NDP’s Veterans Affairs critic calls on new Liberal counterpart to support Canadian veterans

OTTAWA — Last week, in a letter, NDP critic for Veterans Affairs Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River), urged the new Minister for Veterans Affairs to do better in supporting Canadian veterans,

Blaney says, after eight years in power, the Liberals have been repeatedly and shamefully letting down those who have fought and given their lives for Canada.

“Veterans and their families have sacrificed much of their lives for Canada and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and receive the supports they are due in a timely manner,” wrote Blaney. “Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Too many veterans tell me that they are being treated unfairly by your department, experiencing undue delays in receiving supports, being denied benefits because of discriminatory policies, and always being told to wait and then wait some more for outcomes that never seem to appear.”

In her letter to the minister, Blaney also points to the Liberals’ failure to remove the ridiculous amount of bureaucratic red tape that prevents Canadian veterans from accessing the benefits they need to make ends meet. Furthermore, she calls on the new minister to finally deliver on the Liberals’ promise to eliminate discriminatory policies that block veterans’ loved ones’ access to the benefits they need and deserve. The Liberals promised to compensate veterans’ spouses, but instead, they have been sitting on the $150 million Veterans Survivors Fund since 2019.

“Canada has kept the golddigger pension clause that discriminates against Veterans who marry after the age of sixty on the books since 1901,” added Blaney. “This archaic, sexist clause prevents the spouses of Veterans from receiving survivor pension benefits. First, your government promised to eliminate the clause but then did not do so. Not one penny of that money has been given to a survivor.”

New Democrats will always stand up for those who have sacrificed so much for Canada. We will always fight to ensure veterans and their loved ones receive the help and support they deserve.