Discussion · Government Orders
Michael Barrett Conservative
“Past governments and this current government have all failed our veterans. The government has some good news for veterans, but wait times are still too long, and it fails to meet its own service standards. I want all of us to commit to doing better for veterans today.”
“Madam Speaker, as a legislator today, who has committed himself to serving veterans and to serving all Canadians, I can tell members that what I am hearing from veterans is that they are not interested in focusing exclusively on the rearview mirror. If we want to compare outrages on where the government has fallen down over the last 11 years, I think it is a damning indictment of the government and our service to veterans. If we want to compare the government before that, I think it is a damning indictment of how this place has served our veterans, and the government before that as well. I think that we can commit ourselves today to doing better for veterans. That is what I am asking for. Is there some good news for veterans that the government has announced? Sure, there is. Is there more to do? Do we need to get wait times down? Do we need the government to meet even just its own service delivery standards, which are far too long? Absolutely, we do. Let us commit collectively to doing better today.”
Madam Speaker, as a legislator today, who has committed himself to serving veterans and to serving all Canadians, I can tell members that what I am hearing from veterans is that they are not interested in focusing exclusively on the rearview mirror. If we want to compare outrages on where the government has fallen down over the last 11 years, I think it is a damning indictment of the government and our service to veterans. If we want to compare the government before that, I think it is a damning indictment of how this place has served our veterans, and the government before that as well. I think that we can commit ourselves today to doing better for veterans. That is what I am asking for. Is there some good news for veterans that the government has announced? Sure, there is. Is there more to do? Do we need to get wait times down? Do we need the government to meet even just its own service delivery standards, which are far too long? Absolutely, we do. Let us commit collectively to doing better today.