Canada must do more for our veterans
It’s estimated there are 2,250 former soldiers who are homeless, or about 2.7 per cent of the total homeless population that uses shelters on a regular basis, according to a March 2015 study by Employment and Social Development Canada and reported last week by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Once the […]
Fiduciary obligation of feds to veterans, families involves honour of Crown
OTTAWA—Much has been written over the past six months on the New Veterans Charter, in particular, the hope that substantive change will flow from the latest review and recommendations by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. This article aims to highlight some of the shortcomings of the Charter, and calls upon government […]
Government should be taking the lumps, not injured veterans
It’s the bane of the Harper government. It’s the focal point of a class action lawsuit. It’s the lightning rod for injustice, despondency, and loss for the modern military veteran. The lump sum paid out to injured soldiers for pain and suffering is also the arthritic backbone of a controversial program known as the […]
Over the horizon: a professional association for the Canadian military?
On Jan. 16, 2015, in a six-one ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada extended the freedom of association provision in the Charter of Rights to permit members of the RCMP to form a professional association. This association will engage into collective bargaining efforts, and address long-standing issues, mostly related to service conditions, grievances, and consultations […]
O’Toole denies cutting ties with veterans’ group, says he will ‘consult wider,’ but continues to avoid answering whether CVA cut off from Veterans Affairs Canada Stakeholder Committee
PARLIAMENT HILL—An aide to Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole said Tuesday Mr. O’Toole intends to consult “wider” than just with a Veterans Affairs department stakeholder committee in his new post, but Mr. O’Toole and his office continued to avoid a direct response to claims from the outspoken Canadian Veterans Advocacy group that he told the […]
PM Harper keeps Fantino in Cabinet because Tories can’t afford to lose seats in GTA, say critics
PARLIAMENT HILL—Julian Fantino lost his job as Veterans Affairs minister on Monday, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper shuffled the retired police officer into his fifth Cabinet post in four years because he owes him a large political debt from the 2011 election and can’t afford to lose his electoral weight in the Toronto region, critics […]
CF rank and file retirement benefits threatened with attention from Leslie furor: Blais
NIAGARA FALLS, ONT.—The artificially created furor over Andrew Leslie’s military retirement benefits has borne the expected results. Political pundits took to social media, radio, newspapers, and television for several days to discuss the seemingly outrageous sum that the former general claimed for housing and move-related expenses as a component of the Canadian Forces retirement benefit. […]
Eliminating myths about New Veterans Charter
Did you know that for those veterans with a service-related condition, the New Veterans Charter may provide thousands of dollars each month just in financial support directly into a veteran’s bank account? Did you know that an injured veteran can receive up to $75,800 for career retraining such as a college diploma or university degree? […]
Veterans ombudsman warns political parties not to play politics with vets
Canadians should treat the needs of veterans as a “debt” that needs to be repaid and political parties should not use veterans’ issues for political purposes, says Canada’s veterans ombudsman. “When we look at the obligation of the government or the citizens of Canada towards its veterans, it’s not a matter of a political […]
Our veterans need hope for the future
Not a day goes by without a media report on the plight of injured veterans and their families. It seems that no matter what the Government of Canada does or proposes to do to ease the situation, the litany of the perceived unmet needs of veterans continues unabated. On top of that, the recent […]
