As the M.P. for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, home of Garrison Petawawa, I have always fought back against the Liberal Government’s hostility towards our brave women and men in uniform and our Veterans.
Veterans and their families deserve better. Since the Liberal Party stole power in the 2015 election, there have been four and a half Veterans Affairs ministers, including the time the portfolio was reduced to a part-time position.
Even the Toronto Star calls the portfolio “a revolving door”, though it seems more like a trap door for government MPs, who have fallen in disfavour with the ruling clique, like the former justice minister.
The Liberal Party has traditionally used the veterans’ portfolio as a dumping ground. Canadians remember all too well when the hapless John McCallum, who sent soldiers to Afghanistan lacking the proper equipment, was dumped out of the defence portfolio and into Veterans Affairs.
His mistreatment of veterans landed him with a final reward as ambassador to China. Canadians across the country are paying the price for his failures there.
We know how the current Liberal Party leader feels about veterans, after he told a veteran in Edmonton that veterans are asking for too much. That comment is rich coming from the Liberal Party, which gave $10.5 million to convicted terrorist, Omar Khadr.
All veterans are asking for is what was promised to them.
I know that some Liberal Party MPs, particularly those with prior military service, are in denial when it comes to their government’s mistreatment of veterans.
I asked a question in question period, which the leader of the Liberal Party was too ashamed to answer. How many taxpayer dollars were wasted wrongly prosecuting an innocent man, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Considering the fact that Vice-Admiral Norman was forced to rack up over half a million dollars in legal fees to defend himself, I have no doubt that millions were wasted on the Liberal Party’s witch hunt of an honourable gentleman.
The money wasted should have been used to meet the government’s obligation to a veteran, retired Warrant Officer Roger Perreault, for the critical injury benefit he deserves for injuries sustained serving his country in Afghanistan.
Veterans and their families deserve better.