Veterans and their supporters protest government treatment

The wife of a Canadian Forces veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was back on Parliament Hill today offering an olive branch to Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino.

Jenifer Migneault is in Ottawa to take part in a march by veterans who feel their government is turning its back on them.

Migneault made headlines last week when she chased Fantino down a hallway on Parliament Hill asking to speak to him, but he kept walking.

As the wife and caregiver of a wounded soldier, Migneault is pleading for the government to work with people such as herself.

“We are allies to them, and we must be considered allies," she told reporters after making her pitch to the NDP caucus, “because the impact we can have can actually have an economical impact, not only for the government, but also for my husband.”

Migneault is asking for training for the families or other primary caregivers of soldiers suffering from PTSD so they know what to look for and what to do when caring for their loved ones.

“I would like to be recognized as a ‘military caregiver,’ just like the U.S. already do,” Migneault said.

“I feel forgotten here, let me tell you, because in the U.S. they have access to workshops, resources, calling centres.”

The federal government says it has already boosted support for veterans, but admits it needs to do a better job communicating what services are available.