The federal government isnB次元官网网址檛 doing enough to support traumatized war veterans as they struggle to get services, says Rachel Blaney, NDP MP for the North Island-Powell River riding.
Her comments follow a unanimous vote in Ottawa on Tuesday calling for the federal government to carry forward unspent money earmarked for Veterans Affairs to the next fiscal year, instead of allowing it to lapse.
That money should be spent on improved services for veterans, Blaney said.
B次元官网网址淲hat we hear from people is theyB次元官网网址檙e calling and calling, trying to get services, trying to get support, and they have a hard time actually getting someone on the phone,B次元官网网址� Blaney said.
Veterans also face a constantly changing set of caseworkers, she said. That means they have to relive trauma as they repeat sensitive information each time.
READ MORE:
B次元官网网址淵ou call in to try and talk to that same person, having told your story and shared that information, only to be told that person is gone and now you have a new caseworker,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 very important that we remember the trauma, the experiences that theyB次元官网网址檝e had, and that we donB次元官网网址檛 re-traumatize people by making them tell their story in some cases several times.B次元官网网址�
She said that veterans sometimes have to raise funds privately for healing services, which are particularly hard to access for people who live in remote and rural communities.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just shameful that resources arenB次元官网网址檛 there the way they need it,B次元官网网址� she said.
READ MORE:
Asked about the kinds of services she wanted to see for veterans, she pointed to special service dogs that are trained to notice emotional cues among people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Little financial support exists for this service, which costs thousands of dollars, she said.
B次元官网网址淲hat we do have is a bit of a tax break that allows them to claim it, but it doesnB次元官网网址檛 cover that immense cost,B次元官网网址� she said.
In one case, a veteran told Blaney that a service dog allows him to leave the house without experiencing flashbacks, she said.
B次元官网网址淭hese are really core functions of just living your life,B次元官网网址� Blaney said.
She added that a high rate of suicide among members of the Canadian Forces returning from Afghanistan underlines the importance of services for veterans.
In Ottawa, issues relating to veterans have come to the fore ahead of Remembrance Day.
During a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, New Democrats said the federal government had allowed $372 million in spending lapse over the course of three years.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the Liberal PartyB次元官网网址檚 record, saying his government invested more in Veterans Affairs that Stephen HarperB次元官网网址檚 Conservative Party government.
An NDP motion calling on the government to carry forward lapsed funding automatically B次元官网网址渇or the sole purpose of improving services for Canadian veterans,B次元官网网址� was supported by all 301 of the MPs sitting on Tuesday.
The vote follows news that the federal government shortchanged 270,000 disabled veterans, RCMP members and their survivors between 2003 and 2010.
Veterans Affairs reportedly miscalculated disability pension adjustments, an error thatB次元官网网址檚 expected to cost the government $165 million in payments to veterans.
Minister of Veterans Affairs Seamus OB次元官网网址橰egan said that everyone would be compensated, but payments arenB次元官网网址檛 expected to begin for another two years due to the high number of Canadians affected.
david.koch@campbellrivermirror.com
Like us on and follow us on
