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Ellis will head up veterans group

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Ellis will head up veterans group Empty Re: Ellis will head up veterans group

Post by johnny211 Wed 17 Feb 2016, 18:58

Here is the website for the VA Committee Minutes for those interested. Next mtg is tommorow;

http://www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/en/ACVA/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=8765965
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Ellis will head up veterans group Empty Ellis will head up veterans group

Post by Guest Wed 17 Feb 2016, 18:13

BELLEVILLE - Neil Ellis, newly-elected MP for the Bay of Quinte Riding, has had a another responsibility added to his plate.
On Tuesday the former mayor of Belleville was appointed as chairman of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.
“This has a direct connection to the riding, so I look at it as a positive,” said Ellis during a phone interview on Wednesday. “We do have a high concentration of veterans in our area and veteran’s issues.”
The committee is in charge of examining Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) programs including compensation and financial support for veterans as well as Remembrance Day activities and a veterans’ ombudsman program.
“It’s a big portfolio,” said Ellis.
There are approximately 700,000 veterans living in Canada with roughly 150,000 of that number receiving services from VAC, he added.
“This also includes... Royal Canadian Mounted Police disability pensions which fall under our portfolio,” said Ellis.
“There are quite a few people affected.”
In August, Liberal leader, and now Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau made a stop in Belleville to throw his weight behind Ellis’s bid for federal MP of the newly-minted Bay of Quinte Riding.
As part of that event Trudeau laid out a Liberal platform with a heavy focus on caring for veterans — including the re-establishment of a system of lifetime pensions for injured veterans and a pledge to improve access to education after service by covering the cost of four years of post-secondary education for veterans.
“The big thing is to deliver a high-care standard to what Mr. Trudeau said ‘one veteran, one standard’ approach,” said Ellis.
These campaign promises are just some of the items Ellis is hoping to tackle in his new role.
“One of them are the two centres of excellence.”
The proposed centres would specialize in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among other conditions affecting veterans with Trenton Memorial Hospital being pitched as a possible location for one of these centres during Trudeau’s visit to the area.
Another important item is looking at the re-opening of nine veterans affairs offices closed by the previous government — including the examination of staffing issues.
“It’s been out there that staffing has been decreased and the service delivery expectations haven’t been met for veterans.”
This appointment will benefit both the riding and himself, said Ellis.
“It broadens my background and it’s great for the amount of veterans that we have living in the area and will continue retiring in the area.
“Having the largest military air base we have a lot of people that do end up retiring and staying or moving back to the area.”
The committee consists of members from all three of the major parties and will be meeting twice a week with the first meeting having occurred this past Tuesday.
Ellis describes the first meeting as “very positive.”
tim.miller@sunmedia.ca

http://www.intelligencer.ca/2016/02/17/ellis-will-head-up-veterans-group

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