Rachel Blaney

by Jeremiah Thu 14 Mar 2019, 7:12 pm

North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney now the NDP’s Critic for Veterans Affairs

Twila Amato, staff Thursday, Mar. 14th, 2019

Rachel Blaney is the MP for North Island-Powell River.

NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – MP Rachel Blaney has a new role at Parliament Hill.

Blaney has been given the new role as the NDP’s Critic for Veterans Affairs. According to a release from her office, this is in addition to her other roles as Critic for Seniors’ Issues and Vice-Chair of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee.

“As the MP for Comox and 19 Wing, I’ve worked closely with many from our armed forces and I am deeply concerned about how our current and past governments have treated service members when their duty has ended,” Blaney wrote in the release.

Blaney is replacing Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns, who is now taking the role of the NDP’s Critic for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The release added that Blaney is looking forward to serving in the new role.

“How we care for our veterans, our seniors and our elders, those who have built this country, says a lot about who we are as a nation.”

https://www.mypowellrivernow.com/21234/north-island-powell-river-mp-rachel-blaney-now-the-ndps-critic-for-veterans-affairs/

by Jackson Mon 15 Apr 2019, 8:00 pm

Rachel Blaney 16415522_web1_1-640x478@2x

Sunset over Charlottetown Veterans Memorial with Veterans Affairs Canada building in the background.

MP concerned about treatment of veterans

SCOTT STANFIELD / Apr. 15, 2019

Rachel Blaney says her new role as the NDP’s Critic for Veterans Affairs has been fulfilling and disheartening since receiving the appointment last month.

The North Island-Powell River MP is concerned about Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) treatment of past Canadian Forces members. Since being elected MP in 2015, she has met numerous vets who feel their problems are not being taken seriously. For instance, she said a simplified VAC form to access supports and treatment options could lead to delays in treatment and awards, and even mis-diagnoses.

“When the process happened (to streamline the form), they worked with their service excellence advisory but not with the mental health advisory,” said Blaney, who also serves as Critic for Seniors’ Issues, and Vice-Chair of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee.

“Right now we’re seeing a lot of setting standards for services, and they’re not even getting close to meeting them.”

The Liberal government’s new pension-for-life (PFL) option for veterans came into effect April 1. It includes Pain and Suffering Compensation (PSC), Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation (APSC), and Income Replacement Benefit (IRB). Blaney’s office is working with someone who had the PSC aspect added to his pension, but says his cheque wound up being smaller.

“It’s (PFL) still not the commitment they made during the campaign,” Blaney said. “We’re watching how it unfolds. We hope that it helps but it doesn’t look like it’s going to fill those gaps that are much needed to be filled.”

Blaney is also distressed by the number of vets who have been moved from caseworker to caseworker.

“We’re working hard with the minister’s office to try and improve that,” she said, noting the level of burnout among VAC caseworkers. “This is a commitment to the people who serve us. I feel for veterans, and I hear it when they call me from across the country how exhausted they are that they’re still fighting this fight.”

https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/news/mp-concerned-about-treatment-of-veterans/

by Terrarium Fri 27 Dec 2019, 6:14 pm

North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney

Rachel Blaney to address service dog ‘issue’ for veterans in 2020

Friday, Dec. 27th, 2019

https://www.mypowellrivernow.com/26349/rachel-blaney-to-address-service-dog-issue-for-veterans-in-2020/

by **Wolfman** Fri 31 Jan 2020, 7:08 pm

North Island-Powell River MP says
government owes hundreds of millions of
dollars to veterans

Rachel Blaney says she hears from frustrated veterans

JANUARY 31, 2020

Rachel Blaney North-island-powell-river-mp-rachel-blaney

https://www.prpeak.com/news/north-island-powell-river-mp-says-government-owes-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-to-veterans-1.24066026

by **Spider** Tue 26 May 2020, 8:54 pm

North Island-Powell River MP calls for changes to disability claims system
Veterans’ claims should be automatic, says Rachel Blaney

Powell River Peak
MAY 26, 2020

North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney has asked the federal minister of veterans affairs to change the approval system for disability claims.

In a letter to minister Lawrence MacAuley, Blaney stated that as has been seen over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, government departments and agencies are willing and able to implement systems that get support out to people in need as quickly as possible and determine eligibility later through an audit.

