Betraying Our Veterans on Remembrance Day
Ottawa, ON — Blake Richards, Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs, released the following statement on the disrespect shown to veterans by the Carney government on Remembrance Day:
“Yesterday, Canadians solemnly paused to remember those who gave their lives for our nation. It was a chance to reflect on the contributions made by veterans – both in and out of uniform – who proudly served Canada on sea, land and air.
“Yet just a week before Remembrance Day, the Liberals announced in their budget that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) funding will be cut by $4.23 billion over the next four years. This is while the backlog of disability benefit applications rose to 11,000 in March, with less than half of the applications meeting the service standard.
“While veterans were lining up at the National War Memorial to remember their fallen comrades, Carney’s Veteran Affairs Minister told CTV that ‘it’s not actually a cut … and in fact, we’re actually investing in our veterans,’ and that ‘veterans are not losing access to benefits.’
“But once our nation’s heroes had departed from the ceremony, she revealed, after being pressed three times if veterans will be getting less money, that cuts ‘will depend on each individual circumstance.’
“We wish we could say this is a new problem. Sadly, after a decade of neglect and disrespect, we can hardly be surprised that the Liberals abandoned our veterans.
“Earlier this year, the government was caught trying to limit the number of Remembrance Day wreaths provided for cenotaphs across Canada. After Conservative pushback, they reversed the changes but only ‘for this year.’
“More recently, despite widespread outrage after Nova Scotia court staff were banned from wearing poppies, Carney’s Minister said she ‘respects’ the decision and refused to stand up for a core symbol of remembrance that has been with us for over a century.
“Under the Liberals, VAC has also been found pushing assisted suicide on Canadian veterans – a despicable breach of the social contract.
“Conservatives will not break faith with our veterans and service members. We will vote against this insulting budget, stand up for Canada’s heroes, and ensure they receive the care and benefits they earned after putting themselves on the line for this great nation.”