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Thursday, November 21, 2024
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Sean Bruyea

Sean Bruyea, vice-president of Canadians for Accountability, is a retired Air Force intelligence officer and a frequent commentator on government, military, and veterans’ issues.

Canada’s must-do list, not a wish-list for veterans

  • Canadians cannot renege on the contract was understood when we joined the armed forces, that the government would care for and compensate us for
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 11, 2024
Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, pictured on the Hill. Veterans advocate Sean Bruyea says pension problems and care for veterans still persist today, and that Veterans Affairs Canada needs effective oversight. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s must-do list, not a wish-list for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 11, 2024
  • Canadians cannot renege on the contract was understood when we joined the armed forces, that the government would care for and compensate us for

Canada’s must-do list, not a wish-list for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 11, 2024
  • Canadians cannot renege on the contract was understood when we joined the armed forces, that the government would care for and compensate us for
Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, pictured on the Hill. Veterans advocate Sean Bruyea says pension problems and care for veterans still persist today, and that Veterans Affairs Canada needs effective oversight. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s must-do list, not a wish-list for veterans

  • Canadians cannot renege on the contract was understood when we joined the armed forces, that the government would care for and compensate us for
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 11, 2024
Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, pictured on the Hill. Veterans advocate Sean Bruyea says pension problems and care for veterans still persist today, and that Veterans Affairs Canada needs effective oversight. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s must-do list, not a wish-list for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 11, 2024
  • Canadians cannot renege on the contract was understood when we joined the armed forces, that the government would care for and compensate us for

Canada’s must-do list, not a wish-list for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 11, 2024
  • Canadians cannot renege on the contract was understood when we joined the armed forces, that the government would care for and compensate us for
Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, pictured on the Hill. Veterans advocate Sean Bruyea says pension problems and care for veterans still persist today, and that Veterans Affairs Canada needs effective oversight. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Election 2021: what will the parties sacrifice for veterans?

  • OTTAWA—Typically, the sacrifice of Canadian veterans has been invoked on Remembrance Day and sometimes during an election. Far less frequent is remembering the other
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 16, 2021
Veterans, pictured on Nov. 11, 2020, laying a wreath at the National Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Election 2021: what will the parties sacrifice for veterans?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 16, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Typically, the sacrifice of Canadian veterans has been invoked on Remembrance Day and sometimes during an election. Far less frequent is remembering the other

Election 2021: what will the parties sacrifice for veterans?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 16, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Typically, the sacrifice of Canadian veterans has been invoked on Remembrance Day and sometimes during an election. Far less frequent is remembering the other
Veterans, pictured on Nov. 11, 2020, laying a wreath at the National Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ottawa’s legal costs: from bad secrets to better government

  • OTTAWA—During the last week in January, Parliament worked a little better for Canadians, uncovering what Ottawa has been increasingly hiding. I am talking about
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | February 5, 2020
The Liberals revealed in a Jan. 27 answer to an Order Paper question that it cost $1.4-million for the prosecution of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Sean Bruyea writes that this type of spending should be proactively disclosed. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ottawa’s legal costs: from bad secrets to better government

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | February 5, 2020
  • OTTAWA—During the last week in January, Parliament worked a little better for Canadians, uncovering what Ottawa has been increasingly hiding. I am talking about

Ottawa’s legal costs: from bad secrets to better government

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | February 5, 2020
  • OTTAWA—During the last week in January, Parliament worked a little better for Canadians, uncovering what Ottawa has been increasingly hiding. I am talking about
The Liberals revealed in a Jan. 27 answer to an Order Paper question that it cost $1.4-million for the prosecution of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Sean Bruyea writes that this type of spending should be proactively disclosed. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Veterans aren’t fooled by Liberal alchemy

  • OTTAWA—It was a flagship promise to veterans made personally by Justin Trudeau in 2015 and a priority in the mandate letters for four different
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 1, 2019
Canada's new Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay, pictured on March 1, 2019, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa shortly after being sworn in and shuffled from agriculture. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade and file photo

Veterans aren’t fooled by Liberal alchemy

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 1, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It was a flagship promise to veterans made personally by Justin Trudeau in 2015 and a priority in the mandate letters for four different

