Veterans used as 'political pawns' says Hayes

As parliament reconvenes Monday, Sault MP Bryan Hayes has responded to criticism of the Conservative government’s direction of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

That criticism has come from some veterans and their families, advocacy groups and opposition MPs, and includes anger over the closure of nine Veterans Affairs offices, calls for more funding and services, and a negative reaction to former Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino’s dealings with veterans and their families.

“As far as I’m concerned our veterans are being used as political pawns to the benefit of the opposition parties, and the national media jump on the bandwagon without doing their homework,” Hayes said, speaking to SooToday.

“I want to speak the truth as I see it from my role on the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (an all-party committee) and from my passion for veterans because my direct family has over 100 years of experience in the military.”

One source of criticism of the Harper government in regards to veterans is the closure of nine Veterans Affairs service centres across the country.

Veterans may now call a toll free number for help or visit the nearest Service Canada centre.

The critics say that isn’t good enough, but Hayes dismissed that criticism.

While not denying efficiencies were found through closing those Veterans Affairs offices, Hayes said “we’ve actually increased services for veterans because we have 600 Service Canada offices across Canada where we have trained individuals in each of those offices to assist veterans.”

“In extreme cases, a caseworker (from the nearest Veterans Affairs office) will come to the veteran.”

“The veterans in our riding have managed to be served very well without a veterans office, they’ve been served through Service Canada and served through (the nearest Veterans Affairs office in) North Bay, and (caseworkers from) North Bay will come up here and provide service, and the third area they’ve been provided service through is the Legion.”

Hayes said he has never had local veterans complain at his office, but rather, has received support from local veterans.

There has also been criticism of Veterans Affairs sending $1.13 billion of unspent funds back to the federal treasury (which is procedure for all departments unable to spend all of their allotted money), at a time when the Veterans Ombudsman has stated many veterans are living in near poverty.

Hayes said critics do not realize that annual spending at Veterans Affairs has risen, since the Conservatives first took power in 2006, from $2.85 billion annually to $3.5 billion annually.

“If you go online to Veterans Affairs, all the services available to our veterans are listed there.”

“There’s money for them, it’s in the budget,” Hayes said.

“If we need to exceed budget, we ask for more money, that’s the nuts and bolts of it.”

Hayes said services are in place for those retiring from the military (the average age of retirement for a veteran now being 37), which include retraining opportunities and better chances of securing other employment in the public sector.

Hayes said he is looking forward to working with the government in ensuring several recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs are put in place, including one which calls for the most seriously disabled veterans to receive financial benefits for life, with a portion of that to go to their spouses after their deaths.

“We put the recommendations forward and we’re serious,” Hayes said.

“I will be lobbying to make sure the government implements these because they’re important to veterans.”

“There‘s going to be a cost element involved… but these are our recommendations, regardless of cost,” Hayes said.

Hayes said he looks forward to meeting often with Erin O’Toole, the new Veterans Affairs Minister, who is himself a veteran.

 O’Toole replaced Julian Fantino, who bore the brunt of the criticism recently hurled at the Veterans Affairs department.

Hayes said an incident in which Fantino refused to speak with a clearly upset spouse of a veteran, in plain view of many television news cameras, may have been staged by advocacy groups.

Any veteran or relative of a veteran with complaints may call on his or her local MP or contact the Veterans Ombudsman, Hayes said.

“Our veterans are served, arguably, better than any veteran population in the world, and I’m comfortable saying that.  The services provided to our veterans are second to none,” Hayes said.

“Are we doing everything we can?  No, of course there’s more to do, that’s why we undertake reviews.”