Cuts to Veterans Affairs Department irresponsible

OTTAWA – Reports that Stephen Harper’s government may shrink or even eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs are distressing to Canadian Forces and RCMP veterans and their families, New Democrats said today.

“The Conservatives are very short-sighted to be musing about closing the Department of Veterans Affairs or slashing staff at this time,” said New Democrat Veterans Affairs Critic Peter Stoffer (Sackville-Eastern Shore).

There are hundreds of thousands of modern day CF and RCMP veterans who need help but are not eligible to receive assistance from the department. Instead of shutting VAC down, the government needs to improve its programs and services.

“There are identified gaps in programs and services that the federal government has a responsibility to close,” said Stoffer. “It’s shameful that our honoured veterans are forced to rely on food banks in Calgary and homeless shelters because they aren’t getting the support they need from Veterans Affairs.”

Stoffer points to the Department’s five-year strategic plan, which says that the CF and RCMP client population is rapidly increasing. Much of this increase in workload is related to an increase in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) disabilities.

“I am very curious what this report says about the future of Veterans Affairs. I urge the Minister to make it public so that everyone, especially veterans and their families, can have input into the discussion,” said Stoffer.

New Democrats have a number of recommendations to improve services and programs for modern day veterans and their families, including giving them the same access to veterans’ hospital care as available to WWII and Korean veterans.

“The sky should be the limit for what our government provides to those who sacrifice so much in the service to our country.”