The Trudeau Liberals have made a lot of empty promises in their throne speeches but, yesterday, they didn’t even bother to mention Canada’s veterans or the help and support they need and deserve.
“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,” said NDP Critic for Veterans, Rachel Blaney, in a press release. “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 over-seas. Our veterans deserve much better from this government.”
Canadian veterans have been struggling to access support from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) who are chronically understaffed and underfunded. Vets often face considerable delays when trying to get their disability benefits, help with homelessness, or mental health services.
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 can’t provide.
“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 have the opportunity to do more, they are ignoring veterans’ needs,” said 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.”
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