“Given the extreme backlog of disability benefit applications at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), which has persisted and in some cases worsened in recent years, I hope you will agree with me when I say that this presents a unique opportunity for VAC to change the way things are done, eliminate the existing backlog and ensure all of Canada’s veterans get the support they need in a timely fashion,” stated Blaney. “We were told in the standing committee on veterans affairs (ACVA) by department officials on March 10 that a plan to eliminate the backlog would be available within 30 days, and we have yet to receive that plan.

“We have also been told multiple times in ACVA that automatic or artificial intelligence-supported approvals for specific disabilities, such as tinnitus, are going to be implemented soon. ACVA also heard that VAC is looking at the way our allies treat the disabilities of veterans, in some cases automatically approving common injuries linked with certain roles in the military, and seeing if such a system can be implemented in Canada.”

Blaney stated in light of the government’s response to COVID-19, it is now obvious that automatic approvals followed by audits are an incredibly efficient way of getting support to people in need.

“A number of veterans advocacy organizations are calling for this to apply to Canada’s veterans,” stated Blaney. “I see no insurmountable obstacle impeding VAC from applying this model to VAC’s disability benefit application process and getting Canadian veterans the support they need in a fair and expedient fashion. This measure could certainly form part of a plan to eliminate the overall backlog at VAC.”

Not only would automatic approvals significantly impact veterans in this country, but it would support VAC’s employees as well, according to Blaney.

“As we both well know, VAC employees were working significant overtime hours long before COVID-19 became an issue, and burnout was common in offices and departments across the country,” stated Blaney. “When burnout results in stress leave from work, the backlog of files gets worse, and thus we fall into a cycle with no relief in sight for veterans or VAC employees.

“I hope you will agree with me and direct VAC to take this opportunity to pilot automatic approvals and later review the results in terms of financing, service delivery, veteran satisfaction, and employee well-being once the pandemic has subsided.”

https://www.prpeak.com/news/north-island-powell-river-mp-calls-for-changes-to-disability-claims-system-1.24141608

by Lonestar Thu 24 Sep 2020, 8:38 pm

Veterans are being ignored, says North Island-Powell River MP

Throne speech does not mention Canada’s service men and women, says Rachel Blaney

Powell River Peak
SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

Rachel Blaney Rachel-blaney-powell-river

https://www.prpeak.com/news/veterans-are-being-ignored-says-north-island-powell-river-mp-1.24209174

by **RunningLight** Thu 08 Oct 2020, 7:43 pm

North Island-Powell River MP presents motion in support of veterans

Powell River Peak
OCTOBER 8, 2020

https://www.prpeak.com/news/north-island-powell-river-mp-presents-motion-in-support-of-veterans-1.24217739

by **Navigator** Sat 22 May 2021, 9:10 am

Petition to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Petition details

by **Kizzer** Fri 18 Jun 2021, 4:11 pm

VAC and Minister ignore Veteran seeking help

Jun 18, 2021

NDP MP Rachel Blaney

Roy is a veteran with 9 years of service to our country.

He left the military with an operational stress injury and applied to VAC for the remedy, but everything went wrong, and kept going wrong.

Since 2012, this veteran has been trying to get help.

Roy cannot sleep. He cannot hold a job.

He has been traumatized by the very department that should be helping him.

Roy’s file requires a simple but meaningful fix, but his MP and the Minister have failed him.

Will his MP and the Minister finally stand up for Roy, or will they continue to ignore him, hoping he will go away?

by **Terminator** Thu 16 Dec 2021, 3:30 pm

North Island-Powell River MP tables bill to eliminate marriage after 60 clause

Dec 16, 2021

Some veterans’ survivors are left without pension benefits

North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney, NDP critic for veterans affairs, has tabled private member’s bill C-221 to eliminate the century-old marriage after 60 clause, which made spouses who married veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP personnel after the age of 60 ineligible to receive survivor pensions.

According to a media release, in her introductory statement, Blaney stated the bill would ensure veterans “who find love when they are older will know that their spouse will be taken care of just like any other married couple.”

The Armed Forces Pensioners’/Annuitants’ Association of Canada (AFP/AAC), the National Council of Veteran Associations and Royal Canadian Legion have called for the removal of the clause, the release stated.

“Veterans are going without today to put a little aside for their spouse after they are gone,” stated Blaney. “This ridiculous clause is pushing our veterans into poverty.”

Blaney has spoken on the issue in the standing committee on veterans affairs, in question period, and recently introduced a petition in the House of Commons calling for an end to the clause.

