The founder and president of Canadian Veterans Advocacy (CVA), a not for profit organization working to improve the quality of life for Canadian war veterans, says his organization is being shunted out of its advisory role to Canada’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
Michael Blais says his advocacy group got a voicemail message from the new Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole giving him the news.
O’Toole was sworn in as the new Minister of Veterans Affairs on January 5th replacing the former minister, Julian Fantino, under whose leadership budgets were cut, and veterans service centres closed.
A day after the swearing-in, O’Toole wrote on Twitter “spent my 1st day as MVA calling & listening to leading veterans organizations…” Following a tweet from Blais, OToole left his voicemail message.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda spoke to Michael Blais about the challenges facing Canadian military veterans as their benefits and services are cut back by the Canadian government, and about his reaction to the new Minsiter of Veterans Affairs . Blais is a former soldier, and feels the ttreatment of Canada’s veterans speaks to the “basic identity of who we are as a nation”.
ListenMore information:
Hill Times – New Veterans Affairs minister cuts off veterans’ advocates from advisory role: Blais – here
RCI – New veterans affairs minister announced, as embattled Julian Fantino shuffled out – here
Canadian Veterans Advocacy website – canadianveteransadvocacy.ca
Veterans Affairs Canada website – www.veterans.gc.ca
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