Many Canadians, myself included, had hoped that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s sunny ways would restore dignity to and respect for veterans who felt short-changed by nine years of Conservative mismanagement. Unfortunately, this government continues to dismiss the concerns and needs of our retired service members.
As of March 11, Canada has seen a total of four Veterans Affairs ministers in 2019 alone. Seamus O’Regan was replaced by Jody Wilson-Raybould, who then resigned and was replaced with Harjit Sajjan. Sajjan was then replaced with Lawrence MacAulay, the former agriculture minister.
It’s common for Canadians to not know who runs which federal department, but even the most avid political junkies would have trouble following the leadership of this cabinet portfolio.
When Jody Wilson-Raybould was shuffled out of her role as minister of justice and attorney general by the prime minister, Canadian news outlets almost unanimously described this as a severe demotion and a slap in the face.
While any move from a position as prestigious as the minister of justice could be considered a demotion, the Veterans Affairs portfolio is unfortunately often regarded as a uniquely unimportant burden for successive Canadian governments.
The revolving door at Veterans Affairs implies that veterans’ concerns “aren’t necessarily going to be heard or met,” said retired Major Mark Campbell in an interview with CBC Radio.
It is incredibly difficult to imagine the efficacy of a long-term veteran’s strategy when a new minister has to be integrated into the workings of the department seemingly every few weeks. In fact, the department has seen 18 different ministers in total since former prime minister Jean Chrétien’s government, compared to only six in the finance portfolio.
Instead of returning the pension plan to the pre-2006 system preferred by many veterans, the Liberals opted for a much cheaper plan. The parliamentary budget officer recently found some of our most severely injured veterans will actually receive less under the new system than they currently do.
Many Canadians, myself included, had hoped that Trudeau would restore dignity to our veterans who felt short-changed by nine years of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
In Canada, where military service is optional, veterans are our bravest citizens for choosing to go and fight for our country. I think everyone should recognize that if we intend to send service members into action, we have a fundamental duty to ensure that they are able to thrive upon their return to Canada and receive the support they need.
At an Edmonton town hall last year, in a now infamous response to a veteran who asked why the government continues to fight injured veterans in court, Trudeau said veterans “are asking for more than we are able to give right now.”
Given that the Liberal government was able to scrounge up enough pocket money to purchase a $4.5 billion pipeline just a few months later, it’s not surprising that veterans continue to feel stung and neglected by our leaders.
As the start of a remedy, the government should protect the unique status of the Veterans Affairs ministry and move to assist the severely injured veterans who will be put at risk by the new pension system coming into force in April.
Most of all, we need to stop the politicization of veterans’ issues. The government needs to commit to a strong Veterans Affairs leader and end the revolving door of ministers. We must fight for those who have gone above and beyond for us and once again give our veterans the respect and care they deserve.
