NDP: Veterans deserve better care from the Liberal government

NDP Veterans Affairs Critic Rachel Blaney made the following statement:

The transition to civilian life can be extremely challenging after serving our country, and Canadian veterans are struggling to access needed rehabilitation services. For many veterans, rehabilitation services are critical for their mental and physical health. Staffing shortages and backlogs have meant veterans have had to wait months, even years, for this help.

The Liberals have a responsibility to protect and fight for those who have served our country. But after seven years of not fixing these problems and outsourcing rehab services to companies that only care about making money – it’s clear that the Liberals don’t want to step up to help veterans or support workers.

The Minister of Veteran Affairs isn’t even trying to work with the veteran’s affairs staff union on rehabilitation services – he’s just letting the relationship sour. The Minister can’t say he’s working for our veterans when he won’t even listen to them. With calls for the Minister to be removed from his position from the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees, the situation has become untenable.

The people who have proudly served this country need to be properly supported, and the most important first step is a successful transition from military to civilian life. New Democrats know that the first step is listening to veterans and investing in good quality, accessible rehabilitation services that prioritize people, not profits. That’s why I fought for a committee investigation into the outsourcing and new rehab contract – we need to ensure outsourcing won’t worsen an already struggling program.

New Democrats will keep fighting for workers and to deliver good quality rehabilitation services for veterans. We will always prioritize people and their well-being over the profits of rich companies.”