OTTAWA -- The Trudeau government sought to defuse weeks of outrage by ordering officials to adopt a more critical eye before approving funds and services for the family member of veterans -- particularly relatives convicted of serious crimes.
The measure announced Tuesday followed widespread anger over Veterans Affairs Canada's decision to pay for the PTSD treatment of a 30-year-old Halifax man, Christopher Garnier, convicted last year of killing an off-duty police officer and stuffing her body in a compost bin.
A Halifax court heard last month that the department was covering the cost of Garnier's psychologist because his father was a veteran who has also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, even though Garnier himself never served in uniform.
Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan told the House of Commons during a heated question period dominated by the issue that similar decisions will now be flagged to more senior department staff and a health professional for review.
He also said benefits will not be provided to a veteran's family member who is incarcerated in a federal facility.
"I have reviewed the department's findings on this issue and I am directing them to ensure that services received by a family member of a veteran are related to the veterans' service and where they are not, that they be reviewed by a senior official," O'Regan told the House.
"I am directing the department to immediately address its policy on providing treatment to family members under extenuating circumstances, such as conviction of such a serious crime."
O'Regan cited privacy rules when pressed repeatedly by the Tories on whether the government would retroactively claw back any payments to people like Garnier who were given payments before the new policy came into effect.
He later sidestepped a reporter's questions about over whether the new policy would prevent similar situations in the future if the department deemed the relative of a veteran should get such benefits.
"I'm not going to get into hypotheticals," O'Regan said.
Conservatives appeared unimpressed with the move, and pressed forward with plans to force a symbolic vote in the House of Commons calling on the government to immediately revoke Garnier's benefits from Veterans Affairs.
Three weeks ago, O'Regan ordered a review of the decision to provide Garnier benefits. On Tuesday, O'Regan wouldn't get into how many similar cases the department uncovered as part of the review.
Garnier was convicted in December of murdering 36-year-old Catherine Campbell, an off-duty Truro police officer and dumping her body in a compost bin, and his lawyer had argued his client's mental illness was brought on by the murder.
His conviction carries an automatic life sentence, but a Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice ruled last month that he would be able to apply for parole after serving 13 1/2 years -- less 699 days for time served.
The Halifax man has since appealed his sentence, calling it "manifestly excessive." He had also earlier appealed his conviction, in part because he says police interview tactics elicited a false confession.
