Ottawa orders 'full and thorough' investigation into veterans' assisted death controversy

The federal government has issued a “complete and We are launching a thorough investigation. with a veteran.

In a statement provided to Global His News on Friday afternoon, a spokesman for Minister for Veterans Affairs Lawrence Macaulay said the minister had "a full and thorough investigation into this matter. I have instructed the Deputy Minister to carry out

Macaulay also added, "All Canadian Veterans Administrationfront-line staff receive formal training, instruction and advice on how to deal with MAiD issues." , the statement added.

This investigation and exercise was based on Global News' first report on his August 16th report that a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employee had discussed medically assisted dying with a veteran. It was done after it was first reported. A stake in the ongoing struggle for veterans to access support.

The source told Global News in a conversation with a veteran who was seeking post-traumatic care that VAC services The agent said he brought up MAiD without prompting for stress disorders and traumatic brain injuries.

Global News did not identify the veteran who sought treatment due to privacy concerns, but when speaking directly with the individual, service agents repeatedly brought up his MAiD and said the veteran said he spoke to the service agent even after asking him to stop.

The veteran said he felt pressured as a result.

READ MORE: 'Deny, Delay, Die': Assisted dying arguments warn of gaps in veterans' care. Update

He also requested resources for dying medical assistance through Veterans Affairs Canada, including support for the children of another veteran who was suffering from imminent death.

The veteran told Global News another veteran had experienced a medical-assisted death and had his own He said a service agent told him he was the one who decided to end his life.

"It's better than blowing brains all over the wall or smashing your car into something," the veteran says a service agent told him when describing another case. .

Veterans Affairs Canada said earlier this week that it was investigating the matter.

Department and its staff have no capacity to provide resources for euthanasia, but advocate for veterans The person even affects the posing of the subject.

It's like sowing," said Debbie Lowther. VETS CanadaExecutive Her Director is a charity that supports veterans in crisis.

"If you have a veteran already struggling with mental health and possibly contemplating suicide, this is the opportunity presented to them."

For some. , she explained, that the idea of ​​taking one's own life and having a loved one find her body may have discouraged suicidal thoughts. "It can have very, very detrimental consequences," said Lowther, who offered the option of assisted death.

Read More: Veterans' deaths say workers received medical help and were "inappropriately" discussed. expressed.

"If that veteran was last minute, it might have been his hair that broke the camel's back," he said in an interview. "It's so indifferent to someone's life."

Monker fought in Afghanistan as a reservist and suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was shot in the head during deployment. He said he was "shocked, angry, and angry" to learn that he had provided medical assistance to a veteran who died.

"My understanding is that this staff member is still getting paid and is still working. This is unacceptable to me. I don't understand why this person can still be trusted," he said. said.

"Just wondering, is this my case manager? Is this the person I'm going to look after?"

Partner Moncur, who is NDP MP Niki Ashton, also criticized MacAulay's performance at work.

He said he was part of the Service Excellence Advisory Group, which advises ministers, and attempted to call an emergency meeting on the matter.

``They refused my request. I did," said Monker. "You said you would have a meeting in September anyway, so you should wait until then."

READ MORE: Assisted death case Veterans Affairs questions Mental Health Support: Advocate

Global News has sent a detailed list of questions regarding the details of the veterans' allegations to Veterans Affair Canada officials. In response, the department said it would not record phone conversations between veterans and staff to protect privacy. Allegations by a veteran that he helped obtain assistance or that an agent told another veteran that MAiD was “better than blowing his brains out.”

It states that it has filed multiple complaints about its service agents since July 21, 2019.

We immediately took steps to address the situation and apologized to our clients," a Veterans Affairs Canada spokesperson said.

As directed by the Minister of Armed Forces, the Deputy Minister will oversee a thorough internal investigation into this matter and take appropriate administrative action necessary to ensure that such a situation does not occur again."

Under Canadian law, for medically assisted death, primary care providers, such as doctors and psychiatrists, and their patients You can only talk between

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