Veterans aren’t fooled by Liberal alchemy

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 1, 2019
  • OTTAWA—It was a flagship promise to veterans made personally by Justin Trudeau in 2015 and a priority in the mandate letters for four different
Canada's new Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay, pictured on March 1, 2019, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa shortly after being sworn in and shuffled from agriculture. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade and file photo

Veterans will remember on Nov. 11, but not the way Ottawa wants

  • OTTAWA—The Liberals created an unnecessary and enduring lightning rod for veteran discontent in 2005. Back then, they rammed legislation through Ottawa’s sausage factory, replacing
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 29, 2018
Remembrance Day is fast approaching, but improvement for disabled veterans has been a slow trickle of painfully inadequate or insensitively administered programs, writes veterans advocate Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times file photograph

Veterans will remember on Nov. 11, but not the way Ottawa wants

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 29, 2018
  • OTTAWA—The Liberals created an unnecessary and enduring lightning rod for veteran discontent in 2005. Back then, they rammed legislation through Ottawa’s sausage factory, replacing

Veterans will remember on Nov. 11, but not the way Ottawa wants

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 29, 2018
  • OTTAWA—The Liberals created an unnecessary and enduring lightning rod for veteran discontent in 2005. Back then, they rammed legislation through Ottawa’s sausage factory, replacing
Remembrance Day is fast approaching, but improvement for disabled veterans has been a slow trickle of painfully inadequate or insensitively administered programs, writes veterans advocate Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times file photograph

How to razzle dazzle veterans and do nothing

  • OTTAWA—One thing consistently flies over the heads of Veterans Affairs Canada’s senior mandarins: the concept of accessibility for disabled veterans and their families. The
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 22, 2018
Mounties, pictured April 9, 2017, at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France at a ceremony to mark the centenary of the First World War fight in which nearly 3,600 Canadians died. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

How to razzle dazzle veterans and do nothing

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 22, 2018
  • OTTAWA—One thing consistently flies over the heads of Veterans Affairs Canada’s senior mandarins: the concept of accessibility for disabled veterans and their families. The

How to razzle dazzle veterans and do nothing

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 22, 2018
  • OTTAWA—One thing consistently flies over the heads of Veterans Affairs Canada’s senior mandarins: the concept of accessibility for disabled veterans and their families. The
Mounties, pictured April 9, 2017, at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France at a ceremony to mark the centenary of the First World War fight in which nearly 3,600 Canadians died. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Rotten process, rotten product for veterans

  • OTTAWA—Process is as important as product. When the product is destined for a group of Canadians willing to die for our democratic process, shouldn’t
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 17, 2018
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured in this file photo in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Rotten process, rotten product for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 17, 2018
  • OTTAWA—Process is as important as product. When the product is destined for a group of Canadians willing to die for our democratic process, shouldn’t

Rotten process, rotten product for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 17, 2018
  • OTTAWA—Process is as important as product. When the product is destined for a group of Canadians willing to die for our democratic process, shouldn’t
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured in this file photo in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Should we care about another broken promise for veterans?

  • OTTAWA—The process was rotten from the start. Does the product provide any redemption? On April 1, 2018, government will once again try to resuscitate
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | March 26, 2018
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured in Ottawa. On April 1, the government will once again try to resuscitate the justifiably maligned veterans’ program known as the New Veterans Charter, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Should we care about another broken promise for veterans?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | March 26, 2018
  • OTTAWA—The process was rotten from the start. Does the product provide any redemption? On April 1, 2018, government will once again try to resuscitate

Should we care about another broken promise for veterans?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | March 26, 2018
  • OTTAWA—The process was rotten from the start. Does the product provide any redemption? On April 1, 2018, government will once again try to resuscitate
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured in Ottawa. On April 1, the government will once again try to resuscitate the justifiably maligned veterans’ program known as the New Veterans Charter, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ottawa can’t afford democracy for veterans

