OTTAWA – Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino defended his department’s spending $100,000 on promotional tweets in the face of criticism Wednesday.
“As more and more Canadians turn to social media, it is important they do learn about the great accomplishments of Canadian veterans overseas and here at home,” Fantino told the House of Commons.
NDP veterans affairs critic Peter Stoffer slammed the government for spending more than $100,000 on the promotional tweets, mostly for last year’s Remembrance Day.
“Where does the government get off spending $100,000 on tweets, when that money could go to really help veterans?” he said.
“Does the government honestly believe that tweeting away $100,000 is a wise expenditure of taxpayers’ dollars?”
Stoffer said that money could have been used to give 10 veterans a “dignified funeral,” 20 veterans a service dog, and 40 veterans the VIP service – a program designed to keep veterans independent.
But Fantino also took the opportunity to target the NDP, who are also facing a separate controversy related to the use of parliamentary resources to fund satellite party offices.
“The veterans I know would expect that if the NDP broke the rules, they take responsibility and repay taxpayers immediately,” Fantino said.
Global News reported Tuesday that the department of Veterans Affairs spent $103,694 on promotional tweets during fiscal year 2013-14.
About 85 per cent of the money, $88,194, was used to promote tweets for last year’s Remembrance Day. The rest, $15,500, was spent on advertising services to veterans.
Since 2012, the government has spent a total of $456,324 in advertising money on tweets, documents tabled Tuesday in Parliament show.
Veterans advocate Mike Blais called the figures “shocking,” especially following the closure of eight regional Veterans Affairs offices earlier this year.
WATCH: Veterans advocate criticizes money spent by feds on tweets
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