Veterans Affairs is facing scrutiny over frequent changes in leadership and rising staffing levels, MPs were told, as the department cycled through a new minister every 58 weeks on average while the number of Canadian veterans steadily declined.Blacklock's Reporter says Minister Jill McKnight, the 10th minister in nine years with no military experience, told the Commons veterans affairs committee that she has heard “numerous veterans speak to me about the engagement they have had with Veterans Affairs and individuals who work directly with them as positive experiences.”Conservative MP Fraser Tolmie (Moose Jaw-Lake Centre, Sask.), a former mayor and Air Force veteran, expressed frustration over the rapid turnover. “I have been on this committee for four years since I was elected,” he said. “You are the fifth Minister of Veterans Affairs in the four years I have been here and the ninth minister since the Liberals were voted in. What message does this send to the veterans who have had nine ministers in 10 years?”.McKnight acknowledged the turnover but stressed she is in contact with veterans “with a variety of experiences.” Tolmie challenged her, pointing to veterans struggling to access basic services, including a witness unable to get a wheelchair ramp. “The experiences veterans are having are not good and we need to see a change,” he said.When pressed on what changes she plans to implement, McKnight said, “Change will come with having the investments to be able to spend in veterans.” Tolmie countered that relying on positive anecdotes alone would not fix systemic problems..The department’s budget and staffing have grown significantly over the past decade. Veterans Affairs now employs 3,787 people, a 67% increase from 2,272 in 2014, despite a shrinking veteran population. That equates to roughly one employee for every 38 veterans in Canada.A May 8, 2024 briefing note from the department argued the decline in veterans is “irrelevant to the number of employees” and said planning relies on program intake and service usage rather than census population figures. “This means the difference between Census counts and the department’s population estimate does not have a direct impact on operations,” the note said.
