Liberals make veterans wait another 2 years for support they deserve

OTTAWA – Two years after the Trudeau Liberals made a commitment to a pension for life, the Liberal government today announced that injured veterans would have to wait almost two more years to receive any “new” benefits. The Liberals plan replaces and repackages existing awards and it is unclear at this point if there is any new money for disabled veterans.

“This is extremely disappointing. Not only have the Liberals let veterans down, but they chose to bury this announcement during the holidays, clearly to avoid scrutiny,” said NDP Veterans Affairs Critic Irene Mathyssen. “This is the time of year when people are celebrating with their families, and instead of honouring their promise to veterans, the Liberals are gifting veterans with another blow, and more disappointment.”

The NDP believes that the changes fall far from what the Liberals promised veterans and will still leave many of them short. This coupled to the long wait-times for veterans applying for benefits, means that veterans are not only being short changed, but facing unacceptable delays in receiving their benefits.

“Over four months to wait for a pension is unacceptable and with this announcement, we are adding to a broken system, leaving veterans and their families in a vulnerable situation,” added Mathyssen. “These men and women served in the Canadian Forces, sacrificed everything for Canada, and they deserve the greatest respect. But yet again this Liberal government, like the previous Conservative government, is falling short of our sacred obligation to veterans.”