Watchdog had been critical of Ottawa’s treatment of injured soldiers
Pat Stogran, Canada’s outgoing ombudsman for veterans, charged at a Tuesday press conference he was “impeded by a bureaucracy that was deliberately obstructive and deceptive” during his time on the job. Stogran’s public statements were his first since Ottawa announced it wouldn’t be renewing his appointment for a second three-year term. The former commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan has criticized the government in the past for what he called its “penny-pinching, insurance-company mentality,” especially when it comes to the treatment of injured soldiers. Topping the list of Stogran’s complaints is Ottawa’s decision to replace pensions for injured soldiers with lump-sum payments and disability stipends. Liberal MP Marc Garneau said Tuesday Stogran is the latest addition to a growing list of government watchdogs who were “sacked becauase they are telling the government the truth.”