The federal Conservatives are taking flak for $1.1 billion in unspent Veterans Affairs (VA) funding that is going back into general government coffers.
Federal Liberal VA critic Frank Valeriote says auditor general Michael Ferguson’s 2014 Fall Report also reveals the Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has “utterly failed” to provide the mental-health services and support needed by today’s veterans.
However, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says a government accounting process must provide sufficient funds for each department to cover every contingency in its statutory obligations.
“And every year, including in the Liberal’s time, we are not required to pay out 100 per cent of those statutory obligations.
“But ... we are spending significantly more in terms of Veterans Affairs. When the Liberals were in office, they annually spent $2.7 billion, and we spent $3.5 billion last year.”
Meanwhile, Royal Canadian Legion Branch #260-100 Mile House president Bob Wangensteen says the unspent VA money going back to government in the face of closing eight more VA Canada offices is “another case of incompetence.”
“They are feathering their nest while the people they are supposed to be helping are getting nothing.”
Wangensteen adds the Royal Canadian Legion “worked very hard” for a decade to help get mental illnesses, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), accepted by government as legitimate military-caused illnesses.
He agrees with the outcry across Canada calling for the unused VA money to be put into veteran assistance programs.
However, Wangensteen explains he also has concerns about how direct pensions are now administered, unlike the previous charter that pays him and other veterans a pension for life.
“The New Veterans Charter states the VA was to be managed like a business ... but you don’t give a 21-year-old $250,000 and say ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’.
“That’s ridiculous, for some kid who has lost a leg or an arm. How long do you think that is going to last?”
The VA Canada offices in Kelowna and Prince George have already been shut down. Now local veterans must travel to Penticton for those services.
“They need to put the offices back that they had [and] they need to put back the counsellors that they let go. It’s important to help these people.”
Meanwhile, Valeriote adds an “11th hour” announcement of new six-year funding by the Conservative government just before the release of the report was “later revealed to be spread out over 50 years.”
McLeod notes that while there have been “some accounting issues” with government’s recently-announced $200 million in additional funding, plus an ongoing $67 million, much of it will be spent over six years.
“Some of the veterans hopefully have many years ahead of them. We need [funds put aside] to ensure these veterans continue to get the money they need .... as long as they need support.
“The offices that were closed had very, very little in-person volume ... some had three people in a week.”
The local MP explains her government has opened Operational Stress Injury clinics, dealing with the physiological impacts.
McLeod adds basic veterans services formerly offered at the closed offices are now available at the 600 Service Canada locations across the country.