ACVA Committee Report

Honouring the Women Who Served Our Country and Addressing the Needs of All Veterans

This historic study brought new perspectives to issues that have been plaguing the Veterans community for decades and the unique experiences of Women in the service has shed light on new approaches and solutions that can be taken to ensure that any Canadian who decides to serve Canada can do so confidently and proudly. All those who dedicated time and energy to provide their perspectives to the committee have showcased the immense value that women bring to Canada’s institutions and service.

Disappointingly some of the parties involved with the tabling of this report deliberately steered away from themes and topics shared with the committee that reflected poorly on the government.

There are many hard truths that this study brought forward and Common-Sense Conservatives believe that the committee owes it to all those who came to testify and contribute to deliver a report that reflects exactly what was heard, even if it doesn’t look good on those in power. The report should be very clear and intentional when it comes to delegating responsibility for the state of the CAF, RCMP, and VAC. The recommendations contained here which supplement the existing report, call on the government to act very specifically in key areas that were not adequately addressed in the report.

The Federal Government promised that they would deliver on affordable housing at the beginning of their mandate, but never acted on it. Last summer the Prime Minister then said that housing wasn’t a federal responsibility. Nine months later, housing was a major theme of the Federal budget with the government once again promising, yet failing to do more on housing.

It is important for this report to reflect the fact that on average Veterans are at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness and that women Veterans in particular are susceptible to other forms of abuse when they find themselves without secure housing. Therefore, it is important that far more be done to address this issue, starting with Veterans Affairs making more of an effort to find and assist all of the Veterans who are homeless.

There is also the issue of better support and entitlements for Veterans as they transition out of the military or to part time service. Conservatives believe it is important to recognize that what we heard in testimony from women Veterans highlights an issue that affects all Veterans and service members and should be addressed. This applies to better support for Veterans who wish to pursue schooling or training. Those Veterans who wish to continue pursuing a career with the skills they learned in the military need the government to support the recognition and transfer of their learned skills from the military to an equivalent field in the private or public sector.

For many Veterans going through transition, their spouses and immediate family members are also vital support systems for them. The committee heard about how military spouses often sacrifice their own careers to support their spouse’s constant posting cycles and how post service this leaves both they and their family at higher risk for hardship as benefits and salaries often fluctuate during career moves. Due to this, it is important that the government acknowledge the contribution of military spouses and families and extend education and training benefits to them, especially as the committee heard from dozens who said that when the CAF and VAC failed to support them, all they had was their family.

The medical needs of those who have served in the CAF or RCMP are unique in many ways. It is absolutely critical to reflect what Women Veterans and Veterans in general have been requesting for years and what this committee heard throughout the study. Firstly, giving Veterans the benefit of the doubt when they submit claims related to their service is paramount. The last thing a Veteran needs when they apply for benefits or compensation is to be scrutinized and revictimized by bureaucrats.

A presumptive injury list would be the easiest way to address this issue, protecting the dignity of our Veterans, especially those who are survivors of military sexual trauma by accepting their word upon application, by cutting the massive backlog that is overwhelmingly comprised of common injuries that are eventually paid out anyway, and by reducing manpower hours tied up in administration so more time can be spent speaking with Veterans and helping them.

Additionally, both VAC and the Department of National Defence (DND) along with the CAF have completely failed in their mandate of supporting the transition of soldiers. The time of departments passing the buck to one another and blaming each other while Veterans suffer needs to end. The government has had clear instructions from Ombuds reports, committee reports, and Auditor General reports dating back for years now addressing these same issues. Even for the reports accepted, no action has been taken. This is simply unacceptable and necessitates the submission of this Supplemental Report - to hold the government accountable to keep its word on the recommendations of both this report and all the others before it that have yet to be acted on.

Therefore, Conservative members of the Committee provide the following recommendations:

Housing and Cost of living

Throughout the study on the experience of Women Veterans, MPs heard testimony calling attention to the increasing numbers of Veterans who are homeless including from Veterans who have been or were at risk of homelessness themselves. The committee also heard that the rampant inflation and cost of living crisis caused by the current government has left many Veterans unable to afford basic necessities for their day-to-day lives. This testimony was corroborated by the fact that Veterans’ food banks report record usage rates in the past few years while several Veterans advocacy organizations report their efforts to help Veterans in their transition are being hampered, as Veterans struggling to feed and house themselves are less likely to be able to pursue education and training programs. In light of this, Conservatives on the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs propose the following:

Recommendation #1: Given that the failed policies of the Liberal Government over the past 9 years have hurt Veterans, that VAC engage with governmental partners and Veteran support organizations that address the housing crisis by creating safe places for Veterans who are at risk of homelessness, especially women; and that VAC use these partnerships to exhaustively identify and track Veterans experiencing homelessness and connect them with VAC benefits and services, including emergency or long-term housing supports.

Education, Training, and Family Support for Veterans and their Families

Conservatives know that when a Canadian serves, their family serves with them, in different, but equally important ways. During transition many spouses and family members act as crucial supporters as they work to augment the change in pay and benefits for the family post service. With this important role in mind, supporting Veterans and their family members through providing better access to education and training directly impacts their prospects in life post service. Therefore, Conservatives would like to propose the following recommendations which were absent from the committee’s report to the House:

Recommendation #2: That Veterans Affairs Canada recognize that Veterans who leave the regular force for the reserve force, (often for the flexibility needed for raising a family) should still be eligible for educational entitlements that Veterans who leave the forces altogether receive and that these entitlements be extended to immediate family members.

