The Council of Canadians supports the Public Service Alliance of Canada on-line campaign that calls on Members of Parliament to speak out against the Harper government’s planned closure of Veterans Affairs offices across the country.
We encourage all of our supporters to sign their petition which states:
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I am writing to ask you to support Canadian veterans by publicly opposing the closure of Veterans Affairs offices in Prince George, Kelowna, Saskatoon, Brandon, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Sydney, Charlottetown and Corner Brook.
More than 17,000 new and traditional veterans and their families rely on these offices for frontline services. Despite their sacrifices, they are now being told they will have to travel further or use the internet or phone to try to access services.
The workers in these offices are a lifeline for Canadian veterans. They ensure elderly veterans get support in their homes so they can continue to live independently. They help find community resources and psychiatric and medical care for traumatized veterans. And they help veterans with the paperwork that ensures they can access benefits and pensions they are entitled to.
The government says veterans will be able to access services through Service Canada, but leaving one Veterans Affairs worker in another government office cannot make up for the almost 90 front line workers being lost when Veterans Affairs offices close. And Service Canada workers are not trained in veterans’ programs and services and are facing cuts themselves. They often have no choice but to refer veterans to the computer or phone for help. That’s not the frontline service our veterans deserve.
Please support our veterans by publicly speaking out against these offices closures and urging the Prime Minister to reverse this decision.
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PSAC lists 26 “Conservative Members of Parliament who are veterans themselves or have ridings close to the Veterans Affairs offices the government wants to shut down. Veterans, PSAC members and citizens in their ridings and across the country will be asking them for meetings and urging them to go on the record asking the Prime Minister to stop these closures.” If you are a Council of Canadians supporter or chapter activist in one of these ridings, please also consider making a call to your MP on this matter.
Further reading
Council of Canadians calls for Veterans Affairs offices to remain open
