A number of empty promises have been made in the Liberal throne speech, but the government didn’t even bother to mention Canada’s veterans or the help and support they need and deserve, according to North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney.
“Veterans are so far down this government’s list of priorities they didn’t even mention them in the speech that was over an hour long,” stated Blaney, who is the NDP critic for veterans. “Our service men and women give so much for this country. They are there when we need them, whether it’s helping to keep our loved ones safe in long-term care homes during a pandemic or supporting our allies overseas. Our veterans deserve much better from this government.”
Blaney stated that Canadian veterans have been struggling to access support from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), which is chronically understaffed and underfunded, according to the MP. Veterans often face considerable delays when trying to get their disability benefits, help with homelessness, or mental health services, she added.
During the pandemic, many of the organizations that help veterans in the community had a hard time staying open and received little or no support from the government to continue their important work filling gaps in services VAC cannot provide, stated Blaney.
“When Erin O’Toole was the minister of veterans affairs under Stephen Harper, the Liberals joined New Democrats in opposing their deep cuts, but now that they [the Liberals] have the opportunity to do more, they are ignoring veterans’ needs,” stated Blaney. “Our veterans have been ignored and abandoned by the Harper Conservatives and now by the Liberals – it’s unacceptable. Our veterans stepped up to serve our country. We need the government to stand up for them.”
