QUESTION PERIOD — Veterans Affairs
Support for Veterans
April 11, 2019
Honourable senators, my question is a follow up to yesterday’s question to the Leader of the Government. This question also relates to an earlier question from our leader regarding the $12 million of taxpayer money that was awarded to Loblaws. I know that this government believes it is entirely acceptable to give hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars to a supermarket chain valued at over $24 billion, yet veterans have been told by the Prime Minister that they’re asking far too much from their government.
I think all honourable senators will remember what the Prime Minister said to an Afghanistan veteran at a town hall in Edmonton:
Why are we still fighting certain veterans groups in court? Because they’re asking for more than we are able to give right now.
Senator, please explain how your government justifies giving Loblaws $12 million — and you explained the program — while they are fighting veterans in court?
I thank the honourable senator for her question. It gives me the opportunity to review the government’s initiatives with respect to veterans.
Since 2016, investment has totalled $10 billion for veteran programs and services. The government has put in place both new programs and made substantial improvements to the benefits and services offered. The government has raised financial supports for veterans and caregivers, supported a continuum of mental health services, introduced new education and training benefits, and expanded a range of services available to families of veterans, particularly those who were medically released.
I should also add that the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund provides funding in the form of grants and contributions to organizations that are striving to improve the well-being of veterans. The first call for applications in 2018-19 resulted in 155 applications being received, 21 selected for funding, for a total of $3 million.
In Budget 2019, the government proposes to invest a further $256 million in veterans and their families, including $41 million over five years starting in 2019-20, and $5.4 million ongoing to making transition processes simpler and seamless for veterans, and the government is expanding access to the education and training benefit to include members of the Supplementary Reserves.
The budget also includes $20.1 million over five years, starting in 2019-20, with $5 million per year ongoing to create the Centre for Excellence on Chronic Pain Research, plus an additional $25 million over 10 years to fund ongoing operations at the Canada Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research.
The budget includes another $150 million over five years, starting in 2019/2020, to establish a new veteran survivors fund to better support veterans and their spouses who married over the age of 60.
The budget includes $2.9 million over three years to the Highway of Heroes fund, $2.5 million over five years to help the Juno Beach Centre continue to deliver its mandate and $30 million to commemorate Metis veterans.
I should also point out that this government opened nine Veterans Affairs offices that were closed under budgets supported by the honourable senator, and hired over 630 staff to replace the ones eliminated in the budgets the honourable senator supported.
