Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, unfortunately, I don't have that information in front of me. I suspect I could come back to the committee with a readout of the planned targets and priority setting for them.

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, again, I'd be happy to follow up with respect to the question being asked by the member. We do have targets and goals. They are established as part of the departmental plan and performance metrics that are in place. We obviously hope to increase and ensure the well-being of veterans across all of those metrics.

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, I'd like to reassure the committee that the department is fully invested in making sure we can hire as many veterans as possible and bring them in. It is part of our standard practice. We use it when screening assets and tools as part of our employment selection processes.

Veterans Affairs committee  Once again, there's no limit, necessarily, set on how many veterans we would hire. We hire them as part of our processes. As I said, we prioritize the access of—

Veterans Affairs committee  Thanks very much. While the overall efforts of the department fall outside my particular area of responsibility, what I would say is that the department undertakes serious efforts to recruit and retain and to provide developmental opportunities for veterans as part of our ongoing activities.

Veterans Affairs committee  There are about 4,000 veterans who are able to access the public service health care plan at this point in time. The transition is one that's going across the entire public service health care plan, so the plan actually covers all public servants, and is extended to veterans in many cases.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, absolutely.

Veterans Affairs committee  Good afternoon and thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for inviting us to appear before you today. It is our pleasure to be here to speak about the department's disability adjudication process and our ongoing work to modernize our disability benefits tools. Joining me are Trudie MacKinnon, director general of centralized operations division, and Melanie MacDonald, team lead in disability benefits.

National Defence committee  The short answer is yes. There are a number of things that are being done within the department to help support women veterans. A number of years ago, we started the office of women veterans and 2SLGBTQI+ to help assist and recognize some of the challenges that may be faced by women veterans in the community in terms of approaching and getting benefits from Veterans Affairs.

National Defence committee  Maybe I'll start, and then ask Ms. Hicks to join in to answer. There is no wrong time for a veteran to come forward to Veterans Affairs to seek benefits. We have programs that support people immediately upon their transition. We have programs that continue to support them through their progressive age and their changing needs, from rehabilitation or transition and supports in terms of education and career transition services, to supports in disability benefits, to supports in terms of income replacement, and on and on.

National Defence committee  Here, I might ask Jane to jump in for a short answer, please.

National Defence committee  Again, that's a question that my Canadian Armed Forces colleagues would have to answer. We are looking to support, as Ms. Ogilvie has referenced, a telemedicine pilot to help support veterans and their families and transitioning members to be able to get access to at least temporary medical assistance in health, in terms of having a family doctor from a call, while they're waiting to get access through these provincial systems.

National Defence committee  I think that's actually the genesis of what Seamless Canada is really about. They're talking about it for certainly still-serving members, but the application for veterans and those transitioning out of the military is equally there. I participate as part of the Seamless Canada working group as well.

National Defence committee  I may be in a better position to answer that question. I can’t speak for the Canadian Armed Forces when it comes to implementing recommendations related to their programs. I can say, however, that at Veterans Affairs Canada, we are working closely with the Canadian Armed Forces and National Defence to support all recommendations and to help veterans who have unfortunately been victims of sexual misconduct.

National Defence committee  First and foremost, I'm very saddened by the case you're raising here. I'm not aware of the particular implement of restrictions for current JTF members to access mental health benefits. We do have a process in place to shield JTF members' identities when they're going through and accessing supports from Veterans Affairs benefits.