A group of veterans who spent months battling against Stephen Harper say they were satisfied to see the Conservatives defeated on Oct. 19, after their government oversaw significant cuts to Veterans Affairs services.
“To me, what this actually indicates is that Canadians stood up to bullies once again and said ‘enough is enough," said veteran Walter Callaghan, a former medical services lieutenant.
But the men and women of the Anyone But Conservatives (ABC) Veterans Campaign 2015, who campaigned for the restoration of benefits such as lifetime pensions and the re-opening of nine Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), warned that they would keep a close eye on the incoming prime minister's progress.
“Trudeau must now fulfill the campaign promises that he made within a reasonable period of time," said Susan Clarke-Tizzard, a former logistics corporal. "If not, perhaps the Canadian people will send him a message by replacing him as well. The people do have the power, if only they exercise their right to use it.”
Restoration of the monthly pension
One key demand of veterans struggling with both physical injuries and psychiatric trauma is the restoration of the monthly disability pension, which was scrapped in favour of one-time lump sum payments that are worth less overall, even after the Conservatives announced a top-up before the election.
Nearly two months before winning election, Trudeau promised to help veterans while he was on the campaign trail in southern Ontario. He said he would restore the monthly pension option as part of a package of other benefits including improved education and training opportunities for service members re-entering civilian life, $100 million in support for their families, and restored services such as the re-opening of nine VAC offices shuttered by the outgoing Harper government.
The Liberals have also pledged to reopen VAC offices with 400 new staff members. These would include case managers to help ex-military members access needed help as well as an immediate expansion of mental health professionals, with the ultimate aim being to transform Canada into a world leader for veteran care.
“If they recant on these promises, then they will face the same level of grief, the same level of discord, and the same level of open attacks that the Harper government received,” warned Callaghan. “We’re not going to let them get away with recanting on these things.”
However, Callaghan was also realistic, saying that switching over from the current system of single lump-sum payments to injured veterans would take the new Liberal government a year or more to implement properly, a process he felt should not be rushed. Complicating matters yet further would be making the restoration of lifetime pensions retroactive for all veterans who had received lump-sum payments over the last decade.
The lump-sum payment system was first conceived in 2005 when Paul Martin's Liberals were still in charge, but it was Harper who actually rolled out these reforms, which Callaghan said was the brainchild of senior VAC bureaucrats who sold the idea to all political parties.
According to Callaghan, the lump-sum payment system was meant to undergo a full parliamentary review every two years, but it was only in 2011 that the Harper government even conducted a minor audit, followed by a full review in 2013.
“It will not be a simple fix to make due to the mess that the Harper government left behind, but it will demonstrate that the new government has listened and wants to restore the sacred obligation between Canada and her veterans,” said Callaghan.
Restoring trust
Fixing the mess also means restoring an emotional bond between Canada those who defend it, which for many veterans was broken when the Harper government argued in court two years ago that it did not have any sacred obligation towards the military during a dispute over benefits, breaking a tradition that stretched back a century to the time of Prime Minister Robert Borden in World War I.
For other veterans, the bond was broken when former Minister for Veterans Affairs Julian Fantino turned his back on soldiers who tried questioning him over last year’s closure of the nine VAC offices across Canada. Fantino lost his bid for re-election on Monday.
One of those soldiers was Clarke-Tizzard’s father, Ronald Clarke, who joined his fellow soldiers in denouncing Fantino’s behaviour that day.
It was a pivotal moment for Clarke, who went on to co-found the ABC Veterans campaign, in which his daughter was also involved.
On Oct. 19, Clarke’s wish was realized when Harper was voted out, and his daughter is now keen to move forward with the new government.
“It is now time for a government who will lead this country through listening to the citizens' concerns and acting upon them. Now is the time for our country to move in a positive direction so that Canadians will once again be proud of their country and leaders,” Clarke-Tizzard said.
She too said that Trudeau had to fulfill his campaign promises in a timely fashion, but so far the signals that Trudeau has sent veterans since his election victory remain positive.
“Our servicemen and women, who have put their lives on the line for their country, stand for the very best of what it means to be Canadian. We will live up to our sacred obligation to Canada’s men and women in uniform, our veterans, and their families,” said Trudeau in an Oct. 22 statement marking the one-year anniversary of the Parliament Hill terrorist attack.
A time to reflect
For Tom Beaver, another war veteran, Harper’s defeat was a chance for him to reflect on the campaign that helped drive him out.
“We reached 2.5 million people in our final week,” said Beaver, adding that he received messages of support from across North America.
Even some Conservatives admitted to him that they were taken aback by the effectiveness of the Anyone But Conservative campaign.
Having won their war against Harper, Beaver told National Observer the ABC veterans plan on beginning a dialogue between their grassroots members spread across Canada and the VAC, but are still waiting for the new minister to be announced by the incoming Liberal government.
“We thank all Canadians that supported us and gave us a hand, it was very much appreciated,” said Beaver.
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