OTTAWA—Ten years ago, politics prevented the government from clearly explaining its overhaul of how former soldiers are compensated, and the repercussions echo to this day, says Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole.
The widespread criticism of the so-called New Veterans Charter isn’t justified, despite the fact it has been amended multiple times, the minister said April 15 in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press.
The policy is misunderstood by supporters and detractors alike, O'Toole said.
“I really wish I'd been a veterans affairs minister in 2006 because we haven’t had a proper discussion on the New Veterans Charter—how it works, what it’s geared to do—and that’s a result of politics.”
The program was introduced by the Liberals in 2005 and implemented by the Conservatives after the 2006 election that saw Prime Minister Stephen Harper take the helm of a minority government.
It retooled how disabled veterans received financial support from the government, including a controversial switch from lifetime payments to a single lump-sum system.
“Because of the minority days and all the politics around it, nobody talked about it, nobody talked about why they moved to this model, which is far superior,” O'Toole said.
Many veterans groups feel differently.
