NATO Veterans Organization of Canada
Organisation canadienne des vétérans de l’OTAN
A Voice for today’s Veterans ~ Une voix pour les vétérans d’aujourd’hui
President's News
Updated - January 28 2014
NVOC Presidents Status Report – January 2014
January 27, 2014
To break the rules, one must know the rules. To operate within the political realm, one must understand the politician and their views so as to identify opportunities to influence change or perception. These are two very important points and we must not lose sight of the environment within which we operate nor the rules set within which we engage.
We have used and will continue to use the venues available to us to influence change in our advocating role and activities to VAC, both to departmental officials and also directly to the Minister in addition to parliamentary standing committees, be they the House of Commons or the Senate.
We have made progress and we are respected within our peer group and also in the corridors of power - in a short period of time we have become an important voice within the community of veterans organizations and have gained access through our 'middle of the road' approach and tactfully and diplomatically and factually putting our positions forward.
Our evolution is taking us into uncharted territory for this organization and we encompass a wide swath of veterans - from post-Korea to current day - we have moved beyond our 'name' not by design but rather as a result of the fact that we speak for the modern day veteran. We are not locked into a specific time period or conflict as are the majority of other veterans groups. We have evolved and will continue to evolve to meet the current and future needs of our membership.
Moving beyond our name, we too must look at the political reality facing us. The present Government has not and is likely not going to augment veterans programs nor make the much necessary and need amendments to the NVC.
In the era of fiscal restraint and budget reductions across the federal government, it is clear to see that NO NEW MONEY will be put on the budget table and we cannot expect to see any increase in funding to veterans issues, success may even be measured by no reductions occurring. That said, reductions are a reality and we are already seeing this in the reductions to VAC offices across Canada. Harsh reality - we can advocate until we are blue in the face, the government is not going to budge from its policy of fiscal restraint.
Therefore we must look to where we can best spend our time and energy. This is not to say that advocacy is finished, in no terms will be cease to advocate; however, we will be strategic in our engagement with the government and with our colleague veteran organizations, so that when we engage, we will be heard loud and clear not only by the government but also by the Canadian public and by our members whom we represent.
Our members are the backbone of this organization and our efforts must focus on making sure that they are well taken care of with respect to their needs and that they receive not only their fair share but also their full entitlements. Helping our members understand their entitlements, understand how to access, and ultimately receive services or payments, is time well spend.
The Ombudsman acknowledges that the majority of veterans do not know and do not apply for existing programs. Let's make sure veterans -particularly modern day veterans -our members- really understand their entitlements.
This has a side benefit in that modern day veterans are more likely to join -if we can demonstrate that NVOC KNOW THE RULES and how we can make a difference in their lives as they transition to civilian life.
We are not the Legion and we will never pretend to be the Legion, we are an organization that speaks for the modern day vets, as a modern day vet speaks, and as a modern day veteran thinks.
Time to take a new tack on NVOC Advocacy - a realistic one
Gord
Gordon Jenkins President NATO Veterans Organization of Canada
Email : gordjenkins@sympatico.ca
Last modified
January 28 2014