Response to Parliamentary Committees
House of Commons
Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA)
In June 2024, ACVA tabled its 15th report, Invisible No More: The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans. The report examined the challenges that women Veterans face, including those related to physical and mental health, transitioning to life after service, retirement, and long term care. It also examined initiatives adopted in allied countries aimed at supporting women Veterans. The report presented forty-two recommendations for the Government of Canada to enhance research, healthcare, support services, and recognition tailored specifically to women Veterans. These included addressing military sexual trauma, improving access to gender-specific medical care and rehabilitation, and implementing systemic reforms such as improved data collection, trauma-informed training, enhanced transition support, and dedicated funding for programs and housing focused on women Veterans.
- Report 15 – Invisible No More: The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans was presented to the House on 12 June 2024.
- A Government Response was presented in the House of Commons 10 October 2024, which provided individual responses to the Committee’s recommendations. These included details on the Government’s approach to ensuring that the growing role of women in the Canadian Armed Forces and the Veteran community is fully recognized, that women are well supported throughout their military careers including their transition to life after service, and that the needs and concerns of women Veterans are better reflected in Veterans Affairs Canada’s programs and services.
Senate of Canada
Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans’ Affairs (SECD)
In November 2023, SECD tabled its 7th report, The Time is Now: Granting Equitable Access to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies. The report examined psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies and existing research on how they can be used in treatment of cases of Veterans who are experiencing severe, treatment-resistant symptoms, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. There was one recommendation offered for the Government to immediately launch and fund a large-scale research program on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for treating those mental disorders and other conditions that have been identified as potentially therapeutic for these types of interventions.
- Report 7 – The Time is Now: Granting Equitable Access to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies was presented to the Senate on 8 November 2023.
- A Government Response was presented to the Senate on 10 October 2024, which outlined continued monitoring of research on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. It emphasized that while early research is promising, more evidence is needed to support the safety, efficacy, and scalability of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The response also highlighted Health Canada's regulatory role, the importance of clinical trials, and recent efforts to expand access through Health Canada’s draft guidance on decentralized trials.
Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
There were no audits in 2024–25 requiring a response.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Para 38 notes “As such, the Department of National Defence (DND) will collaborate with the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) on all aspects of this Audit, future solutions and actions required on an ongoing basis.” While no recommendation was directed specifically at VAC, we will continue to collaborate with PSC and DND on all future solutions and actions required on an ongoing basis.