As Canada’s first Veterans Ombudsman, Colonel (retired) Pat Stogran was shocked by the active opposition within government and the veterans affairs department to his efforts to help military veterans between 2007 and 2010. Now as a private citizen he hopes a public inquiry will make Canadians upset enough to force politicians to re-assume Canada’s commitment to taking care of its veterans.
The ombusman position was created by the current government of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2007 a year after its election. But since then, policies started by the previous LIberal government, and the continued cutting back on support for veterans has created calls for reform.
Last month, Canada’s Auditor General Michael Ferguson criticized the lengthy waits for mental health services that veterans faced. And for the last week the opposition parties have called for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda talked to Colonel (retired) Pat Stogran about some of the challenges facing Canadian veterans, about the continued resistance of the Canadian government to provide sufficient services, and the fact that the government is going to court to fight veterans.
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