  • OTTAWA—”Why are we still fighting certain veterans groups in court? Because they’re asking for more than we are able to give right now.” And
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | March 19, 2018
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured recently on Parliament Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ottawa can’t afford democracy for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | March 19, 2018
  • OTTAWA—”Why are we still fighting certain veterans groups in court? Because they’re asking for more than we are able to give right now.” And

Ottawa can’t afford democracy for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | March 19, 2018
  • OTTAWA—”Why are we still fighting certain veterans groups in court? Because they’re asking for more than we are able to give right now.” And
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured recently on Parliament Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Liberals’ plan for veterans: numbers don’t add up

  • OTTAWA—The new federal Liberal plan for veterans is all about saving money, yet again, at the expense of veterans. The more Canadians and veterans
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | February 12, 2018
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured recently in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Liberals’ plan for veterans: numbers don’t add up

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | February 12, 2018
  • OTTAWA—The new federal Liberal plan for veterans is all about saving money, yet again, at the expense of veterans. The more Canadians and veterans

Liberals’ plan for veterans: numbers don’t add up

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | February 12, 2018
  • OTTAWA—The new federal Liberal plan for veterans is all about saving money, yet again, at the expense of veterans. The more Canadians and veterans
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured recently in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When will Parliament reciprocate commitment veterans have given to Canada?

  • Canada’s serving and retired military members were recently handed a most devastating defeat. However, Ottawa should reign in any festive celebration. This ruling shows
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | December 11, 2017
Canada's Veterans Affairs Seamus O'Regan, pictured recently on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

When will Parliament reciprocate commitment veterans have given to Canada?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | December 11, 2017
  • Canada’s serving and retired military members were recently handed a most devastating defeat. However, Ottawa should reign in any festive celebration. This ruling shows

When will Parliament reciprocate commitment veterans have given to Canada?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | December 11, 2017
  • Canada’s serving and retired military members were recently handed a most devastating defeat. However, Ottawa should reign in any festive celebration. This ruling shows
Canada's Veterans Affairs Seamus O'Regan, pictured recently on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Can O’Regan avoid putting his foot in veterans’ mouths?

  • OTTAWA—If the first public comments of newly appointed Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan are anything to go by, veterans and the governing Liberals should
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 18, 2017
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured Aug. 28, 2017, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa shortly before he was sworn into cabinet. If the first public comments of newly appointed Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan are anything to go by, veterans and the governing Liberals should be worried, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times file photograph

Can O’Regan avoid putting his foot in veterans’ mouths?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 18, 2017
  • OTTAWA—If the first public comments of newly appointed Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan are anything to go by, veterans and the governing Liberals should

Can O’Regan avoid putting his foot in veterans’ mouths?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 18, 2017
  • OTTAWA—If the first public comments of newly appointed Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan are anything to go by, veterans and the governing Liberals should
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan, pictured Aug. 28, 2017, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa shortly before he was sworn into cabinet. If the first public comments of newly appointed Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan are anything to go by, veterans and the governing Liberals should be worried, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times file photograph

How Seamus O’Regan can do the right thing

  • OTTAWA—Removing Minister Kent Hehr from Veterans Affairs Canada was the right thing to do. The new minister, Seamus O’Regan, must do better. Just six
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 4, 2017
Seamus O'Regan outside Rideau Hall on Aug. 28 just before getting sworn in as Veterans Affairs minister. Sean Bruyea says if O'Regan wants to have a positive impact, he must change the culture at Veterans Affairs Canada. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

How Seamus O’Regan can do the right thing

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 4, 2017
  • OTTAWA—Removing Minister Kent Hehr from Veterans Affairs Canada was the right thing to do. The new minister, Seamus O’Regan, must do better. Just six

How Seamus O’Regan can do the right thing

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 4, 2017
  • OTTAWA—Removing Minister Kent Hehr from Veterans Affairs Canada was the right thing to do. The new minister, Seamus O’Regan, must do better. Just six
Seamus O'Regan outside Rideau Hall on Aug. 28 just before getting sworn in as Veterans Affairs minister. Sean Bruyea says if O'Regan wants to have a positive impact, he must change the culture at Veterans Affairs Canada. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Did Canada pay Khadr too much, its veterans too little, or a bit of both?

