National Defence committee  Once again, that depends on the region. If you are in Ottawa, for example, the requirement is higher, but if you are in Wainwright, Alberta—

National Defence committee  That depends on the position and the region.

National Defence committee  We do not require that from volunteers, because we do not have the right to do so.

National Defence committee  We are very happy to accept all the volunteers who come forward, but we make an effort to ensure that the volunteers are absolutely bilingual.

National Defence committee  Let me make a note of your question and provide you with an answer later, because I don't have the information with me.

National Defence committee  We can do that.

National Defence committee  I believe at last count we had four vacant military positions and I believe six civilian positions, but those are not shortages per se. They are the usual rotation as people leave and are replaced. We also have a number of other initiatives in place to bolster the staff as we h

National Defence committee  Absolutely. The suite of programs is quite complex. There are a number of them in both the armed forces and Veterans Affairs. We're working very, very hard to have the programs mirror each other as much as possible while the person's in service so that as they do transition ove

National Defence committee  When I'm at home playing basketball in the driveway on a Saturday night, I break my ankle.

National Defence committee  There are long-term disability payments. There is a disability award, which is what used to be the Veterans Affairs...under the old Pension Act. A person received a pension; they now receive a lump sum award. That sum is provided. Yes, there are a number of other programs with

National Defence committee  No, they have not. We have spoken with some. The form is there more for the protection of the individuals, because unfortunately there are occasions when people, especially when they're suffering from mental health issues, will make comments or become involved in discussions that

National Defence committee  We do not.

National Defence committee  It's a different circumstance because the staff who work there are not subject to the code of service discipline or to Canadian Forces policy—the civilians are not—so they would not be asked to sign it.

National Defence committee  In some cases they are. You would have seen media reports earlier this year where the Canadian Army has instituted the same policy in their units. If they are not signing a form, it is definitely part of their briefings and the orders appear in Canadian Forces documentation. In

National Defence committee  Anything that helps someone communicate is a positive, there's no doubt about that, because we don't want those with PTSD to be in their homes barricaded, not communicating with anyone. And if that first step is to a computer, that's just wonderful.