Mr. Chair, the federal government must enhance its services to injured veterans and provide proactive assessments and services to veterans who injure themselves during their service to our country. Due to geographic distance and unreliable Internet availability, many rural veterans face severe difficulty accessing the support and resources they deserve for their well-being.
A constant theme from the testimony at the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs is the need for Veterans Affairs Canada to be proactive and on the ground to assess and support our veterans. Too many injured veterans suffer from vulnerable situations and deplorable living conditions due to their physical or mental injuries as a result of their service.
Additionally, for injured veterans in rural communities, access to online or office-based service is not reliable. This amendment would mandate Veterans Affairs Canada to determine a policy that provides injured veterans with a departmental representative at the veteran's place of living.
By providing injured veterans with in-person support at their home at the request of the veteran, the department could better assess the well-being of injured veterans and their quality of life and determine the best assistance possible to serve them.
This amendment also would ensure that service is in place for injured veterans in rural communities who cannot reach a Veterans Affairs office, stakeholder organization, or online support, allowing injured veterans to receive support regardless of their geographic location.
I would add that this in no way impacts the requirement of more funds. This is something that the caseworkers could and should be doing.