Roundup: 50 years, not six

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Despite the government’s announcement of $200 million in new funds for veterans mental health over the next six years, digging into the documents shows that only $20 million of that will be spent over the next six years, while the remainder will be doled out over the next 50 or so years – until the last veteran with PTSD no longer requires the services. And cue the howls of outrage. I’m not sure why anyone is too surprised, as over-promising and woefully under-delivering has become this government’s forte – almost as much as re-announcing old money as though it were new funds several times over. This is no different, and the kind of indifference they are showing to the veteran community – despite campaigning on the banner of being great friends of the military – has been noticed, and it’s the subject of the Liberals’ latest series of ads, as they hope to use it as a wedge in the next election. Meanwhile, Julian Fantino has been absent from the whole affair over the past week as he’s been in Italy to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Italian Campaign in World War II.

Good reads:

  • Pat Martin’s theatrics aside, it is troubling if ministers are looking to skip committee hearings on the supplementary estimates.
  • Laura Stone has lunch with Ruth Ellen Brosseau, and I’m still straining to find much substance (but hey, casual sexism appeared after a discussion on sexual harassment).
  • The judge hearing Michael Sona’s lawyer’s argument for bail has decided to mull it over, so Sona will be spending at least another weekend at Maplehurst maximum security facility. (And I still can’t figure out why he’d be sent to maximum security).
  • Frank Valeriote’s decision to retire after the next election as a result of his wife’s decision to separate from him prompts a discussion about the toll politics plays on the family lives of MPs.
  • Reservists who get hurt in combat get less help than full-time soldiers, which raises questions about fairness.
  • The government is giving the Attawapiskat First Nation five years to repay $1.8 million that is unaccounted for, which was supposed to be spent on housing. And small surprise, Chief Theresa Spence isn’t being too cooperative with auditors.
  • The government still hasn’t fined CN Rail for not meeting their grain shipment quotas.
  • Word has it that Scott Andrews had been reprimanded by the Liberal whip for inappropriate behaviour toward a staffer before the harassment allegations from the NDP MP.
  • Douglas Quan digs into the government’s freak out over the RCMP decision to cut back on their muskrat fur hats.

Odds and ends:

The wild horses of Sable Island may face extinction.

Here is the Gargoyle’s roundup and small stories from the Hill over the week.