Government leader, we have now learned that your government has quietly reduced the savings targets for a number of federal departments and agencies from the mandated 15% reduction in operating spending down to just 2%, yet Veterans Affairs Canada remains subject to some of the largest cuts in government.

During the very week when Canadians honour our veterans, it was revealed that, within the more than $4 billion your government is cutting from Veterans Affairs, RCMP veterans on disability benefits are facing reassessments that will leave many of them worse off.

Leader, why is your government pretending to balance its fiscally imprudent budget with the dollars of RCMP veterans who have already sacrificed in service to Canadians?

The government has invested in the RCMP more than at any time in the past. As a matter of fact, the RCMP will increase their force by 1,000 new agents because of the investment of the government. The government is investing in the security of all Canadians, whether it is the Armed Forces, the RCMP or the police. At the same time, it is spending less and investing more in our economy to provide Canadians with a strong economy and security in their environment. That’s the reason why we are investing in the RCMP.

That’s different from the money that is being cut from RCMP veterans on disability. Leader, your Minister of Veterans Affairs insists that these cuts will come entirely from reducing Canada’s reimbursement costs. However, last year’s spending on medical marijuana was $245 million, nowhere near the $4.4 billion that is expected savings over the next four years.

Senator Moreau, perhaps you can tell Canadians what your minister cannot: What precisely is your government really cutting —

Thank you, senator.

Again, what the government is doing constitutes a very responsible way of handling the economy of our country. What we have to do sometimes is to make very challenging decisions about the economy, but what the government is aiming at is to increase the growth of the economy and to secure all Canadians — retirees, active workers and families as well.