QUESTION PERIOD — National Defence
Support for Veterans and Armed Forces Members
April 18, 2024
The Royal Canadian Legion is among the many groups across Canada that are disappointed by the budget brought forward by the Trudeau government on Tuesday. The Legion said it was:
. . . alarmed by the lack of ready-to-go plans and actions to immediately tackle ongoing issues affecting still serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members.
As an example, it said that the commitment to repurpose Crown lands for military housing doesn’t have “. . . a specific timeline to make a difference immediately. . . .” As well, the promise to build 1,400 military housing units over 20 years is “. . . an excessively long time frame. . . .” that will “. . . do little to address the CAF retention issues. . . .”
Leader, what is your response to the Legion?
First, I express my personal and the government’s respect for those who serve or have served and for the Legion. I managed to make it through law school by playing in some nondescript bands in a series of Legion halls in your hometown.
To answer your question, this government is doing more now — and this budget reflects that — to reinvest in our military than previous governments have, at least in recent memory. To be sure, more still needs to be done, and those who serve or have served honourably in our defence and in the service of Canada deserve to be housed, fed and treated with the utmost dignity and respect. The government’s investments in this budget will take us further in that direction, but more work certainly needs to be done.
The Legion also indicated that with the recent reports of homeless or precariously housed Canadian Armed Forces members, our country needs a strategy yesterday. When brave men and women step forward to serve their country, their government should ensure they are not homeless.
Leader, I don’t think that’s too much to ask, but is that too much to ask from the Trudeau government?
No, of course, it’s not too much to ask. Every citizen and group is entitled, in a democratic society, to ask; however, if this government is to continue to be a prudent manager of our public finances and economy, difficult decisions have to be made and not every request from every group can necessarily be accepted to the fullest extent of their demands.
