Veterans Affairs Canada has found a nifty way to try and derail high-profile veterans who complain about its failure to deliver services: investigate them in a manner reminiscent of how long time FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover went after folks he did not like.
The Vancouver Sun in British Columbia reported that Veterans Affairs Canada had compiled a 28,000 page dossier on veterans advocate Sean Bruyea, a retired Gulf War veteran.
The ministry also spent a lot of time digging around in Bruyea's confidential medical files, the Sun said, with the files accessed more than 4,000 times by 850 individuals over a nine-year period as he became an increasingly visible advocate criticizing a new benefit plan that he said shortchanged Canada's Afghanistan veterans.
Pat Stogran, Canada's veterans ombudsman, says psychologically and physically disabled Canadian veterans of that war will face the same neglect U.S veterans of the Vietnam War experienced unless the country radically changes its attitude to care for former soldiers, the Ottawa Hill Times reported.
Stogran, who has described Canada's vet benefits as "chump change," told the Hill Times his medical files also had been accessed by Veterans Affairs Canada.
I guess I should take heart that when I pinch a nerve at our VA offices they don't launch an investigation of me. At most, some officials just get a bit cranky.
But since I'm a wee bit paranoid, maybe I should ask them if there is a Brewin dossier.
Bob Brewin
Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.
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