QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of National Defence
Civilian Personnel in Afghanistan
November 7, 2024
Good afternoon, minister. During our decades-long engagement in Afghanistan, many Afghan Canadians were recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces, or CAF, to serve as language and cultural advisers. These individuals wore our uniforms and operated at great peril with our combat units outside the wire and remained in the theatre for extensive periods of time.
Unfortunately, some of these individuals were wounded while others continued to deal with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Yet, because they served as civilians on temporary contracts, your department has denied them help and benefits.
Minister, these brave individuals served our country and put their lives on the line. What is stopping your office from providing these people with the help and the benefits they have certainly earned and deserve?
First of all, thank you very much, senator. It’s an important question. I had a long meeting, and I’ve had a number of discussions with our military ombudsman on this particular issue. Let me also acknowledge that I think all Canadians should be grateful for the critical services and contributions of the language and cultural advisers. They served alongside our CAF members, and in my conversations with the CAF members, they valued that work and relationship. I’ve also acknowledged that that service can have a lasting impact on those individuals.
In these specific cases, just to be clear, the benefits that are available through our Veterans Benefit Act and program — unfortunately, these were contracted employees. In many respects, they were members of the public service and, therefore, are not necessarily eligible for the federal benefits, the same benefits that were available to our soldiers.
However, there are various important and different ways that we can support these military advisers. It is important work that I and the ombudsman’s office are doing together. We’ve engaged with the Department of National Defence, or DND, to ensure that there are other mechanisms where we can provide the necessary and required supports to those individuals. I think it’s an important question, and we’re trying to find ways that we can do the right thing by these people.
I’ve also been working very closely with the Minister of Veterans Affairs on this issue, trying to ensure that we do what Canada is obliged to do.
You’ve touched upon my second question, so I’ll go back to it. This issue has been repeatedly flagged for over five years by the DND/CAF Ombudsman Office, and now you’re saying you are in discussion with the ombudsman.
Yes.
Can you and the ombudsman find a resolution to this matter, because right now they’re falling through the cracks?
I’m in complete agreement with the ombudsman and with your point that we should not allow these people to fall through the cracks. They are not treated exactly the same way as CAF members who served in Afghanistan, because they were not members; they were contract employees. In that respect, there are other benefits potentially available to them.
I’m aware that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, or WSIB, has resolved 23 of the 26 cases that are before it, providing health benefits to those individuals. I’m also aware that in one case, so far, income replacement has been awarded to an individual who was qualified. These things have taken time — perhaps too much time. I would acknowledge that that made it difficult for these individuals, but we are utilizing the laws and the benefits that are available for public servants through the WSIB, and that work is progressing. I think there’s more work to do.