  • OTTAWA—Fierce and passionate responses surround Omar Khadr’s reported $10.5-million settlement. Some have compared the amount to what Canada begrudgingly gives its soldiers injured and
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | July 17, 2017
Omar Khadr, pictured when he was 14 years old. Mr. Khadr’s settlement at the very least provokes conversation so that veterans do not have to suffer in silence, writes Sean Bruyea. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Did Canada pay Khadr too much, its veterans too little, or a bit of both?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | July 17, 2017
  • OTTAWA—Fierce and passionate responses surround Omar Khadr’s reported $10.5-million settlement. Some have compared the amount to what Canada begrudgingly gives its soldiers injured and

Did Canada pay Khadr too much, its veterans too little, or a bit of both?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | July 17, 2017
  • OTTAWA—Fierce and passionate responses surround Omar Khadr’s reported $10.5-million settlement. Some have compared the amount to what Canada begrudgingly gives its soldiers injured and
Omar Khadr, pictured when he was 14 years old. Mr. Khadr’s settlement at the very least provokes conversation so that veterans do not have to suffer in silence, writes Sean Bruyea. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Less pretty words, more substantial action needed for military families

  • OTTAWA—They have been called our “best kept secret.” Will the current government’s defence policy review and decades of tight-fisted budgets continue to relegate the
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 29, 2017
Canada's Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance, pictured in Ottawa. Sean Bruyea, vice-president of Canadians for Accountability, says the federal government should be investing more money into the 32 Military Family Resource Centres. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Less pretty words, more substantial action needed for military families

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 29, 2017
  • OTTAWA—They have been called our “best kept secret.” Will the current government’s defence policy review and decades of tight-fisted budgets continue to relegate the

Less pretty words, more substantial action needed for military families

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 29, 2017
  • OTTAWA—They have been called our “best kept secret.” Will the current government’s defence policy review and decades of tight-fisted budgets continue to relegate the
Canada's Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance, pictured in Ottawa. Sean Bruyea, vice-president of Canadians for Accountability, says the federal government should be investing more money into the 32 Military Family Resource Centres. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Liberals say right things about helping veterans, but devils are in the details

  • OTTAWA—With widespread tensions simmering just beneath a deceptively calm public profile, injured veterans and their families are running out of patience. The 2017 Liberal
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 10, 2017
We need more than exclusionary piecemeal impulses and Band-Aid fixes for our veterans, such as what has so far been offered by the current Liberal government, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Liberals say right things about helping veterans, but devils are in the details

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 10, 2017
  • OTTAWA—With widespread tensions simmering just beneath a deceptively calm public profile, injured veterans and their families are running out of patience. The 2017 Liberal

Liberals say right things about helping veterans, but devils are in the details

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 10, 2017
  • OTTAWA—With widespread tensions simmering just beneath a deceptively calm public profile, injured veterans and their families are running out of patience. The 2017 Liberal
We need more than exclusionary piecemeal impulses and Band-Aid fixes for our veterans, such as what has so far been offered by the current Liberal government, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Remembering the living, not just the dead

  • OTTAWA—Honouring Canada’s fallen in war has been increasingly widespread. Honouring the living with dignity has often been a struggle, especially for government. Paying injured
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 7, 2016
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, pictured Nov. 11, 2015, at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Remembering the living, not just the dead

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 7, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Honouring Canada’s fallen in war has been increasingly widespread. Honouring the living with dignity has often been a struggle, especially for government. Paying injured

Remembering the living, not just the dead

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | November 7, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Honouring Canada’s fallen in war has been increasingly widespread. Honouring the living with dignity has often been a struggle, especially for government. Paying injured
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, pictured Nov. 11, 2015, at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Big gap between Liberal rhetoric and action on veterans issues

  • Veterans and Canadians better stop holding their breath. Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr is way behind schedule and doesn’t have the oomph to
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 31, 2016
Justing Trudeau and the Liberals may well pay the price for Kent Hehr’s lackadaisical approach to leadership in Veterans Affairs, write Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Big gap between Liberal rhetoric and action on veterans issues

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 31, 2016
  • Veterans and Canadians better stop holding their breath. Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr is way behind schedule and doesn’t have the oomph to