Recommendation #3: That the Department of Veterans Affairs ease the transition from military to civilian life by ensuring that members of the Canadian Armed Forces can access Veterans Affairs Canada’s Education and Training Benefit upon securing a date of release from the regular force into either the reserve force or out of the military completely.

Recommendation #4: That the Department of Veterans Affairs assist Veterans with their transition from military to civilian life by harmonizing training certifications in the Canadian Armed Forces with civilian qualifications, allowing Veterans to easily transfer their skills to civilian workplaces.

Recommendation #5: That the Government must acknowledge their early learning and childcare strategy fails to address the unique needs of members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans, and their family.

Medical Needs

Expert testimony shared with the committee confirmed what Veterans have been saying for years. Namely, that the unique requirements of service leave Canadians prone to different injuries and illnesses not commonly seen in the general population. Witnesses at the committee shared how the medical needs of women have historically been overlooked by both the CAF and VAC. To address this Conservatives propose the following recommendations which the report failed to address:

Recommendation #6: That Veterans Affairs develop a presumptive injury list for common conditions in each trade and that the lists reflect the unique challenges and injuries faced by service women.

Recommendation #7: That Veterans Affairs Canada change their position on the acceptance of civilian medical professionals’ diagnosis. I.e., If a Veteran goes to seek medical attention and a doctor or specialist gives a diagnosis that is related to service, that VAC has to accept the integrity and judgement of medical professionals.

Recommendation #8: The pool of physicians who are trained to treat service-related illnesses and injuries while enlisted and those who determine if an illness or injury is due to service after releasing should be one and the same; within that pool specialists in women's reproductive health and unique physical and emotional challenges should be available to all female service members.

Recommendation #9: That the Department of Veterans Affairs collaborate with the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces to establish a clear criteria for service related injuries and to ensure that the full and unredacted medical records of service members are made available to them upon enlistment, throughout their service, upon release, and beyond, and that all those who enlist have the opportunity, at any point in time, and at their choice empower DND to transfer medical records upon request by the serving member/veteran to VAC, their home province and/or health provider(s).

Recommendation #10: That the Department of Veterans Affairs develop policies and proposals with respect to women Veterans to address their unique needs especially in the area of identifying and treating both physical and mental illness or injuries. Both DND and VAC must ensure all serving women and women veterans have access to doctors and psychologists who specialize in women’s health.

Recommendation #11: That the Department of Veterans Affairs renew its understanding of physical and psychological injuries and their direct correlation to military service, with a specific emphasis on female-specific medical conditions derived from the military environment and military sexual trauma.

Recommendation #12: That VAC and the CAF work together on a way to inform service members and Veterans when a new compensable condition is recognized in order to help identify, prevent and treat it within the CAF and expedite VAC’s claims processing.

Recommendation #13: That the Department of Veterans Affairs recognize that psychiatric service dogs have the potential to positively change the lives of Veterans and their families; listen intently to Veterans’ anecdotal evidence on the impact of service dogs on their health; and undertake an educational campaign to inform health care professionals about the role of service dogs, and their benefits, in Veterans’ lives.

Enabling Success Post Service

While many Veterans hold a negative view of Veterans Affairs Canada due to a frustrating and cumbersome experience for even their most basic claims, the committee heard from dozens of Veteran owned and operated organizations that help fellow Veterans and overwhelmingly Veterans report a high level of satisfaction with them. With this in mind, Conservatives recommend the following to address what the committee heard:

Recommendation #14: That Veterans Affairs Canada better support the success of Veterans who pursue entrepreneurship including prioritizing those whose businesses service other Veterans.

Recommendation #15: That the Department of Veterans Affairs properly assist Veterans with their transition from military to civilian life with a personalized focus on intake interviews, face-to-face follow-up meetings, and ease of understanding VAC benefits and services.

Recommendation #16: That Veterans Affairs Canada do more to ensure the maximum number of Veterans are registered with VAC for the purpose of informing them of any benefits they are entitled to due to their service and that in applying for new entitlements, the government ensures that women Veterans' specific conditions are permanently noted for future benefit applications, reducing the need for repeated medical reassessment.

Recommendation #17: That the Department of Veterans Affairs bolster its efforts to proactively communicate with Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, their families, and their caregivers through a diverse range of media - including audio-visual, social media, and print - about the benefits, services, and education and professional development opportunities available to them through Veterans Affairs Canada; the Department should clearly communicate the manner through which Veterans can make direct contact with a Veterans' Service Agent.

Conclusion

It is important to note that the purpose of this Supplemental Report is to augment the recommendations which appear in the main report, many of which Conservatives support.

So as the Standing Committee for Veterans Affairs completes its historic study into the experience of Women Veterans, Conservative members would like to acknowledge the courage and dedication of women from across Canada who offered their testimony and shared their stories as part of this study.

Conservative members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) call on the government to ensure there is fair and equal treatment of both the men and women who served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

During this historic study the committee was made aware of many problems and systems in place that negatively affect women who have served Canada. However, we feel there were some important themes and topics missed in the final report. In addressing the unique concerns of women veterans, the government must make advancements for the betterment of all members when it comes to areas they have neglected to address such as access to health care professionals/services, tracking and monitoring of service related injuries, access to programs and benefits post service, and communicating changes in policy or new programs, especially for Veterans who are facing homelessness and do not have ready access to online sources.

Common-sense Conservatives will continue to stand with all of Canada’s veterans, including the women who have courageously forged a path through adversity for future generations. We will continue to hold the government accountable to ensure there is action on these issues rather than more empty promises and platitudes.