Veterans advocates slam federal inaction
LIFE-LONG PENSIONS
HALIFAX • Veterans advocates are blasting the federal government for its inaction on a promise to re-introduce life-long pensions for those injured in uniform.
Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr has all but ruled out a return to the old way injured veterans received pensions, setting up a potentially vicious fight with some of those injured as soldiers.
In August 2015, months before the federal election, Justin Trudeau received high praise from veteran groups after a speech he gave in Belleville, Ont., where he promised to “reinstate” lifelong pensions for Canada’s injured veterans.
“For 10 years, Stephen Harper has been nickel-and-diming our veterans, lacking the respect and the support that Canadians have earned through service to country and that’s something that we have to fix as a priority,” Trudeau said at the time. “This is about doing right by people who have offered everything in service of our country.
“Future generations of brave women and men should know that they will be looked after when they finish their service to Canada. There should never be any doubt in their minds.”
During a news conference Friday at the provincial legislature in Halifax, disabled veteran David MacLeod called on the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to honour that promise.
“I’m going to start with a very radical statement that’s going to upset many Canadians,” said MacLeod, who served in Afghanistan.
“Don’t join the Canadian Armed Forces. If you get wounded or injured, Veterans Affairs Canada is unwilling or unable to help you.”
MacLeod said this week’s federal budget did not address systemic problems veterans face in dealing with Veterans Affairs, including a lack of access to benefits and services.
He said that has left veterans turning to the provinces to obtain what services they can, including health care.
MacLeod called on Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil to help with the fight by pushing harder with other provinces to get more help from Ottawa.
He was joined in the call by Kim Davis and Natasha Mohr, both wives of veterans, and another former serviceman, Medric Cousineau.
In an interview Friday with The Canadian Press, Hehr touted the benefits and services available under the New Veterans Charter, which replaced the previous pensions-for-life system in 2006.
Those include a lump-sum payment, career training and targeted income-replacement programs, many of which the Liberals have topped up and expanded over the last two years.
Wednesday’s budget saw the government commit to paying up to $80,000 for long-serving veterans who want to go back to school, as well as additional help to find civilian jobs and new money for families.