Big gap between Liberal rhetoric and action on veterans issues

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 31, 2016
  • Veterans and Canadians better stop holding their breath. Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr is way behind schedule and doesn’t have the oomph to
Justing Trudeau and the Liberals may well pay the price for Kent Hehr’s lackadaisical approach to leadership in Veterans Affairs, write Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Ottawa’s war to silence veterans

  • OTTAWA—The federal government is holding yet another stakeholder summit on Oct. 5-6 in Gatineau, Que. Veterans Affairs Canada claims such “engagement” fulfills requirements to consult
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 3, 2016
Veterans will be unlikely to question Walt Natynczyk’s inaction and excuses for not moving on policy issues universally agreed-upon more than a decade before, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Ottawa’s war to silence veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 3, 2016
  • OTTAWA—The federal government is holding yet another stakeholder summit on Oct. 5-6 in Gatineau, Que. Veterans Affairs Canada claims such “engagement” fulfills requirements to consult

Ottawa’s war to silence veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | October 3, 2016
  • OTTAWA—The federal government is holding yet another stakeholder summit on Oct. 5-6 in Gatineau, Que. Veterans Affairs Canada claims such “engagement” fulfills requirements to consult
Veterans will be unlikely to question Walt Natynczyk’s inaction and excuses for not moving on policy issues universally agreed-upon more than a decade before, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Canadian Forces culture in desperate need of change

  • OTTAWA—“Got your six” also means “I’ve got your back.” It is the cultural bedrock of how military members look after each other. Canadian Forces
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 26, 2016
Thirty years and countless CF sexual abuse cases of women and men later, current Chief of Defence Staff Johnathan Vance has declared 'This stops now.' He established a harassment reporting hotline. But so far in 2016, complaints of sexual misconduct have risen 22 per cent over 2015. CF culture appears incapable of change over three decades, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Canadian Forces culture in desperate need of change

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 26, 2016
  • OTTAWA—“Got your six” also means “I’ve got your back.” It is the cultural bedrock of how military members look after each other. Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces culture in desperate need of change

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 26, 2016
  • OTTAWA—“Got your six” also means “I’ve got your back.” It is the cultural bedrock of how military members look after each other. Canadian Forces
Thirty years and countless CF sexual abuse cases of women and men later, current Chief of Defence Staff Johnathan Vance has declared 'This stops now.' He established a harassment reporting hotline. But so far in 2016, complaints of sexual misconduct have risen 22 per cent over 2015. CF culture appears incapable of change over three decades, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Ottawa gives veterans the indexation finger

  • OTTAWA—What the Liberals give, bureaucrats can take away. On Oct. 1, Liberal campaign promises to improve the lives of veterans begin to take effect. All
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 19, 2016
Members of Canada’s Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, pictured training in Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area on Sept. 8, 2016. Veterans’ advocate Sean Bruyea says that, ‘covertly inserted’ in new regulations from the Liberal government ‘is a most regressive measure that will diminish the compensation of injured veterans for decades to come.’ Photograph courtesy of DND/Combat Camera

Ottawa gives veterans the indexation finger

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 19, 2016
  • OTTAWA—What the Liberals give, bureaucrats can take away. On Oct. 1, Liberal campaign promises to improve the lives of veterans begin to take effect. All

Ottawa gives veterans the indexation finger

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | September 19, 2016
  • OTTAWA—What the Liberals give, bureaucrats can take away. On Oct. 1, Liberal campaign promises to improve the lives of veterans begin to take effect. All
Members of Canada’s Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, pictured training in Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area on Sept. 8, 2016. Veterans’ advocate Sean Bruyea says that, ‘covertly inserted’ in new regulations from the Liberal government ‘is a most regressive measure that will diminish the compensation of injured veterans for decades to come.’ Photograph courtesy of DND/Combat Camera

Why Canada needs to pry open the doors of the legion’s headquarters

  • The national leadership of the Royal Canadian Legion faces a crisis in confidence with its membership along with Canada’s veterans. All Canadians should be
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | June 8, 2016
Sean Bruyea argues that rather than an organization for veterans, the legion exists more like a social club using veterans as props. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Why Canada needs to pry open the doors of the legion’s headquarters

