Debates of Feb. 14th, 2017

National Defence

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure to rise on a question I raised back in October.

Before I start, I want to congratulate the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence on his new portfolio. I got to know him quite well, working on the national defence committee. It is good to see him in this new role. This is my first chance to publicly congratulate him on this, and I look forward to working closely with him as we go forward.

In the question I raised on October 27, we were looking at having discussions with the former parliamentary secretary about the peacekeeping mission the Liberal government wanted to undertake. Here we are in February, and no details of the plan have been released.

We can talk about how the Liberals want to return to UN peacekeeping. We can talk about how they finally committed our troops to a mission in Africa, which is incredibly dangerous. We can talk about how they committed 600 troops, plus police officers to go over there, and committed $450 million over three years. However, we need to talk about the mission itself. We still have no details. The Minister of National Defence told the House he would come back to us with the plan by the end of December. We are six weeks into the new year and we have nothing.

We know the mission that is rumoured to be in Mali is incredibly dangerous. We understand the mission is going to put our troops in harm's way in a UN mandate that is all too often convoluted, overly controlled by bureaucrats, and too often ineffective.

We on this side of the House support fighting terrorism. We support going into a mission that is in our national interest. We support trying to protect those who cannot protect themselves. However, unfortunately, we are dealing with a situation in Africa where organizations like al Qaeda and ISIS are running rampant. We know for a fact they have said they are going to target the blue helmets of peacekeepers. We know for a fact that well over 100 peacekeepers have already been killed in the Mali mission. We also know that too often when we go into these UN missions, the rules of engagement and the chains of command are so convoluted that it does not serve the interests of our soldiers who are on the ground.

When is this mission going to be announced for Canadians to know? When will this UN mission come to the House for a full debate and a vote? Why has the government been so silent after campaigning on this, after the Liberals promised we would send 600 troops and police officers to do this peacekeeping? After it committed $450 million, why do we not know what the plan is? Our troops want to know. Canadians want to know. More important, they want to know how this is in Canada's national interest and whether it is the best use of Canadian resources and our troops when we face so many problems in so many other places around the world.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to compliment the member for his work on the Standing Committee on National Defence. We all benefit from his sound knowledge of the defence file.

Canada has an important role to play in the fight against Daesh. That is why our government decided to invest $1.6 billion in security, stabilization, humanitarian aid, and development assistance in the region. Of that amount, just over $300 million has been allocated to extending and refocusing Operation Impact.

Just over a year ago, the House debated at length the refocusing of the mission and voted in favour of doing so. Our special forces personnel are performing a train, advise, and assist mission for Iraqi forces. We have also deployed Griffon helicopters to transport troops and equipment. Our troops have been very successful in their efforts to train Iraqi forces.

Since the fall of 2014, our special forces personnel have trained approximately 2,000 Iraqi security force members. In October, Iraqi forces launched their campaign to liberate Mosul. So far, they have taken back approximately 62% of the territory initially controlled by Daesh in Iraq and have cleared 115 towns and villages. The campaign for Mosul is large scale and we expect it will be a long and difficult fight. However, it is moving forward according to plan and on schedule.

The Canadian Armed Forces have also assumed the lead of the Coalition Role 2 medical facility in Northern Iraq. Approximately 50 military personnel are currently working at the facility with a mandate to provide medical and surgical care to support coalition forces. A total of 364 patients have been treated there so far. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have received care were treated for illnesses or injuries sustained outside the battlefield. We are very proud of the contribution of our medical teams.

We understand that Canadians want to know what our troops are doing and that is why our government has always been open and transparent about this mission. When we have information, we will be pleased to inform the opposition on the peacekeeping mission in Africa. A lot more information is needed. When decisions have been made and the requested information is available, the House will be notified.