“Veterans who find love in their later years should not be punished for it, nor should their partners, the majority of whom are women,” stated Blaney. “It’s sexist and archaic, and must be eliminated.”

https://www.prpeak.com/local-news/north-island-powell-river-mp-tables-bill-to-eliminate-marriage-after-60-clause-4872018

by **Vexmax** Thu 03 Nov 2022, 11:35 am

NDP: Veterans deserve better care
from the Liberal government

November 1st, 2022

NDP Veterans Affairs Critic Rachel Blaney made the following statement:

The transition to civilian life can be extremely challenging after serving our country, and Canadian veterans are struggling to access needed rehabilitation services. For many veterans, rehabilitation services are critical for their mental and physical health. Staffing shortages and backlogs have meant veterans have had to wait months, even years, for this help.

The Liberals have a responsibility to protect and fight for those who have served our country. But after seven years of not fixing these problems and outsourcing rehab services to companies that only care about making money – it’s clear that the Liberals don’t want to step up to help veterans or support workers.

The Minister of Veteran Affairs isn’t even trying to work with the veteran’s affairs staff union on rehabilitation services – he’s just letting the relationship sour. The Minister can’t say he’s working for our veterans when he won’t even listen to them. With calls for the Minister to be removed from his position from the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees, the situation has become untenable.

The people who have proudly served this country need to be properly supported, and the most important first step is a successful transition from military to civilian life. New Democrats know that the first step is listening to veterans and investing in good quality, accessible rehabilitation services that prioritize people, not profits. That’s why I fought for a committee investigation into the outsourcing and new rehab contract – we need to ensure outsourcing won’t worsen an already struggling program.

New Democrats will keep fighting for workers and to deliver good quality rehabilitation services for veterans. We will always prioritize people and their well-being over the profits of rich companies.”

Veterans Affairs Critic Rachel Blaney Statement

by **SniperGod** Sat 19 Nov 2022, 7:03 am

Veteran health outsourcing concerns North Island-Powell River MP

“This news about Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) outsourcing service delivery fills me with distress and disappointment." ~ Rachel Blaney

Nov 18. 2022

On November 18, NDP house leader Peter Julian and national president of the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees Virginia Vaillancourt called on the minister to halt his multimillion dollar outsourcing contract to a private for-profit company owned by Loblaws, according to a media release. Instead, funding should be invested in workers at Veterans Affairs Canada to better serve veterans and their families., the release stated.

“Suspending mental health and psychosocial services to veterans and their families for over a month is unacceptable,” stated North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney in a written statement for the Peak. “Veterans who are suicidal or trying to cope with urgent mental health issues need critical support, not delays or denials.

“This news about Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) outsourcing service delivery fills me with distress and disappointment. I am very concerned for the welfare of veterans who access services from VAC during this transition time to the new rehabilitation contract.”

Blaney stated that the department doesn’t have a plan in place, the staff haven’t been properly trained to use the new system, and veterans are being put on hold.

“That’s a crisis,” stated Blaney. “The minister needs to put the brakes to this new contract for service delivery because it has clearly gone off the rails. Now is not the time to double down and say everything is okay as the minister did in response to my colleague Peter Julian in question period.

“Veterans put their lives on the line for Canadians and the least we can do is make sure they and their family members have the supports they need. Veterans deserve so much better.”

The Liberals are only days away from outsourcing rehabilitation services for Canadian veterans to a company owned by Loblaws, said Julian in question period in the House of Commons.

“What’s worse, workers have not even been trained on the new system and the union says this contract will cost 25 per cent more than it would to hire more workers to support veterans and their families,” said Julian. “Earlier this week, the auditor general confirmed that this minister isn’t doing enough to create a permanent stable workforce. Why is the minister putting Loblaws’ profits ahead of veterans and their families?”

The release stated that for many veterans, rehabilitation services are critical for their mental and physical health but staffing shortages and backlogs have meant veterans have had to wait months, even years, for this help. Meanwhile, VAC has suspended service delivery while transitioning to the new system, meaning veterans are currently unable to access mental and psycho-social supports, the release stated. At the standing committee on veterans affairs on November 17, it was admitted that the training is not done, the system is not ready and they’re having to delay, according to the release.

“The Liberal minister must call for a total halt on this contract. Instead of spending $100 million a year to a for-profit company, he should invest it in workers at VAC to better serve veterans and their families, but he won’t even meet with the union that represents the workers,” added Julian. “The Liberals have a responsibility to protect and fight for those who have served our country. But after seven years of not fixing these problems and outsourcing rehab services to companies that only care about making money – it’s clear that the Liberals don’t want to step up to help veterans or support workers.”

