Kent Hehr's new role bridges gap between soldier and veteran
Veterans affairs minister also named associate defence minister to deepen ties
Every Nov. 11, Canadians stop to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. But for soldiers who return home and eventually hang up their uniforms, the return to civilian life can be a difficult transition.
To try to make that transition easier, the Liberals are trying something new. For the first time, the minister of veterans affairs has also been named the associate minister of national defence.
The move is aimed at making National Defence and Veterans Affairs work more closely together to serve veterans better, Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr said.
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"What we're finding is we need a seamless transition from national defence to veterans affairs," he said. Being connected to both departments is supposed to help with that transition.
"It's trying to get them [veterans] aware of their changing role," Hehr said. "You're not going to be part of DND anymore. You're going to join our veterans community."
Trudeau gives marching orders
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered mandate letters to each of his cabinet ministers. Among the priorities for both National Defence and Veteran Affairs is ensuring the two departments work more closely together.
In Minister Hehr's letter, it said one of his priorities will be to "work with the minister of national defence to reduce complexity, overhaul service delivery, and strengthen partnerships between Veterans Affairs and National Defence."
Services for veterans became a flashpoint for the Conservative government. In November 2014, Auditor General Michael Ferguson released a scathing report on the services veterans receive. He found there are too many barriers to veterans getting mental health services and benefits, including a complex application process and delays in getting their records from the Department of National Defence.
"About 20 per cent of veterans have to wait more than eight months before the department gives them a green light to access specialized mental health services," he said at the time.
Veteran hopes closer relationship means better services
Veteran Bruce Moncur, who suffered a brain injury after being shot in the head while on duty in Afghanistan, has become an outspoken advocate for veterans' rights.
"I can truly say to you that my treatment that I received at Veterans Affairs caused me as much stress as my time in theatre," he said. "I took me almost a decade to fully get a grasp of Veterans Affairs and the department within it," he said.
But he's hopeful that the new relationship between National Defence and Veterans Affairs will bring change.
"I hope change is coming in terms of at least some communiqué between the Liberals and veterans on the ground, " Moncur said.
Before the election, the Conservative government and Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole had started to bridge the gap between veterans affairs and the military. O'Toole said he and the former minister of defence Jason Kenney were meeting and were helping some soldiers transition out of the military on a case-by-case basis, but he hopes the new government continues where the Conservatives left off.
"I think what they need to do is fix this transition piece. We started, there's still work to be done. I think that's central," he said.
O'Toole said the soldiers in most need of attention are those who are being medically released. O'Toole is suggesting the government focus on specialized services for soldiers being medically released that would have one person manage that soldier's transition from the forces into civilian life.