Contrary to what my colleague opposite said, our government is working hard to keep Canadians informed in many different ways. There have been several technical briefings about the mission in recent months, one of which was broadcast on social media. A technical briefing was held on January 26 to provide updates on what Canadian troops are doing and what Iraqi security forces have accomplished in the operation to liberate Mosul. At another technical briefing, this one in November, officials discussed what our military men and women were doing in the campaign for Mosul. The minister and the chief of the defence staff also appeared before a parliamentary committee to talk about the mission.

The Canadian Armed Forces also made it possible for journalists to visit operations, as they did in November 2016, and we will continue to do so regularly. Journalists were able to observe first-hand how Canada is supporting the coalition.

We will continue to demonstrate transparency, but we will do so while constantly taking into account any risk such actions could pose to our troops. We have made major progress, and Canada remains fully committed to supporting the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people on their journey toward becoming a stable and secure country.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the parliamentary secretary was speaking about the mission in Iraq, Operation Impact, because I actually did ask two questions that day. My first question was on the peacekeeping mission in Africa, and the second question was on Operation Impact. Why are both those issues linked? Not just because it is about the Canadian Armed Forces, but because there has been no transparency. That is just a case in point.

The parliamentary secretary talks about a handful of public technical briefings that they did on Operation Impact. It does not compare to the 15-plus that we did in a matter of a few months on Operation Impact. Every time our troops were in a firefight and every time our troops were involved in any air combat mission, we told Canadians. Instead what we get back from the current government is, “No, you are not going to get any further details on what our troops are up to”.

We know that they are firing sniper rifles. We know that they are using missiles to defend themselves. We also know that this has become more than just defensive moves; this is also being done in a very combative nature as they are taking over Mosul.

We expect transparency from the government—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is being open and transparent about this mission. However, it would never do anything to put our troops in danger.

Daesh has proven in the past that its fighters care not only about what is done, but also about what is said. We will therefore continue to communicate what can be communicated, and we intend to keep confidential what needs to be confidential.

I repeat, we will continue to act openly, while taking into account any risks that we could be inadvertently exposing our troops to.

We will continue to inform Canadians of the progress made in the fight against Daesh. I would like to reiterate once again just how proud we are of the progress made to date and of the role played by our soldiers in the global fight to defeat Daesh.

Our military personnel continue to provide extraordinary support to the coalition and the Iraqi government to help dismantle and ultimately wipe out Daesh. We are extremely grateful to our troops.

Veterans Affairs

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last fall I asked the minister about the many veterans and families struggling to access supports from Veterans Affairs. His response to my question left me wondering if he is hearing the many voices pleading with his government to listen and make the simple but important changes needed.

Just last week at the veterans affairs committee, we heard from the spouse of a veteran who highlighted very succinctly what I have been hearing for years. She said that her husband Marc, who was released from the military, was left with the impression that he was just another number. Sadly, this indifference has continued now that he is a veteran. This testimony highlights the fact that we are failing our injured veterans and their families. The Department of National Defence and the Department of Veterans Affairs are failing the men and women who serve this country.

The minister should know very well by now that our veterans and their families are struggling. Medically released veterans have to wait to access their pensions when they leave, putting an already stressed family in financial hardship. Veterans and their families are also left without knowing what supports they will qualify for, leaving them with more questions about the financial resources on which they rely.

In addition to financial support are the psychological supports that must be in place immediately. Waiting for a referral from VAC and the additional six weeks before a veteran can see a doctor at an OSI clinic is shocking and unacceptable. If we are able to immediately help the veteran in need, it will reduce the pressure and potential trauma for the veteran's family.

The current system is failing not only our veterans but also their families. More supports for spouses caring for veterans are essential. They may need help to repair a damaged relationship, resources to assist learning how to live with and help someone with PTSD, and supports for their own trauma. None of these resources should be difficult to access. They should be readily available as soon as they are needed.

These are just some of the struggles that veterans and their families face today. However, I get very worried about the future. As these veterans age, they and their families will struggle again to access specialized care that the veteran might need.