Peak News

by Monsfool Thu 17 Aug 2023, 6:35 am

“Significant changes and improvements are needed at Veterans Affairs Canada”, says NDP MP

By
Hussam Elghussein
Sunday, Aug. 13th, 2023

While welcoming the new Minister of Veteran Affairs, North Island- Powell River MP Rachel Blaney says vets need more support.

In a letter sent to Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Blaney, the NDP’s critic for Veterans Affairs, says veterans deserve to be treated with respect for their efforts, and too many are being denied help.

She points out that this spring, former minister Lawrence Macaulay testified that 20 percent of applications for benefits are denied by the department.

“That’s one in five applications in which a Veteran does not receive support they have requested,” says Blaney. “Further committee testimony (ACVA, June 19) from the Chair of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB), Christopher McNeil, indicated that 10% of VAC decisions are reviewed.”

Another issue affecting the spouses of veterans is the Marriage-Over-60 clause, which says people who marry a veteran aged 60 and over do not automatically get a survivor pension if the veteran dies first, according to Blaney.

She adds that in some cases, the women affected by this clause have had to sell their homes and live in poverty on social assistance.

Blaney encourages Taylor to reflect on these policies in the current system of Veteran Affairs, and how they have impacted veterans.

My Powell River Now

by Dalton Wed 18 Oct 2023, 6:58 am

NDP Veterans Affairs critic brings light to the experiences of women veterans

October 17th, 2023

OTTAWA – On Monday, NDP Veterans Affairs Critic Rachel Blaney hosted an event on Parliament Hill to mark her study into women veterans' experiences – an issue the government has never investigated, which has hurt veteran services in Canada.

“Women that served our country risked their lives to protect Canadians – and yet we don’t know what life is like for them while they’re serving and after they retire,” said Blaney. “Successive Liberal and Conservative governments haven’t recognized the experience of women Veterans, and now, we have almost no information on how serving impacts their physical and mental health. This must change to ensure women Veterans get the services and support they need and deserve."

Blaney brought forward her study into the lived experiences of women veterans in the spring, and the investigation is now underway. Blaney’s study looks into the treatment of injuries, physical and mental health issues, professional and economic life challenges for Veteran women, the retirement and long-term care process, and the initiatives developed in allied countries to support women veterans.

Blaney says her study will help improve Veterans’ services and future recruitment practices as women make up 16 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

“Women in service often feel invisible - and this needs to change, if it doesn’t, we won’t see any changes to the CAF that are desperately needed. My study aims to give these women more visibility, so we can determine what needs to be fixed and how we can truly support women who make sacrifices to serve Canada,” added Blaney. “After decades of the Liberals and Conservatives refusing to listen and create space for women in service, I’m glad that New Democrats pushed to create more space for women who serve so that veterans’ services can improve.”

NDP News

by Fascinator Wed 06 Mar 2024, 6:30 am

NDP veteran’s affairs critic named woman of the year in defence

March 5th, 2024

OTTAWA – NDP Veterans Affairs critic Rachel Blaney (North Island–Powell River) has been named as one of the 2024 recipients of the Esprit de Corps Women in Defence Award. In naming Blaney, Esprit de Corps highlighted her continuous work advocating for measures that improve the lives of Veterans and their families, specifically her work to initiate the first ever parliamentary study on the experience of women Veterans.

“The women who serve our country repeatedly tell us they feel ignored or invisible,” said Blaney. “This study showed the realities of women who serve. People can now see what has been happening to women serving, what it means when they become Veterans, and how much work still needs to be done to uplift women and Veterans. I’m humbled that people feel that I deserve this award."

Recently, Blaney, initiated a study at Veterans Affairs Committee so Parliamentarians could learn about the experiences of women Veterans and give recommendations for fixing the overly bureaucratic and unfair system, using trauma-informed practices and methods, to improve outcomes for women Veterans and for women serving in the military.

“The military in Canada must be a safer, fairer and more equitable place for women who want to enlist. To do that, we must support and listen to the brave women who are already there and give them a safe space to share their experiences,” added Blaney. “But what we’ve seen for decades is consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments completely ignoring the lived experiences of women Veterans. And the Conservatives’ harmful cuts to Veterans services when they were in power made things worse for all Veterans.”

“New Democrats have been fighting to include women’s voices in areas related to the CAF and ensure all those who served, and their families, receive the benefits they need. Veterans deserve better.”

NDP News

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