Mulcair promises to re-open Veterans Affairs offices and launch Agent Orange inquiry
Posted Sep 21, 2015 06:07:58 AM.
Last Updated Sep 21, 2015 10:35:42 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair returned to the Halifax Regional Municipality today.
At a campaign stop in Dartmouth, Mulcair promised to re-open 9 regional Veterans Affairs offices, including one in Sydney, that were closed last year in a cost-cutting measure by the federal Conservatives.
“We will provide nearly half a billion dollars in additional support for veterans over the next four years to guarantee they get the services and supports they deserve,” said Mulcair.
At the Royal Canadian Legion on Main Street, Mulcair said the NDP leader said an NDP government would also apologize to those kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and also promised to launch a public inquiry into spraying of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown.
The federal government set aside nearly $100-million in 2007 for Canadians harmed by Agent Orange and other chemicals used at the base.
Agent Orange is a toxic herbicide that was sprayed at CFB Gagetown in the mid-1960s by the U-S military, with permission from Canada.
Exposure to it has been known to lead to some skin disorders, liver problems and certain types of cancer.
“We will provide nearly half a billion dollars in additional support for veterans over the next four years to guarantee they get the services and supports they deserve,” said Mulcair.
Stephen Harper heads today to a riding where the Conservatives have had a rough ride of late.
Dean Del Mastro resigned the seat in Peterborough, Ontario, following his conviction for three electoral offences: overspending, failing to report a contribution he made to his own campaign, and knowingly filing a false report. He is appealing.
Del Mastro won the riding three times for the Conservatives by healthy margins, but his conviction hurt the party.
Harper starts his day in the Kitchener, Ontario area at a fair for Home Hardware franchise owners.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau attends a town hall meeting in downtown Toronto this morning then heads to Ottawa for a rally this evening.
Green Leader Elizabeth May has no public events.
