Mr. James Scanlon:

Sorry, they are key performance indicators or targets. Basically, if one considers the individual KPIs, which are the most important, they are broken down into a medical, a fitness test, a weapons test and one's attendance over the year. That is the shortest way of looking at it. The main problem we are having at present is with medicals. As that is only one quarter of the targets, one might ask what is the problem.

The problem is that the medical has a knock-on affect in other areas. A person cannot undergo a fitness test without first undergoing a medical test.

Consideration is being given to the introduction next year of a personal weapons test. However, taking of the personal weapons test will be, because it is quite a strenuous test, dependent on the person having first passed a medical and fitness test. Currently, we are being starved of the medical. We assumed that a new medical, of a less stringent nature, would be introduced for the reserve. I recently had a medical done. It included an ECG and blood tests and I was offered vaccinations. That type of medical is overkill for a reservist. It might be said that there can be only one standard. However, there are already different standards in place in that a member of the Air Corps or Naval Service does not have to complete part three of the fitness test. There is not only one standard even for the PDF. Standards can be tailored to the commitment or to what is necessary. We do not want people who fall over, etc., during a fitness test but we do not believe it is necessary to put the taxpayer to the cost of detailed medicals for reservists.

Some of our suggestions in this regard include that a medical examination could be provided at the weekend by the Defence Forces; that the reservist GP provide a medical for the Defence Forces for a set fee, which would allow the reservist to attend his or her GP at a time of their own choosing, be that at the weekend or in the evening; that RDF doctors be activated to help the resources available to conduct medicals; that medicals be done every three years rather than annually, with self-certification being acceptable in the other years; and that consideration be given to the introduction of the type of medicals provided by the Canadian Defence Forces, which are of different frequency and intensity dependent on the type of service in which the person is engaged. The reason we are harping on this medical target is because it is influencing all of the other targets. We have been given verbal assurances by the General Staff that we will not be held to these KPIs because they are not providing the resources to us. However, these assurances are only verbal. The people by whom they were given may be retired by the time a review is undertaken, which review will consist of a look-back at the targets and assessment of whether or not they were met.

We are asking that the Defence Forces would consider the introduction of a flexible method for the achievement of medicals. The other KPIs flow from those. We have no doubt that members of the RDF are capable of meeting all of these targets.