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Sophie Chatel

Liberal on Business of Supply

Replying to Claude DeBellefeuille (Bloc Québécois)
“Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the parliamentary secretary on her speech. I have the privilege of serving alongside her on the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. Let us be honest. Everyone in this House knows that the right of first refusal currently held by the Commissionaires organization—formerly known as the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, which has existed since 1945 and just celebrated its 80th anniversary—will expire on March 31. Consequently, as of April 1, that right will no longer be on any government tender documents for security guard services anywhere in the government. It seems to me that this runs counter to the discussions we have had at the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, where we have been exploring ways to help veterans transition successfully into the labour market following their military careers. My question is quite simple: Does the parliamentary secretary believe it makes sense to allow the right of first refusal to expire on March 31?”

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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question and for her work on the committee. I want to acknowledge the excellent work she does. Security guard services are important, but I think this represents a very limiting view of the careers and experience of today’s veterans. The average veteran is now just 34 or 35 years old. Our government’s priority is not to find security guard positions for these veterans, because they possess extraordinary skills and can contribute to Canada’s defence industrial strategy. When they transition to civilian life, they bring expertise in areas such as drones, cybersecurity and aerospace. Moreover, this is not about the right of first refusal, because there are labour shortages in the aerospace sector, one of Quebec’s flagship industries. Over the next 10 years, an average of between 42,000 and 65,000 positions will need to be filled, and there will be more than 8,000 new veterans each year who possess many of the technical skills required for those jobs. The priority is skills recognition, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.