With sixteen Royal Canadian Legions in our riding of Yellowhead, we have many veterans in our communities who deserve our thanks and respect every time we see them. Our veterans are ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things in order to protect our values of liberty, democracy and rule of law. As the Member of Parliament for Yellowhead, I am proud of our government’s support for veterans as it is the primary goal of our government to provide our veterans with the best possible care.
Since coming to office, your government has increased our investments in veterans benefits by nearly $5 billion. This new funding includes expanding the eligibility for the Permanent Impairment Allowance so that 3,000 more veterans are eligible, as well as creating the $1,000 per month Permanent Impairment Allowance Supplement. We have also set a minimum monthly income for veterans in rehabilitation and we have doubled the maximum amount a veteran’s family is eligible for under the Funeral and Burial Program from $3,600 to $7,363, which is in addition to an average of more than $1,200 for the cost of a burial.
Your government is standing up for veterans, contrary to what the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) would have you believe. Make no mistake, while we have been responding to the evolving needs of our veterans community, PSAC has opposed us every step of the way, especially in their opposition to Bill C-11, the Priority Hiring for Injured Veterans Act, which will give veterans injured in service to Canada priority access to federal government job opportunities.
PSAC has been successful in creating a lot of noise about eight Veterans Affairs office closures, but their propaganda does a disservice to our veterans, and Canadians in general, because they fail to give you the whole picture. What Canadians understand that PSAC does not, is that our services and benefits for veterans must evolve with their needs and our times.
The facts are this: eight Veterans Affairs office closures have occurred, but, in those communities, Service Canada locations have acquired a Veterans Affairs caseworker to solely handle veterans needs. In addition, across the country, your government has placed Veterans Affairs services in more than 650 other Service Canada offices, thus increasing their availability. That is big news for us here in Yellowhead, as we never did have a Veterans Affairs office, but now our veterans will be able to get the administrative help they need at our own Service Canada locations. Also, veterans who require case workers and a registered nurse will continue to receive these services in the comfort of their own home.
The partnership between Veteran’s Affairs and Service Canada builds on the government’s efforts to adapt to the changing face of Canada’s veterans. Our veterans deserve the best support that we can give them and I believe that your government is striving to do just that. Also, remember that my offices in Edson and Whitecourt are here to serve you. If you are a veteran looking for information, my staff would be happy to help you in any way we can.
