QUESTION PERIOD — Veterans Affairs
Support for Veterans
April 10, 2019
Honourable senators, my question for the government leader is also in light of the Prime Minister’s comments yesterday about not lying to Canadians. The 2015 Liberal election platform states:
Veterans and their families have earned our respect and gratitude. It’s time our government lived up to its sacred obligation to them. Our plan . . . will ensure that no veteran has to fight the government for the support and compensation they have earned.
Despite this clear promise, leader, we learned in 2018 that the federal government spent at least $37 million over a two-year period in legal proceedings involving our veterans. This is $37 million in taxpayer money that the Liberal Party promised to support our veterans and all Canadians — not to fight veterans in court. What possible justification can the Prime Minister have for breaking this promise to veterans?
I thank the honourable senator for her question. She will know because there have been a number of occasions on which ministers responsible for Veterans Affairs and indeed questions to me have been addressed with regard to this government’s record in support of veterans. Let me begin by restating, as I always do, the priority this government attaches to veterans and appropriate support to our veterans. That is why not only have disability waiting times been reduced; the government, as one of its early initiatives, restored the network of offices that had been closed to ensure that services for veterans could be delivered.
In addition, the honourable senator will know that with respect to the waiting times, close to $50 million has been allocated over the budgets of 2018-19 to support reducing the waiting times.
In addition to that, there have been a number of initiatives, including pension benefits, that have been restored and strengthened.
Senator Harder, there’s so much we could talk about in terms of how the Trudeau government has failed to support our veterans, in fact. With changes in the ministry — I think four ministers to date — there have been many things missed as a result.
I’ll get back to the question I asked. Would you please make inquiries and let us know how much more money, in addition to the $37 million, the Liberal government has spent on legal proceedings fighting our veterans in court since the spring of 2018?
I’m always happy to bring to the attention of the minister questions from the honourable senator.
Thank you.
