Canada's NDP

NDP

November 24th, 2022

NDP MP Rachel Blaney calls for disastrous veterans' services privatization to stop

OTTAWA – On Thursday, NDP Veterans Affairs Critic Rachel Blaney (North Island – Powell River) called on Minister of Veterans Affairs Lawrence MacAulay to stop his scheme to privatize veterans' rehabilitation services to a for-profit company.

Veterans and their families are waiting months for services, and MacAulay is making them wait even longer by suspending Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) service delivery while the privatization transition is underway. Veterans are currently unable to access mental and psycho-social supports.

Blaney asked the following question in Thursday's question period:

“The Liberals have been failing veterans for years.

The minister has refused to hire permanent staff to support veterans, has suspended services for over a month, and is now delegating tasks to a private company, owned by Loblaws, for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, VAC is delaying the contract rollout because workers haven’t been properly trained.

This is a crisis, and veterans deserve so much better.

Why is the minister putting profits ahead of care for our veterans and their families, and will he stop this botched contract?”

Click here to watch Blaney ask the question in the House of Commons: https://youtu.be/7i37UWalCMg

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