille, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Claude DeBellefeuille]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Minister, this is the first time we've had a conversation at this committee, and I will tell you frankly that I'm deeply disappointed by your response regarding the recognition of military sexual trauma as an aggravating factor leading to suicide or attempted suicide. Veterans Affairs Canada recognizes mental health problems, addiction and relationship problems. You know that if someone is a victim of sexual trauma, it can lead to addiction. It can lead to mental health problems or it can exacerbate them. The evidence is there.

You don't need to waste any more time studying this issue. The evidence already exists. Look to the Americans; look to the Australians. What is preventing you, as Minister of Veterans Affairs, from standing up for veterans who are victims of sexual trauma? This is a serious issue, and it's clinically documented.

I don't get it. I expect a female minister who advocates for veterans to do everything in her power during her mandate to secure that recognition. How much time are you planning to take to conduct the studies, define it and decide to recognize this trauma? How many years are you going to take? Will it be done soon? I would like you to speak to that.

You have one minute left to give me cause for hope.

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

I agree that military sexual trauma is very traumatic and very impactful for the veteran community. I appreciate our colleague's advocacy for the women who have experienced it, but we also need to remember that military sexual trauma is not applicable to just women. It is something that—

[Claude DeBellefeuille]

Excuse me, Minister. I never said that. I said that it applied to veterans. Maybe that didn't come across in the interpretation.

You have 30 seconds left to answer my question. I'm asking you to make a commitment. There are veterans in the room. How much time are you planning to take to conduct the studies to determine whether or not the trauma will be recognized?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

We are continuing to work on responding to the recommendations and the studies that are out there, and we will continue to remain focused on this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Minister.

Now we will share our time for the next five minutes. We have Mr. Gill for two and a half minutes.

[Sukhman Gill, Conservative, Abbotsford—South Langley, BC]

Thank you very much, Chair.

Thank you very much, Minister, for being here today.

First of all, I want to echo my colleague's message. I feel it's a very important study, and we definitely need to look more into it and pay it more attention. These are details that should have been studied. We've had time to study them. We need to implement them now for the benefit of our veterans. As my colleague said, we have veterans in the room today, and I see their faces. I see the witnesses and I see the emotion. Because of that, I want to echo my colleague's message.

Getting to the questions, Minister, VAC is requesting $39.6 million for the caregiver recognition benefit, representing a 6.5% decrease from the previous year. The benefit provides $1,264 per month directly to the caregiver for severely disabled veterans who require continuous care.

Can you explain why the funding for the caregiver recognition benefit is decreasing by 6.5% this year?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

All of the benefits and services at Veterans Affairs Canada are demand-driven in response to the needs of veterans. As such, different programs, different services and different benefits will follow a natural ebb and peak in response to the needs of veterans. As it relates to the caregiver recognition benefit, that too will respond differently to the needs of the veteran community.

For more specifics on the actual dollar figure, I would turn to the officials to speak to that.

[Sukhman Gill, Conservative, Abbotsford—South Langley, BC]

Through you, Chair, I want to ask the minister directly—I can get the details later—if that reduction is because fewer caregivers are qualifying for the benefit or because VAC anticipates fewer applications.

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

As I mentioned, the different benefits and programs are in response to the needs of veterans as they move through their life cycle and their continuum—

[Sukhman Gill, Conservative, Abbotsford—South Langley, BC]

I apologize for cutting you off, but this is my last question. I have only 20 seconds. It's not even that much.

How many caregivers have applied for this and been denied? Give me just the figure.

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

That's a very specific number. I would turn to the department officials for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much.

I wanted to be respectful of both of your two and a half minutes, so I apologize, Mr. Gill.

We have Mr. Diotte for two and a half minutes.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Thanks, Madam Chair.

Minister, in previous years, members of Parliament could select veterans as a local priority for the Canada summer jobs grant program. This year, we cannot. It doesn't exist. Now your department says that helping veterans transition into civilian employment is a priority. If that's the case, why can we no longer select veterans as a priority for the Canada summer jobs grant program?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

The Canada summer jobs grant program is run out of ESDC as a department. That is where the criteria and the parameters of that program live. I would turn to our department officials, who may perhaps be able to inform you of why a change has occurred.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

I could ask that in the second hour, perhaps.

Was Veterans Affairs consulted before veterans were removed as a priority category?