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Record of Discussion – 25 February 2016

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February 25, 2016
Parliament, Centre Block, Ottawa, Ontario

The role of the Policy Advisory Group is to provide advice to the Minister of Veterans Affairs by considering policy issues related to and beyond his mandate commitments in response to identified gaps in Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) benefits and services to Veterans.

During a general discussion of the VAC mandate, the well-being model and the Minister’s commitments, the following comments were made:

  • The Government of Canada has a responsibility for ensuring the well-being and financial security of Veterans.
  • Closing the seam means ensuring a smooth transition from military to civilian life, achieved through early engagement long before a member is released; education and career transition support are essential to successful transition.
  • Financial security is linked to the well-being model: Veterans need financial security before they can concentrate on getting well.
  • Income replacement should be provided to family members who give up employment to become caregivers.
  • The Family Caregiver Relief Benefit should be revisited to make it more effective.
  • Second “seam” requiring closing: between Pension Act (PA) and New Veterans Charter (NVC):
    • PA and NVC are different things, created at different times, to meet different needs; and
    • A monthly lifetime pension option could help close the gap between the PA and NVC.
  • Need to focus on intended outcomes: to meet the needs of Veterans and simplify the mechanisms to do so, recognizing the complexity of the NVC and the need to improve it.
  • Improved strategic communications are needed to help explain and educate Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police members, Veterans, and their families on the role of financial benefits and the importance of Veteran well-being.

Policy Advisory Group business:

  • Two member co-chairs selected (Brian Forbes and Andrea Siew).
  • Request for 2-day meeting after Budget 2016 (March 22) and before next Stakeholder Summit (proposed early May).
  • Group members will draft Terms of Reference and agenda.
  • Members would like sufficient in camera time at future meetings.
  • Members asked that sufficient notification be provided for meetings.
  • Members asked VAC to lay out meeting schedule for the next year.

Items/Actions for future discussion:

  • Well-being model.
  • Transition experiences from perspective of VAC staff and CAF members at the pre-release stage.
  • Financial support under PA and NVC.
  • Family support (financial and non-financial).
  • Definition of “reasonable measure of financial security.”
  • Gap identification exercise to identify issues needing attention but not included in the Minister’s mandate.
  • Review NVC and other legislation, regulations and guidelines to identify gaps, problems, overlaps, and contradictions.
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