I disagree... The Reserves are (and should be) every bit as operational as the Regular Force these days and the entry standard has to be identical. Creating an alternate system (or leaving the process entirely in the hands of units as it was in the "good old days") runs the serious risk of creating diferent standards, permitting abuse of the system and adding yet more fuel to the "us versus them" mentality that still can be found throughout the CF.
Teddy, if you can stray from your lane I hope you'll allow me to step right out of mine.
I don't believe that the Reservist should be subjected to the same clearances and standards as the Reg Force soldier. I think there should be two classes of reservists. There already are. The trained and the untrained.
When you look at the profiles of the people on this board what stands out to me is how many of the senior posters started out as Militiamen/Reservists and then transferred/tried to transfer to the Regs. Why didn't these people go straight to the regs in the first place? Could it be because our society knows so little of military life and culture that that is just too big a step for most?
The old system of bringing a Reservist through the door, doing a perfunctory medical, attesting him, slapping a hat on his head and set of coveralls on his back then doubling him around the parade square for a bit and, with any luck take him down to the ranges had a number of advantages.
It was relatively cheap. It let the recruit-candidate get a look inside the system and make a better decision on whether this was the life for them, whether or not they were up to the demands of the trade. It also let the system get a look at the candidate and decide if it was worth investing the system's time and money in doing a comprehensive medical, a security clearance beyond Restricted, and in sending him on course to receive intensive training.
Many folks that came in this way voted with their feet and just stopped showing up. At the same time many others found that they wanted more and the discipline and bullshyte were all part of the process.
Most importantly the process engaged potential applicants from a society that knows little or nothing of the realities of soldiering.
Its like fishing. Public Affairs - dangles the bright shiny lure. The system knows how to reel them in - that just takes muscle. But the art of fishing is in knowing when to jerk on the line and how hard to tug to set the hook. The Reserves offer one method of setting the hook softly.