Julian Fantino out as veterans affairs minister

[Locutus]

Canada's prime minister has replaced embattled Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino with retired air force officer and first-time MP Erin O'Toole.

In a release Monday, the government said Fantino will remain in cabinet as associate minister for defence — the same post he held before being named international co-operation minister in 2012.

This time, Fantino will focus on Arctic sovereignty, information technology security and foreign intelligence, the release said.

The change was made during a quiet ceremony at Rideau Hall around midday and addresses for now what has been a nagging controversy for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

O'Toole is a former member of the Canadian Forces and one of the founders of the True Patriot Love Foundation, which raises money to support military families.


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Julian Fantino out as veterans affairs minister - Politics - CBC News

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Smart move by Harper. Fantino was a anchor around his neck heading into an election year.

 

[JLM]

Smart move by Harper. Fantino was a anchor around his neck heading into an election year.

Exactly!

 

[Colpy]

There is GREAT rejoicing!!

 

[JLM]

There is GREAT rejoicing!!

I wonder why! Apparently he was cheaping out on the vets when there was allotted money in the bank.

 

[damngrumpy]

The Minister is not the problem the policy of the current administration is the problem
More flower arranging in the Cabinet office. Fantino will appear somewhere else like a
fresh daisy in the spring. Its called politics

 

[JLM]

The Minister is not the problem the policy of the current administration is the problem
More flower arranging in the Cabinet office. Fantino will appear somewhere else like a
fresh daisy in the spring. Its called politics

Yes and No. In politics perception is about 90% of the battle, from what I could gather from the radio today, the money was actually in place- Fantino just failed to dole it out for some reason.

 

[waldo]

Harper's 'clearing the decks'... early election is on the way!

 

[JLM]

Harper's 'clearing the decks'... early election is on the way!

Yep, right after he tables the budget! But don't tell Jr. that!

 

[tay]

Yes and No. In politics perception is about 90% of the battle, from what I could gather from the radio today, the money was actually in place- Fantino just failed to dole it out for some reason.

Really! You haven't been paying attention to this disaster for the last few years?


He did dole some of it out, but not to the people who needed it.


And it (saving money) is a CONservative philosophy. We should never forget that Harper famously said that 'Canadians have it too easy".......








The words of Sir Robert Borden established a verbal contract with Canada’s veterans, vowing that a grateful nation will provide adequate care and support to those who served, while forever honouring those who gave the greatest sacrifice. This solemn promise still echoes today across the war graves of the fallen; from France to Korea, from Bosnia to Afghanistan.


Stephen Harper, however, rejects this social contract with veterans. He does not believe there is a moral obligation to those who answered the call of duty and fought in Canada’s name. In fact, he has tasked federal lawyers with openly challenging this idea in the courts.


The lawyers have stated in the courts that, as far as the Conservative government is concerned, the social covenant to care for injured veterans, as explained by former Prime Minister Borden, was simply ‘political speech’ and ‘not meant to be taken seriously’.




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http://forums.canadiancontent.net/c...-contempt-veterans-year.html?highlight=borden















But here's what Major Mark Campbell, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan in 2008 and is one of six vets taking the government to court in BC, had to say about the changes to that very VIP program four days priorto O'Toole's remarks [10:00 mark]: "What the government says on the one hand with the spin and denials, and what I see on the other hand as a recipient, a client of Veterans Affairs, are two very different things. And this is the problem - there is a fundamental disconnect between what the government is saying and what we veterans, especially the new veterans under the new Veterans Charter, are actually experiencing on the ground. I mean we're seeing reductions in the Veterans Independence Program for lawn care and house care. Under the new grant program they didn't bother to tell us that under the new needs matrix by and large results in about a 50% reduction in the previous benefit."









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http://forums.canadiancontent.net/canadian-politics/130590-meet-con-mp-erin-otoole.html






Veterans Affairs Canada managers made hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses for cutting costs as the department shed hundreds of jobs.



NDP veterans affairs critic Peter Stoffer said paying out over half a million dollars in bonuses while cutting staff will infuriate veterans.

“I just find that absolutely appalling,” said Stoffer, who represents Sackville-Eastern Shore.


