Are Canada’s veterans being mistreated?

Ousted ombudsman Pat Stogran caused a political stir by saying our vets are being denied care. Was he right?

Last week outgoing Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran held an emotionally aggressive press conference in which he accused the government of shirking its duty towards Canada’s troops. Nobody likes the idea of veterans being mistreated and most commentators rushed to Stogran’s defence, but a week later it seems the press has cooled to the outspoken ombudsman, though they still think he has a point.

An editorial in the Halifax Chronicle Herald argues the government’s decision to remove Stogran as ombudsman might “be a win-win for veterans. Perhaps a new watchdog with better diplomatic skills can succeed in bending the bureaucracy instead of getting its back up.” In the meantime, Stogran’s put the spotlight on an important issue.

Even the Edmonton Journal’s Lorne Gunter, a proud advocate for the troops, concedes it’s possible the government thinks Stogran’s “acerbic manner has raised more barriers among bureaucrats than it has lowered.”

Some politicians have used Stogran’s dismissal as proof that the Conservatives silence anyone who criticizes government policies. The National Post’s Keith Beardsley says the opposition parties’ plan to recall the veterans affairs committee will further politicize the issue. “We don’t need MPs … standing up to pound their chests as they all yell that they love our vets more than the others do,” he argues, we need a real review of how veterans are treated.

To that end, the Globe and Mail today provides some much needed data on the issue in the form of a study by a Queen’s University professor. The study finds that the new Veteran’s Charter “does not adequately meet the needs of veterans who are severely disabled” and compensation is especially inadequate if a “veteran lives longer, has more children, has a higher disability assessment or is released at a lower rank.”

But according to David O’Brien at the Winnipeg Free Press, “injured Canadian soldiers probably don't have too much to complain about” if his data is correct. Veterans may receive less money under the new charter, he says, but are compensated with increased access to medical services.

A perusal of today’s coverage shows the issue to be as clear as mud.