OTTAWA - The Liberal government is defending its choice to take more than $4 million from Veterans Affairs Canada's operating budget at a time when the department is struggling with a backlog of tens of thousands of disability applications from injured ex-soldiers.
Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay says the money moved went mainly to providing emergency assistance to at-risk veterans, including some who are homeless or in crisis situations.
But MacAulay, who was grilled over the transfer during a parliamentary committee appearance this morning, later sidestepped questions from The Canadian Press about why the government didn't add more money from the federal treasury instead.
The department's top civil servant, retired general Walter Natynczyk, told the committee the transfer did not negatively impact efforts to address the backlog of 44,000 applications, a number that has steadily grown for the past few years.
Conservative and NDP MPs were unimpressed with the government's explanation, questioning why it took more resources from the department's operating budget as the backlog continues to grow, instead adding more money to deal with the problem.
Opposition parties also called on the government to produce a detailed plan for eliminating the backlog, echoing a call from veterans ombudsman Craig Dalton last month.