I mean, after World War II, there were approximately one million veterans, right? We now have 500,000 serving members and veterans, so you would think that, proportionally, Veterans Affairs would be the same size—50% of the veteran population. There were 30,000 Veterans Affairs employees after World War II. That was diminished quickly as the re-establishment benefits started to take effect, but it went down to 20,000. We should have 10,000 Veterans Affairs employees taking care of our veterans, not 3,000 with—as Louise pointed out to me the other day—almost half of them based in Charlottetown, far away from not only veterans but politics, right? This is the wrong place to be.
In terms of education, yes, we have to educate. That table has to get out there, as well as those statistics about what it costs to send people to war. I mean, 90% of SDA veterans...and some, depending on the mission, suffer a lifelong war casualty. This is insane that this information is not getting out there. Instead, we like to focus on the one day per year and call everyone a hero.
I can tell you that “hero” is the most shaming thing I can hear because, when I get home and am struggling with my symptoms, then I'm not the hero. I'm not what people expect me to be. I just want to be a human being and a Canadian who reintegrates into the society and is appreciated. Just like it was for veterans after World War II, I just want to work and people to be there to help me. I've always wanted to work, but the incentives are perverse that prevent me from working.