OTTAWA — Justifying spending cuts on the basis of a dwindling corps of veterans makes no sense because their numbers are actually on the rise, the watchdog for Canadian veterans said Wednesday.
Veterans Affairs is planning to shave $226 million off its budget over the next two years because, it says, the number of veterans from the Second World War and Korean War is dropping.
But those numbers aren’t falling as fast as projected, veterans’ ombudsman Guy Parent told a Senate committee on Wednesday.
And in the meantime, the number veterans from current conflicts and modern military service is growing.
Altogether, there are over 700,000 veterans in Canada.
Though not all take advantage of benefit programs, there is the potential that they will, Parent said.
“It means the same budget for the same programs,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney stood by the department’s projections. She said the spending reduction was not a cut in benefits to veterans.
“Our government will ensure that funding will always be available to provide veterans with the benefits they are entitled to,” Codie Taylor said in an email.
“If demand for benefits is greater than what is forecasted, there is a standard process in place through Treasury Board to increase funding to ensure the necessary funds are available.”
Parent’s appearance before committee comes as he prepares to mark his first year in office.
He was appointed to the position last November to replace outspoken ombudsman Pat Stogran, who irked government with his confrontational approach to veterans’ advocacy.
The position of ombudsman was created in 2007 and since then Parent said over 25,000 complaints have been lodged.
The top concern is access to health care and benefits, with veterans frustrated by the appeal board process, he said.
Veterans denied benefits are allowed to appeal the decision and, if that fails, they can take the matter to court.