QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Veterans Affairs
Reduction of Services
October 23, 2025
Minister, I was very surprised to hear the questions from Conservative senators regarding their concerns about veterans and their benefits when we all remember that it was the previous Harper government that laid off a quarter of the employees at Veterans Affairs Canada — 900 people. They closed nine service centres and impacted disability payments for veterans.
Many of us fought those, including Senator Cuzner, who led the charge on having this restored by the Liberal government. You are now back to 3,700 employees, and 1,600 of those are at the national headquarters in Charlottetown. Given the history of cutbacks in the department, how would the expenditure review impact your department going forward?
I would like to start by acknowledging the incredible department staff, and you have made reference to the individuals who show up with empathy and dedication for our veterans every day. We must ensure that we are starting by acknowledging them.
Canadians expect us to be responsible with our public funds, and veterans want us to ensure that we have benefit delivery that is accessible, timely and responsive.
We have, as I mentioned, seen an increasing number of veterans coming forward with applications, and 94% of our funding goes to delivering supports and care for veterans and their families. My commitment remains the same: I will keep working to ensure that veterans receive the benefits and supports they are eligible for.
