The document discusses support for veterans in Canada. It states that veterans affairs offices were closed to be more efficient but services were expanded to other locations like Service Canada offices. It argues the government has greatly increased funding for veterans programs and services under the Conservatives to $4.7 billion, and offers many services to support veterans' wellbeing and employment. It questions the intentions of a public sector union in criticizing office closures, suggesting the union wants to push its own agenda rather than help veterans.

1. Holder’s Happenings
www.edholdermp.ca
In this issue I want to speak strongly in support of London’s and Canada’s Veterans.
For those who know me, you are aware I come from a family of veterans – my Dad with
the New Brunswick Rangers, and my uncle with the 48th Highlanders of Cape Breton
both served in World War II and were proud Veterans. My other uncle with the New
Brunswick Rangers, is buried in Belgium, dying in battle in 1944. It is because of their
service that I wanted to make a contribution, so I joined the Legion - Byron Springbank
Legion Branch 533. Before joining the Legion, I recall once going there to ask for some
poppies so I could put them on a cross that my family had made to honour my Dad when
he died. The Legion was fantastic to us. You may know that Legions have always been
there to assist and support Veterans in various ways. In many communities, the Legion
has been the initial and often the primary point of contact between a Veteran and a
service provider, including Veterans Affairs.
It is out of respect for Veterans that it is time to offer a serious pushback to those who
claim that Veterans have been disadvantaged by this Government. In fact, and I will use
facts, the opposite is true. As an underlying comment, let me say that no country can ever
do enough to say thank you to those who put their lives on the line in defence of our
freedoms, and no one can ever offer enough gratitude to those families whose son,
daughter or parent made the ultimate sacrifice…we will remember them. Yet lately, there
has been much in the media describing how poorly Veterans are treated. That is just not
true. Look, can there be circumstances where someone doesn’t receive an appropriate
entitlement or thoughtful treatment? I’m sure that can happen. Yet from all of my
experience with Veterans, which has grown considerably in this role, the Government
offers Canada’s Veterans with the greatest financial support and services in the history
of Canada’s military. In terms of new monies, since the Conservatives were elected, the
amount of NEW MONIES allocated towards Veterans care and benefits is at $4.7 billion.
Let me explain how I think this all started.
First, Veterans Affairs announced it was closing 8 of its offices across Canada. A huge cry
from Opposition members and members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada went
out that by closing these offices, the Government was showing contempt for our Veterans.
What a ridiculous thing to contemplate – even a stupid politician would never show that
kind of disrespect for our Veterans. So why did Veterans Affairs make the call to close
some offices? Was it meant to show complete disregard for our Veterans? How dumb
would that be? Was it done to save money? I think that’s fair, insofar as the offices that
were closed, case loads had fallen to a very small number of Veterans being served.
Some offices had fallen to a few visits a day, and in many cases that was simply to drop
off paperwork. Of those 8 offices, 5 of the Veterans Affairs offices have a Service Canada
office in the same building – Charlottetown, Cornerbrook, Saskatoon, Brandon and
Kelowna. So what happened? Staff relocated to the Service Canada Office. In Sydney
(Cape Breton) and Windsor the distance to the Service Canada office is less than 1 km.
In Thunder Bay the distance to the Service Canada office is 4 km. Here’s the financial
argument - the simple answer was to close less-efficient Veterans Affairs offices and

2. move staff support to the Service Canada Office. Further, the commitment was made to
serve more Veterans out of the other 650 Service Canada offices. In those instances
when a Veteran is unable to go to one of these locations, the Government has made the
commitment that a representative will go directly to a Veteran's home to provide needed
assistance. So it just makes sense to expand service to all geographic regions across
Canada, and offer service through Service Canada offices. It was never intended to cut
services to Veterans. People who say otherwise, and here I draw a line, are totally and
simply playing politics.
Let me add that my staff and I have always helped Veterans who have issues dealing with
Veterans Affairs Canada. I know that every Member of Parliament in Canada does the
same - that represents more than 308 offices across Canada who assist Veterans as
some MPs have more than one constituency office. I even received acknowledgment in
the last 2 weeks from two Veterans for providing help in them getting into Parkwood
Hospital – that’s our job. In addition to MP offices and existing Veterans Affairs Canada
offices, there are also 1,461 Legions across Canada who do a phenomenal job where
Veterans help Veterans. Furthermore, I have been proud to vote for budget after budget
that improves services for Veterans. Over 90 per cent of this funding goes directly
towards programs and services for veterans and their families. At a time when the
government was asking for a 10 per cent budget reduction from all departments, Veterans
Affairs took the lowest reduction at 1.9 per cent and those cuts were aimed at
inefficiencies not at programs and services. Veterans Affairs has done many things to
improve services and the quality of life for veterans, such as directly providing cash to
Veterans for such things as snow removal, lawn mowing and household chores through
the Veterans Independence Program. The Permanent Impairment Assistance Program
provides Canadian Armed Forces' most injured members with lifelong compensation for
economic losses due to severe impairment and financial assistance and is available while
Veterans are receiving rehabilitative care through Veterans Affairs. This allows injured
Veterans to concentrate on what matters most, their families and their wellness. As well,
all Veterans now have access to career transition services which assist eligible Veterans
seeking to obtain civilian employment by paying for, or reimbursing them for career
training.
So what is really going on? PSAC, or the Public Service Alliance of Canada, is a major
union representing thousands of public servants across Canada. It is this group who
acknowledged they flew veterans to Ottawa for the purposes of confronting the Minister of
Veterans Affairs. Part of the backdrop of this is that Treasury Board is bringing changes
that would align public sector compensation with that of the private sector. These
changes will save Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars and are understandingly
unpopular with this union. The question is, I wonder whose interest PSAC is really
concerned about. Are they looking after the interests of our Veterans or exploiting an
opportunity to push their own agenda? I understand the union has its role and so does the
federal government, which we see as respecting our Veterans and respecting
taxpayers’ dollars. The key is to always find the proper balance, which is sometimes
more an art than a science. If you are interested in seeing the specific areas of financial
support for Veterans’ services, please let me know and I would be happy to share that
information with you.