OTTAWA - Canada's military watchdog is worried a bill intended to give veterans first crack at federal civil service jobs is flawed.
The legislation -- Bill C-27 -- is currently before the Senate after passing in the House of Commons last June, and Gary Walbourne says it gives Veterans Affairs the power to determine whether a military member's medical release is a result of service in the Canadian Forces.
He says that determination should belong to National Defence.
The ombudsman's office conducted an extensive analysis of the proposal, which was initially pushed forward last year as the government faced a storm of criticism for the summary dismissal of ill and injured soldiers, many of them with post-traumatic stress.
The legislation bumps wounded soldiers to the front of the line for federal jobs, as long as they are qualified for the position.
Walbourne says National Defence is better positioned to justify an ex-soldier's medical condition and the reason for the release.
