Liberals to scrutinize support for vets’ relatives

OTTAWA • The Trudeau government sought to defuse weeks of outrage by ordering officials to take a second look at any case where funding or services for veterans’ family members are not related to the veterans’ service — particularly those family members convicted of serious crimes.

The move announced on Tuesday followed widespread anger over Veterans Affairs Canada’s decision to pay for the PTSD treatment of a Halifax man convicted of killing an off-duty police officer because the murderer’s father was a veteran and who had also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Yet the measure, announced by Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan at the start of a tense question period session dominated by the issue, appeared to do little to address the concerns of Conservatives, who are demanding an immediate end to Christopher Garnier’s benefits.

O’Regan had promised a review of the decision some three weeks ago, and now says similar decisions will be bumped up to senior officials.

“I have reviewed the department’s findings on this issue and I am directing them to ensure that services received by a family member of a veteran are related to the veteran’s service, and where they are not, that they be reviewed by a senior official,” O’Regan told the House of Commons.

“I am directing the department to immediately address its policy on providing treatment to family members under extenuating circumstances, such as conviction of such a serious crime.”

O’Regan cited privacy rules when pressed repeatedly by the Tories as to whether the government would retroactively claw back any payments to people like Garnier who received payments before the new policy came into effect.

“I cannot discuss this case without infringing upon the privacy of a veteran. I will not play games with veterans,” O’Regan said.

“I will not, even in this most trying and egregious of times, when the son of a veteran is a convicted cop killer, I will not turn my back on that veteran.”

Garnier was convicted in December of murdering 36-year-old Catherine Campbell, an off-duty Truro police officer, and dumping her body in a compost bin.

His lawyer argued that his client’s mental illness was brought on by the murder.