Mr. Speaker, as a former member of the forces, I can truly appreciate why the government is making this gesture through legislation. The number of personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP at any given time is incredible. It is tens of thousands of people.
Has the government done any background work in terms of what it anticipates will be the take-up of public service jobs by individuals leaving the forces or the RCMP? Does the government have any sense of the actual number that would be applicable here?
Second, to what degree does the government feel it has an obligation to encourage private sector involvement in terms of recruiting military personnel who are retiring? A good example would be the Commissionaires and the fantastic work they do getting former military and RCMP personnel engaged in the private sector.