Veteran Affairs Shadow Minister Caputo pleased to hear hiring commitment, calls backlogs ‘problematic and disappointing’
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KAMLOOPS — The shadow minister for Veterans Affairs was pleased to hear more staff will be hired by the federal government to deal with backlogs and overwhelming caseloads in that department.
But Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo says the backlog suggests there is a systemic issue at the federal level.
“The fact that we ever let ourselves get into a situation where veterans were waiting for such a long time to have their matters addressed is problematic and disappointing,” Caputo told CFJC Today. “We need to remember our veterans are dealing with issues that sometimes can be seen… or injuries that may be unseen. It’s my view that the government should give veterans one of the highest priorities when it comes to funding. These people fought for our freedom, and in some cases, made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could have things like a free country. With freedom of the press, healthcare, education, and freedom to worship. We need to respect them through appropriate funding.”
Caputo’s comments come after Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay said the federal Liberal government will hire more staff at his department following a series of articles by The Canadian Press that identified some of the most pressing challenges facing veterans.
