The Progressive Right: Canada’s Veterans Still Need Protection from Conservatives ( #cdnpoli )

Canada’s veterans rejoiced when Julian Fantino was finally booted from Veterans Affairs on January 5.
Mr. Fantino was replaced by Durham Conservative MP, Erin O’Toole. Ostensibly, a sound pick – a former RCAF officer.
Someone with such a background, you’d think would bring a sympathetic ear to what veterans need.
You would be forgiven if you had forgotten that O’Toole fully parroted Julian Fantino’s hard line stance against honouring veterans benefits at every turn – fully endorsing the government’s inaction in the care of Canada’s veterans.

You would argue that it was up to O’Toole to simply toe the party line and publicly support the previous minister.

You would hope his first act would have been to set a new course and a new direction for the troubled ministry.

Well, you’d be disappointed.

The new minister has decided not to listen to certain veterans advocacy groups – especially, it seems, if they do not follow the party line that everything is fine with Veterans Affairs.

Mike Blais, who helped launch Canadian Veterans Advocacy in 2011 to advocate for veterans and serving Canadian Forces members who did combat tours in Afghanistan and their families, told The Hill Times that Mr. O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) gave the bad news [that it is no longer a stakeholder adviser to the Veterans Affairs department] in a voicemail he left on Mr. Blais’ phone service Jan. 7. [Hill Times]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Previously:

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Eh Types: Playing Soldiers

At the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa this year there was an impostor. Frank Gervais attended ceremonies in Ottawa in a military uniform, but was later found to be playing a despicable game of dress up. He is facing well deserved charges, but is not the impostor I was referring

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