VAC

Ottawa group will speak up for veterans across country

Veterans have voice with new not-for-profit advocacy group Veterans Accountability Commission

There’s a new VAC in town.

The not-for-profit advocacy group Veterans Accountability Commission, which bears the same initials as Veterans Affairs Canada, was launched on Monday and aims to give veterans across Canada a voice in Ottawa.

Ten-year reserve veteran Clayton Goodwin, originally from Yarmouth but now based in Ottawa, is a founding member of the new group and now severs as its director of media engagement. He suffers from various injuries related to his service, including operational stress injuries. The organization’s executive director David Mackenzie, also based in Ottawa, hails from Halifax.


The organization held its official launch in Ottawa on Tuesday at a peaceful protest event for Eric Magill, Trenton-based disabled veteran who is entangled in lengthy battle with the government over what he feels is inadequate support for his injuries.

“The motto for our group is transparency, inclusion and accountability. We’re going to live up to our motto and we expect the government, since they have messaged the same, they should live up to their exact motto when dealing with veterans,” he told The Chronicle Herald.

“If there’s any area in Canada where we should have transparency, inclusion and accountability, should it not be our veterans?”

Because they are based in Ottawa, he said the Veterans Accountability Commission has the ability to speak up for veterans at various stakeholder events, engage government and represent the interests of veterans — individually or collectively — across the country.

“I do not need to be invited to a meeting to engage government,” he said. “I have horror stories from veterans from coast to coast, you can leave me out of these meetings and I can still (be heard).”

Goodwin said many veterans feel like they are not adequately represented by lobby groups claiming to have their best interests at heart, so his organization aims to not only keep an eye on how veterans groups are being treated by the government, but also to hold these groups accountable for what they claim to represent.

“As a commission we’re going to reach out, get to know everyone else, see if they are accountable, inclusive, and transparent, and see if we can work with eachother,” he said.

The Veterans Accountability Commission is unique in that will be entirely self funded and will take no monetary donations whatsoever. Any injured veteran or family member affected by a veteran’s injuries will be eligible to join for free.

“Service drove us to volunteer to defend our nation, and service has driven us to become advocates for our peers that are suffering.”

http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1337249-ottawa-group-will-speak-up-for-veterans-across-country

Riddick...I agree the writer seems to be writing to a known group which makes it hard for us to understand exactly where the writer is coming from.

Check out the face book page!

Riddick - I hear you on that pal. I am all for getting the word out and up to the top, but I am really not sure why someone would create another gp. If they wanted to help in change, join one of the now present gps like ours. Just my thoughts from this messed up head of mine..VVV...

I must be losing my noodles.....well......I know I am.

Just read the latest news...... V.A.C. Veterans Accountability Commission !!!!!! ?????......

All I can say is WTF....no clue.......read it twice....but the person that wrote it lost me.

Could anyone explain it to me......like who are they, what are they, what are they doing, what do they want?

If they are yet another group claiming to be veterans advocate...wow..... enough already......

Riddick