On one day every year, Canadians turn their attention to the country’s veterans, the men and women often described as national heroes.
But for those individuals honoured every Nov. 11 – the countless members of Canada’s land, air and maritime forces, many of whom suffer from their time served – every day is Remembrance Day, said New Democrat veterans critic Peter Stoffer.
“What happens when the poppies are down and the wreaths have been laid? What happens Nov. 12?” he asked during an appearance on the Global News program The West Block with Tom Clark.
The Conservatives are failing when it comes to ensuring the men and women who serve the country have access to the programs and services they need year-round, Stoffer said.
“All is not well in our veterans’ community. He (Veterans Minister Steven Blaney) knows it, the government knows it, the veterans’ organizations and the people who need the services know,” he said.
Despite the allegations from the Opposition, the minister remains proud, confident his government is working with the veterans’ interests in mind — although he admits they could do more.
“We can always do more,” he said, quickly adding that the Canadian Forces and Defence Minister Peter MacKay have done “tremendous” work reaching out to soldiers in need.
For example, the department recently hired more nurses, doctors and psychiatrists, the minister said. Veterans Affairs and the Forces also keep injured soldiers on staff to help care for their peers, Blaney said.
“We owe this to those soldiers who had the courage to come out of the war room,” he said during an appearance on The West Block.
Recently, however, the government came under fire for its handling of a federal fund intended to give impoverished veterans a proper, dignified burial.
Documents tabled in Parliament revealed that more than two-thirds of requests received since 2006 were denied because the veterans either didn’t meet the eligibility requirements, or had an annual income exceeding the maximum $12,010.
“We certainly work every day to improve the quality of the service we are providing to veterans,” Blaney said. “With this particular program, more than 10,000 veterans have benefited from it since 2006.”
Further, the Conservatives are currently mired in lawsuits veterans have brought against them.
One was settled last month when the government ended the controversial practice of clawing back benefit payments from disabled Canadian Forces members’ pensions;the change came about when the government decided not to appeal a Federal Court decision.
Still, a group of Afghanistan war veterans has filed a class-action lawsuit against the federal government saying the disability payment regime they operate under is a violation of their human rights.
Asked about the lawsuits, Blaney maintained the Conservatives “are working with veterans.
“More than that, we are going over and beyond,” he said, citing financial investments in programs intended to help soldiers transition into civilian life.
“We have a responsibility for our veterans because they put their lives at risk for their country. This is why, as a government and as a country, we have to do everything we can to treat them properly and make sure we are meeting the needs that they fully deserve.”
To Stoffer, however, the minister’s words are little more than rhetoric.
“It’s unfortunate that they seem to toe some sort of cabinet line in this regard,” he said. “It’s time we stop the rhetoric and start doing the work.”
Like all federal departments, Veterans Affairs is facing budget and personnel cuts. Over the next few years, the department will see its staff whittle to 2,100 employees from 4,100, Stoffer said.
Canada should be taking cues from the United States, Australia and Britain, however, where their veterans departments were exempt from cuts while governments there try to fight their deficits.
“We should be putting more resources into Veterans Affairs to ensure the heroes of our country get the benefits they richly deserve,” Stoffer said.
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