Harper rips off veterans and Fantino gets an unmerited bye

It’s a Remembrance Day recollection. The Harper scum in Ottawa have found a way to “save taxpayers’ dollars” in the words of fervent Tory lackey and drunken crackhead Rob Ford, who’s still our mayor as this goes to ‘net.

Harper and his band simply take it out of what’s left of the hides of our soldiers who’ve already lost much of their hides in the service of us as Stephen Harper and his crew play war games with our sons, daughters, husbands, wives. Now Harper’s Tories have snatched the futures from our war-devastated troops.

I won’t duplicate in my own words what CBC’s Rick Mercer has said ever so elegantly, as is his ranting style. Below the video, be sure to read about the Harperite closings of some Vet Affairs offices. (Do read the new info below the video.)

— Frank Touby

MP Jim Karygiannis
Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs

MP Jim Karygiannis (Scarborough-Agincourt) and Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs, joined MP Mark Eyking (Sydney-Victoria), Senator Jane Cordy and dozens of veterans to protest the closing of the Veterans Affairs Canada Service Office in Sydney.

“Closing this centre, along with the other eight centres, does a great disservice to our veterans.” said Karygiannis.  “At a time when the need for these centres is on the increase, the Harper Conservatives are closing them and laying off case workers. This is a case of false economy.”

Veterans Affairs Canada announced that nine service offices (Corner Brook, Sydney, Charlottetown, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Saskatoon, Brandon, Prince George, Kelowna) would be closed by February 2014. The offices provide one-on-one, face-to-face help to veterans as they access Veterans Affairs Canada benefits.  Veterans Affairs Canada has stated that veterans can go to Service Canada offices or call the 1-800-OCANADA for assistance.

“Telling a veteran to use a computer or a 1-800 number to get the help they need is insulting. These men and women put themselves in harm’s way for us and we owe them.” Karygiannis stated. “Telling a veteran, who may be 80 or 90 years old, to drive up to 10 hours to see someone who can help them or telling them to wait until a case worker can make an appointment to drive to their home is unconscionable.”

Veterans Affairs Canada has stated that case workers will drive to a veteran’s home to help them fill out the necessary forms. Service Canada staff can only accept completed forms or show the veteran how to use the computer.

“I am challenging the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Julian Fantino, to visit every office that is closing and hear how the closures will affect the veterans.” Karygiannis commented.  “I challenge him to look into the eyes of the veterans and say too bad, I’m closing the centre anyway.”

Adding insult to injury, get a load of this news release from this villain in the Harper regime:

Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Member of Parliament for Vaughan, received honorary membership to Branch 414 of the Royal Canadian Legion, this morning, during a stakeholders meeting in Woodbridge, Ontario.

“I am truly humbled to receive this honorary membership to Branch 414,” stated Minister Fantino. “I am proud to now be a member of this storied organization that has always gone above and beyond to ensure the contributions made by our Canadian Veterans are never forgotten. I commend their commitment to remembrance and service to Veterans.”

“Branch 414 of the Royal Canadian Legion is pleased to present Minister Fantino with an honourary membership,” said Jane Lowe, President of Branch 414. “We will continue to work closely with Veterans Affairs Canada to ensure that Canada’s Veterans are never forgotten.”

Legion members, local Veterans and residents of the Legion Woods Apartments joined Minister Fantino to discuss how the local community can continue to remember and honour the sacrifices made by Canadian men and women in uniform.

This Veterans’ Week, your challenge is to show you remember. Wearing a poppy, attending a local Remembrance Day ceremony and changing your Facebook profile picture to a poppy are all ways to remember and honour Veterans. Visit veterans.gc.ca/iremember to get interactive and share your thoughts or to find commemorative events in your community.

2013 is the Year of the Korean War Veteran—Canada proudly remembers the heroes of the Korean War and their brave fight to defend the Republic of Korea and uphold freedom, democracy and the rule of law. For more information on Canada’s role in the Korean War, visit veterans.gc.ca.