麻豆传媒

Several dozen veterans and their supporters gathered on Parliament Hill Wednesday afternoon to voice their anger and dissatisfaction with how vets and wounded soldiers are being treated in Canada.

Organizers of the annual 鈥淩ock the Hill鈥� demonstrations were hoping to attract a large veterans鈥� rally. CTV鈥檚 Katie Simpson reported that some 100 people turned up.

Many in the crowd spoke out against the New Veterans Charter and Tuesday鈥檚 report from the House of Commons veterans committee, which made 14 recommendations that advocates say don鈥檛 go far enough to improve benefits and programs for ex-soldiers.

The all-party committee鈥檚 suggestions include:

• Injured vets not be medically discharged from the military until Veterans Affairs Canada is prepared to accept them into the system
• Seriously wounded vets be given financial benefits for life
• Lump sum payouts to wounded vets be changed to 85 per cent of their net income, from 75 per cent of their gross income

The committee also recommended a number of social, psychological and rehabilitation-related measures to address the struggles that families and caregivers face when wounded veterans return from war.

But many veterans say the recommendations avoided clearly spelling out the federal government鈥檚 obligations to soldiers and sidestepped the issue of lump sum disability cheques that replaced a system of lifetime payments.

Advocates also said Tuesday that changing lump sum payouts to 85 per cent of a vet鈥檚 net income (instead of 75 per cent of gross income) will translate to lower payments for some.

Eric Magill, who served in the military for 29 years and completed tours in the Middle East and Haiti, told 麻豆传媒 that he didn鈥檛 come to the rally to 鈥渒nock Veterans Affairs per se.鈥�

He said it鈥檚 the VA administration and the government bureaucracy that has 鈥渟tripped us of our ability to get help and to go and see the people we need to see in a fast and efficient manner.鈥�

Magill said he contracted several diseases after his tours of duty and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but it wasn鈥檛 until recently that he finally got professional help.

鈥淚 went into seclusion in my house for 12 years,鈥� he said.

He credited his wife, supporters and Veterans Affairs staff for helping him get through his lowest point, which he called 鈥渁 matter of life or death.鈥�

But he said he continues to struggle with the drawn-out process of denied requests and appeals for benefits and aides 鈥� such as a laptop that he can use despite diminishing vision.

Outspoken wife of wounded soldier returns to Ottawa

Ahead of the veterans鈥� rally Wednesday, the wife and caregiver of a wounded soldier returned to Ottawa, still hoping for some response from the Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino.

Jennifer Migneault, whose failed attempt to confront Fantino made headlines last week, is back on Parliament Hill, where she shared her concerns with members of the federal New Democratic Party.

鈥淚 wanted to let all the MPs know how much us caregivers mean the difference between life and death,鈥� Migneault told reporters.

鈥淚 would like to be recognized as a military caregiver, just like the U.S. already do,鈥� she said, with her husband and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair standing behind her.

Migneault called on the government to treat personal caregivers as 鈥渁llies,鈥� and urged the government to care for its veterans the way the United States does.

Migneault, who left her job to care for her husband full-time, said she has never been formally trained in how best to treat him.

鈥淚 need people to understand what we鈥檙e going through every day,鈥� she said.

Migneault said she has not heard from Fantino since last Thursday, when she tried to speak with him and he did not respond to her pleas. Reporters saw Migneault shouting at Fantino as he walked down a hallway and disappeared through a doorway. 鈥淲e鈥檙e nothing to you,鈥� Migneault called to Fantino at the time.

Fantino had just come from a House of Commons committee hearing, where he鈥檇 been grilled over Veterans鈥� Affairs adding $4 million to its advertising budget.

鈥淚鈥檇 love to share with him what I was able to share with the NDP today,鈥� Migneault said on Wednesday. 鈥淚 feel forgotten here.鈥�

With files from Josh Elliott