Veterans Affairs

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs met to receive a briefing from the Veterans Ombud, Colonel (Retired) Nishika Jardine, who appeared alongside Deputy Veterans Ombud Duane Schippers, as part of the committee’s study of veterans’ issues.

Colonel Jardine described the Office of the Veterans Ombud’s mandate to investigate complaints and challenge unfair policies at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). She noted a 35% increase in individual complaints since 2020, driven by an outreach program that visited every major military base. The top concern heard from veterans is access to a family doctor, which she said is a complex issue crossing federal and provincial jurisdictions, as veterans lose military medical care upon release and often cannot find a primary care provider to refill prescriptions or obtain diagnoses for disability claims. She highlighted systemic unfairness in the veterans independence program, which presumes live-in relatives should take over household tasks the veteran can no longer perform, and called for legislative change to provide mental health treatment for family members in their own right when conditions are service-related, independent of the veteran’s treatment status. She also cited a success where her office resolved VAC’s unfair reduction of disability pensions for RCMP women who had received Merlo Davidson class action settlements.

Duane Schippers clarified that the “Spotlight” report’s “Partially Agree” or “Partially Implemented” designations reflect partial departmental concurrence or progress, and that recommendations no longer tracked are typically those overtaken by events or deemed irrelevant after 10 years. He noted that pre-2015 recommendations were often broader in scope, and that many were implemented through later legislative changes like the Pension for Life. On the PCVRS rehabilitation contract, he said complaints from individual veterans have been few, and the office follows up monthly with VAC’s director general to ensure unresolved issues are addressed.

During the question period, members raised concerns about the PCVRS contract, with Colonel Jardine confirming that complaints about its implementation are passed to VAC for quick resolution. She acknowledged that veterans with acute needs, mental health conditions, or feelings of institutional betrayal often struggle more with the department. On the cost of living and homelessness, she noted that mental health and addiction, combined with loss of trust, can cause veterans to “fall out of their families.” She identified mental health support for family members as her top priority recommendation, requiring legislative change to authorize treatment independent of the veteran’s involvement. The committee expressed disappointment that the Minister of Veterans Affairs had not agreed to appear before the break week and had offered only one hour instead of the requested two.