Retired general Romeo Dallaire calls for ‘upgrade’ to New Veterans Charter
Global News
There has been progress toward helping veterans recognize and heal from their wounds but there remains a gap in dealing with mental injuries, he said.
Nearly two decades have passed since the federal government introduced the New Veterans Charter, which shifted away from traditional pensions to offering veterans lump-sum payments for service-related injuries, along with training and rehabilitation programs and re-establishment in civilian life.
But retired lieutenant-general and former senator Roméo Dallaire is calling for updates to the charter officially adopted in 2006 that he helped pass through the Senate. There has been progress toward helping veterans recognize and heal from their wounds — both visible and invisible — but there remains a gap in dealing with mental injuries, he said.
“These injuries will pop up mostly after the conflict when the adrenaline goes down and they will get worse and worse. And it’s like a cancer, it’ll grow and people will suffer all the more,” Dallaire said, speaking to Antony Robart on Global News Morning this past week.
“Unless you treat them as equal honourable, injuries that must be rectified and supported immediately, then you will always have that second look on those who are psychologically injured.”
In 2005, as the number of Canadian troops returning from Afghanistan with injuries started to increase, the charter was rushed through Parliament with unanimous consent from all parties but with what many now agree was insufficient vetting. Instead, Ottawa promised to revisit it regularly.
After it was passed, many veterans believed it was financially inequitable and lacked support for retraining, education and employment opportunities.
There have been multiple bills passed to try and help strengthen the charter throughout the years, such as creating an education and training benefit.
“The work that’s been done has been monumental since we realized that we had nothing to assist these people,” Dallaire said, adding that more needs to be done, especially when it comes to addressing psychological injuries.