Is the Canadian government failing its veterans?

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. And across the country, communities gather to pay tribute to veterans and military members.

But not all veterans are feeling cared for. Some are asking if the government cares about them or their wellbeing at all, or if Veterans' Affairs Canada is operating under the old "deny, delay, and die" adage.

This impression is brought about in large part due to the $560-million plan to sub-contract veteran rehabilitative and vocational services away from the Veterans' Affairs case workers and into the hands of the for-profit company: Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services. This company is composed of WGC International and Lifemark Health Group. The contract is set to come into effect this month.

Veterans Affairs Canada says the contract will help overworked case managers while ensuring veterans have timely access to the care they need. However, the Union of Veterans' Affairs Employees (UVAE) believes this contract is going to have the opposite effect. UVAE argues this will add more paperwork to the workload of case managers, disrupt the relationships case managers have built with veterans, and add an extra level of bureaucracy veterans will be left to deal with.

UVAE says the only group this contract will benefit will be the profit-making corporation.

A statement from UVAE and the Public Service Alliance of Canada reads:

"Veterans and their families deserve better. They have already paid for these services with their sacrifice. Let's not make them fight and pay again."

This week on the show, rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga speaks with Virginia Vaillancourt, the national president of UVAE. Vaillancourt argues Veterans Affairs Canada must stop using private sector companies to do public sector work.

Join our Off the Hill discussion this week!

When marijuana was legalized in 2018, it drastically reduced the number of cannabis-related drug convictions, while also creating a multibillion-dollar industry. But what does the cannabis industry look like today? Who wins? Who loses? Who calls the shots, and what's next?

Our dynamic panel will give us an inside look into what's really going on with Canada's drug reform policy on marijuana and much more.

Our panel includes "princess of pot" Jodie Giesz-Ramsay, rabble columnist and drug policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam and MP Don Davies. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.

Join us this November 17, 2022. Register for this free event here.

Photo: Ellie Pourreza on Unsplash.

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