Right now, we have long-term care facilities, such as the one in my riding, Parkwood Hospital, that have expertise in serving the special needs of veterans, but post-Korean War veterans and peacekeepers cannot access these specialized facilities. As a result, these hospitals are slated to slowly shutter their doors.

I notice today that the minister visited my riding and made an announcement that he would open five beds in Parkwood Hospital. These beds have been sitting empty in the hospital for years. We need more beds and space to help veterans. Parkwood has the facilities to help veterans struggling to access long-term care, but the government lacks the political will to make this happen. It is content to download veteran care to the provinces. The announcement today does nothing to address the lack of a long-term plan for modern-day veterans. If we do not start to expand care, we are going to lose the expertise housed in facilities like Parkwood.

With much more work to be done to support the veterans, I wonder what the minister and his parliamentary secretary would like to share with the House in regard to how they will address the financial and health care hardships that medically released veterans and their families face when they leave the military. Will the government enact the military ombudsman's recommendations that all benefits and pensions be in place before a CF member is released from the military?

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for raising the important issue of the benefits that Canada offers veterans and their families.

We all know that Canada owes a debt of gratitude to its veterans for their service and sacrifices. We understand that when a man or woman serves in the Canadian Armed Forces, the entire family serves with them. As the mother of two soldiers, I can confirm that. It begins on their very first day of military service and continues until the day they leave the armed forces, or even beyond that.

That is why Veterans Affairs Canada offers veterans a range of services, including financial assistance, support services following an illness or injury, and health and well-being services.

Although Veterans Affairs Canada plays an essential role in supporting our men and women who have served in uniform, it is the veteran's family that plays the main role, particularly when it comes to veterans who suffer an illness or injury.

Veterans Affairs Canada offers resources specifically for the families, such as the family caregiver relief benefit, liaison services, long-term care, and mental health services.

The role of the family is integral to the work of the department and what we are doing. We have done a lot since November 2015 to improve veterans' access to benefits and resources. We are continuing to look for ways we can better serve them. For example, we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices across the country that were closed by the previous government, including one in Sydney, Nova Scotia. We also opened a new office in Surrey, British Columbia, and we are extending our outreach in the north.

Because mental health is a priority, we are committed to ensuring all eligible veterans and their families have the mental health support they need, when and where they need it. A new operational stress injury clinic opened in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, last June.

We are working hard to find out how we can do better, how we can deliver the resources and services that veterans and their families need, when and where they need them. We are also working to simplify the process for applying for and accessing these benefits. There is a robust arm's-length appeal process to address any issues that veterans or their family members may have with Veterans Affairs Canada.

We are here to listen to veterans and their families. I urge anyone who has an issue accessing benefits and resources to reach out to the department or to their local MP.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is Valentine's Day. We have heard a lot about the importance of love and caring for one another. I know that the parliamentary secretary cares very much about veterans and their families. For many months last year, she sat with me on the veterans affairs committee and heard the same testimony, the same struggles, the same pain that our veterans and their families deal with on a daily basis.

The issues and problems plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs are many. The struggles of veterans and their families are real.

However, an important question remains. What is the government going to do about the barriers that veterans face? What actions, what changes will it make to ensure that veterans and their families will no longer struggle to access services and receive the support that they so desperately need?

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, with today being Valentine's Day, I had the great pleasure of visiting Perley Rideau and spending Valentine's Day with my extended military family, our veterans.

The secret to a successful transition to civilian life is to begin the process even before the Canadian Forces members leave the military. Veterans Affairs and the Department of National Defence have been working together over the past year to make that transition as seamless as possible for members and their families. They have closed a number of gaps that were not addressed by previous governments.

Yes, there is still work to be done, and the departments will continue to work to improve, not only the services, but how they are delivered to better meet the needs of veterans and their families.

I am so happy to be working with the member opposite again on this important file.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:59 p.m.)