QUESTION PERIOD — Veterans Affairs
Access to Services
February 6, 2024
Senator Gold, last week Judge Paul Scovil released his final report on the Desmond Fatality Inquiry into the tragic deaths of Afghanistan War veteran Lionel Desmond; his wife, Shanna; their 10-year-old daughter, Aaliyah; and his mother, Brenda, in Upper Big Tracadie, Nova Scotia.
The report included 25 recommendations, including those calling on the Nova Scotia government to advocate with the federal government to provide case workers to veterans transitioning out of the Armed Forces, to ensure that health records from federal agencies for individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and other health issues are accessible in provincial health medical records and to implement a number of firearms-related policies, given the tragic murders and suicide.
Senator Gold, when can we expect the Government of Canada’s response on this important report?
Thank you for your question. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the Desmond family and all of those who were impacted by this tragedy.
I’ve been informed that the Department of Veterans Affairs has been closely following the inquiry and the recommendations since the beginning — and continues to do so — and they have begun to make important changes. For example, now if a veteran reaches out to the Department of Veterans Affairs to seek mental health services, it’s immediately approved. That’s one small step in the right direction.
Additionally, Veterans Affairs has increased the number of case managers to ensure the coordination of services, and to ensure that more veterans have access to case management services as needed.
Thank you, Senator Gold. I look forward to hearing more as time passes.
This inquiry also raised concerns about the accessibility of government services to the African-Nova Scotian community. What will the federal government do to ensure that federal services, such as those offered by Veterans Affairs, accommodate the needs of Canadians of African descent?
The government recognizes much more needs to be done in this area — and many areas — to address systemic racism and discrimination. That’s why the government has established the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat which leads a whole-of-government approach to working with federal organizations, other orders of government and civil society to identify the systemic racial barriers and gaps in order to develop new initiatives, and to consider the impacts of those gaps on those communities.