“It’s quite sad to be honest with you.”



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http://forums.canadiancontent.net/c...-conservative-our-government-failing-our.html

 

[lone wolf]

The Minister is not the problem the policy of the current administration is the problem
More flower arranging in the Cabinet office. Fantino will appear somewhere else like a
fresh daisy in the spring. Its called politics

...or putting lipstick on a pig (pun inintentional)

 

[Colpy]

Harper's 'clearing the decks'... early election is on the way!

No election before the fall.

 

[JLM]

No election before the fall.

I wouldn't bet my first born.............a smart man doesn't get himself backed against the wall.

 

[damngrumpy]

JLM this too is partly true, remember the youth training program where the TV Ads were
running but no program actually was complete? Its also true they made money available
it sounded great tons of money but the fine print stated it would be over decades like a
serious number of decades. Its one thing to have a program but when few ever qualify
for the money resentment sets in. Are Veterans happy with the treatment they are getting
None that I've talked to.
The government is straddling the line here they want the photo ops with Vets they don't
necessarily want to financially pay for their contribution to society. I do hope the MInister
does a better job but I am not optimistic.

 

[JLM]

JLM this too is partly true, remember the youth training program where the TV Ads were
running but no program actually was complete? Its also true they made money available
it sounded great tons of money but the fine print stated it would be over decades like a
serious number of decades. Its one thing to have a program but when few ever qualify
for the money resentment sets in. Are Veterans happy with the treatment they are getting
None that I've talked to.
The government is straddling the line here they want the photo ops with Vets they don't
necessarily want to financially pay for their contribution to society. I do hope the MInister
does a better job but I am not optimistic.

Yep, it's sort of like what you and I would do when we get a "short" pay cheque and too many bills. Give Peter and Paul a dollar and hope that keeps them quiet until the next cheque.

 

[Zipperfish]

The Minister is not the problem the policy of the current administration is the problem
More flower arranging in the Cabinet office. Fantino will appear somewhere else like a
fresh daisy in the spring. Its called politics

Yeah I'd agree with this. Cabinet ministers don't make policy decisions. He was carrying out his instructions from the PMO.

 

[Colpy]

Yeah I'd agree with this. Cabinet ministers don't make policy decisions. He was carrying out his instructions from the PMO.

The PMO did not instruct him to run away from a veteran's wife, to be late for meetings, to insult veterans, or to be a complete and utter idiot.

I doubt the PMO ordered him not to spend his budget.

And, if nothing else, the new appointment to Veterans' Affairs signifies a definite change in attitude.

It is all good.

 

[Zipperfish]

The PMO did not instruct him to run away from a veteran's wife, to be late for meetings, to insult veterans, or to be a complete and utter idiot.

I doubt the PMO ordered him not to spend his budget.

And, if nothing else, the new appointment to Veterans' Affairs signifies a definite change in attitude.

It is all good.

The PMO did instruct him to cut costs, which led to the closing of many centres across Canada. The Veteran's Charter was one of the first things enacted by the Conservative government in 2006.

People don't change. In my opinion, anyway.

 

[JLM]

The PMO did not instruct him to run away from a veteran's wife, to be late for meetings, to insult veterans, or to be a complete and utter idiot.

I doubt the PMO ordered him not to spend his budget.

And, if nothing else, the new appointment to Veterans' Affairs signifies a definite change in attitude.

It is all good.

I think you have the FACTS pretty well pegged, Colpy! At least your interpretation makes sense!

The PMO did instruct him to cut costs, which led to the closing of many centres across Canada. The Veteran's Charter was one of the first things enacted by the Conservative government in 2006.

People don't change. In my opinion, anyway.

I think you have the FACTS pretty well pegged, Colpy! At least your interpretation makes sense!

The PMO did instruct him to cut costs, which led to the closing of many centres across Canada. The Veteran's Charter was one of the first things enacted by the Conservative government in 2006.

People don't change. In my opinion, anyway.

Cutting costs is an admirable endeavour. I was a Gov't employee for 35 years and I saw a lot of money squandered that had nothing to so with achieving the Mission Statement. Expenses incurred attending useless f**King meeting was a lot of it.

 

[personal touch]

turncoats