To speak for modern veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces in order that they receive the support they deserve from their country Minister of Finance The Honourable Joe Oliver House of Coons !arliaent "uildings Otta#a$ Ontario %&A 'A( ) Oct *'&+
,ear Minister
NATO Veterans Organization of Canada -NVOC. is a grou/ that consists solel0 of veterans and #e #or1 #ithin the s0ste2 NVOC are all sailors soldiers$ airan and air#oan and #e 1no# ho# to #or1 #ithin a s0ste and #e #ill continue to #or1 on behalf of all veterans to ensure that the0 receive the services the0 are entitled to2 This is getting ore difficult for NVOC as #e find ourselves aidst a gro#ing sea of /olarizing and /oliticizing hardline veterans grou/s2 As 0ou 1no# there are different 3categories3 of Veteran2 The forer !ension Act for 44* and %orean 4ar veterans and the re/laceent Act for /ost %orean to current da0 veterans called the Ne# Veterans Charter -NVC. These t#o Acts are not e5uitable2 The /resent governent is full0 a#are of these details of the NVC and has done little to nothing to correct these deficiencies2 "ecause of this lac1 of action to correct recognized deficiencies in Ne# Veterans Charter the hardline veterans grou/s are ta1ing ever0 occasion to tr0 to ebarrass the Minister and the !rie Minister2 This leads to an i/ortant /oint6 the andate of the current governent is ra/idl0 a//roaching2 7t is tie for the 8overnent to -bluntl0. /ut the one0 #here its outh is2to correct the ga/s in the Ne# Veterans Charter 7f the governent #ants to see increased /olarization and /oliticization of Veterans grou/s$ it is going about it the right #a0222do nothing #ith res/ect to changing the NVA222and ever0 veteran organization #ill continue to o//ose the governent2 The governent has to deonstrate leadershi/ and caring and the onl0 #a0 to do this is to act$ on soe or all the nuerous recoendations in current 9e/ort of the House of Coons Veterans :tanding Coittee ;and also of the Veterans Obudsan re/orts2 4ithout action$ all the veterans grou/s #ill line u/ #ith o//osition /arties as the0 see NO OTH<9 O!T7ON to oving vets issues addressed ; the o//osition /arties are ore than #illing to be their outh/iece ; all at the detrient of the governent$ and a governent that a//reciates$ in the run u/ to the ne=t election$ the need to solidif0 their base su//ort2 Criticis of the governent #ill be ver0 loud and #ides/read and 7 a certain that his Cabinet colleagues are telling the !M the sae thing22 NATO Vets are /articularl0 strong in "C$Ontario and >uebec ; reeber over *)'$''' NATO Vets have served in NATO in its over ?' 0ears of e=istence2And being ilitar0 /eo/le $#e are good at getting 3the #ord out3 2 4e are also e=/erts at 5uelling civil disturbances ; initiating the is ne# to us2 :o far #e have heard onl0 /roises$ studies and recoendations ; #hat #e reall0 need to see no# is change to the NVA and through the i/leentation of soe or all the these recoendations no# the governent can clearl0 deonstrate its coitent to all Veterans2 These recoendations attached are @do;able@ and are in line #ith to the H of C :tanding Coittee &+ 9ecoendations and the Obudsan and a recent letter to Minister VA b0 the 9o0al Canadian Aegion The core issue is boils do#n to one0 to i/leent these recoendations2 Bes Cthe0 #ill cost one02 Bes C using either accrual or cash accounting there #ill be a cost to governent2 The 5uestion for the governent Dis then is there a ris1 of losing the confidence C and vote Cof the (''$''' veterans in CanadaEF The ans#er is a resounding 0es; the veterans and veterans organizations #ill all coe together if at least soe of the recoendations are not in the s/ring budget2The si= attached are a start2 NVOC is here to #or1 together for the betterent of veterans2 There are #a0s to a1e the one0 available C 7 a s/ea1ing as an forer treasurer of a Canadian federal governent de/artent for t#elve 0ears after 0 ilitar0 service2 Aet@s a1e this ha//en2 The alternative is not a /leasant one C veterans together #ith their failies deonstrating and sho#ing their dis/leasure across Canada at the ballot bo=2 Tie to choose bet#een fiscal restraint and necessar0 changes for Canada@a veterans2