Madam Speaker, when we ask Canadian soldiers to put their lives on the line in combat or peacekeeping missions, Canada needs to ensure that when these men and women return home, they are properly supported, that we fulfill our obligations to them as they fulfilled theirs to Canada.
The government is offering only band-aid solutions to veterans and ignoring the clawback of benefits, inequities in the ranking system, and the closing of beds in veterans hospitals.
Shamefully, the government is closing half the veterans beds at London's Parkwood Hospital and downloading responsibility for modern-day veterans to the province.
Caregivers at veterans facilities across the country have the expertise and skill to provide the top-level and specific care that is required. The hospital provides the appropriate supports that give quality of life to veterans.
The recent announcement on the reforms to the veterans charter are only words. What veterans need is real action.
The only way the Department of Veterans Affairs can hope to regain any legitimacy is by allowing a full public inquiry into its treatment of veterans.