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | June 8, 2016
  • The national leadership of the Royal Canadian Legion faces a crisis in confidence with its membership along with Canada’s veterans. All Canadians should be

Why Canada needs to pry open the doors of the legion’s headquarters

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | June 8, 2016
  • The national leadership of the Royal Canadian Legion faces a crisis in confidence with its membership along with Canada’s veterans. All Canadians should be
Sean Bruyea argues that rather than an organization for veterans, the legion exists more like a social club using veterans as props. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Vets need more than job training to adapt to civilian life

  • “Seamless transition” is the latest buzzword for helping Canadian Forces members and their families releasing into a new civilian life. Throwing money at the same
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 23, 2016

Vets need more than job training to adapt to civilian life

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 23, 2016
  • “Seamless transition” is the latest buzzword for helping Canadian Forces members and their families releasing into a new civilian life. Throwing money at the same

Vets need more than job training to adapt to civilian life

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 23, 2016
  • “Seamless transition” is the latest buzzword for helping Canadian Forces members and their families releasing into a new civilian life. Throwing money at the same

Veterans’ consultation, or a dog and pony show

  • OTTAWA—Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is set to host their most elaborate dog and pony “consultation” show to date, all in the name of caring
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 9, 2016

Veterans’ consultation, or a dog and pony show

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 9, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is set to host their most elaborate dog and pony “consultation” show to date, all in the name of caring

Veterans’ consultation, or a dog and pony show

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | May 9, 2016
  • OTTAWA—Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is set to host their most elaborate dog and pony “consultation” show to date, all in the name of caring

Has a well-intentioned minister of veterans affairs been co-opted by a cliché?

  • OTTAWA—”Plus ça change…” the more things stay the same is a humiliating truism for veterans. Has a well-intentioned minister of Veterans Affairs been co-opted
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 11, 2016
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mandate letter emphasizes 'inclusion, honesty, and generosity of spirit,' but so far Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr’s, pictured right with Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, first steps with his advisory groups has been anything but, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Has a well-intentioned minister of veterans affairs been co-opted by a cliché?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 11, 2016
  • OTTAWA—”Plus ça change…” the more things stay the same is a humiliating truism for veterans. Has a well-intentioned minister of Veterans Affairs been co-opted

Has a well-intentioned minister of veterans affairs been co-opted by a cliché?

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 11, 2016
  • OTTAWA—”Plus ça change…” the more things stay the same is a humiliating truism for veterans. Has a well-intentioned minister of Veterans Affairs been co-opted
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mandate letter emphasizes 'inclusion, honesty, and generosity of spirit,' but so far Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr’s, pictured right with Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, first steps with his advisory groups has been anything but, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Precarious optimism for veterans

  • Cautious optimism has infected veterans and Canadians alike hoping that injured veterans’ lives will be made better under the current Liberal government. Even with
Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 4, 2016
The 95 per cent of VAC bureaucrats who never served in the military don’t get it. Former rank is everything, especially when it determines one’s professional and financial worth in a frustrating world of disability. All that holds many disabled veterans together is pride in one’s rank. This is a demotion in a veterans’ purpose-giving status. One would think that Veterans Affairs deputy minister and former top general Walt Natynczyk would get this, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Precarious optimism for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 4, 2016
  • Cautious optimism has infected veterans and Canadians alike hoping that injured veterans’ lives will be made better under the current Liberal government. Even with

Precarious optimism for veterans

Opinion | BY SEAN BRUYEA | April 4, 2016
  • Cautious optimism has infected veterans and Canadians alike hoping that injured veterans’ lives will be made better under the current Liberal government. Even with
The 95 per cent of VAC bureaucrats who never served in the military don’t get it. Former rank is everything, especially when it determines one’s professional and financial worth in a frustrating world of disability. All that holds many disabled veterans together is pride in one’s rank. This is a demotion in a veterans’ purpose-giving status. One would think that Veterans Affairs deputy minister and former top general Walt Natynczyk would get this, writes Sean Bruyea. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
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