‘What changed?’
Dear Editor:
An open letter to Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight.
I have to let you know that as a veteran I am disgusted that your government elected to terminate the first refusal contract with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires.
It indicates to me that the rubbish your government has pushed about elbows up applies only when it suits your political narrative and not when it relates to the needs of veterans.
In December 2024 your government honoured the corps and recognized it as an “event of historic significance”. Steven Guilbeault (remember him?) stated, “For almost a hundred years, the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires has provided veterans, families of veterans and former members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with employment support in recognition and commemoration of their valuable role in service to Canada. Commemoration, or remembrance, helps link our past and our present and helps Canadians learn about the country’s past, in all its richness and complexity.”
So what changed in the past two years? Well we have a newly minted prime minister, albeit using an old Liberal mold, and almost the same old government team we have had for the previous 10 years. What changed? One change is that the newish PM has required the rallying of the troops to fight against the big bad man to the south of us. “Onward into the breach and buy Canadian!” So how does rallying of the troops align with disadvantaging veteran employment?
Military people have a dark sense of humour, for many reasons. One saying springs to mind that I think is appropriate in this happenstance: “I am your leader, charge the enemy, I am right behind you.”
So the government in its wisdom, and after giving obviously false accolades to the corps, decides to not renew a contract with the corps but instead contract an American owned company because they are 0.8% cheaper. Does the big bad man give you kudos for this? What happened to buy Canadian?
I submit that if your government practised a modicum of fiscal restraint (belly laugh), perhaps trim down the number of junkets, or dare I say, cut out foreign financial support for questionable groups, you could easily find that 0.8%.
Michael Lee,
Salem