Veterans Affairs office closures protested

NDP MP Peter Stoffer, the federal opposition critic for Veterans' Affairs, is in Charlottetown Friday to lead a noon-time rally against the impending closure of eight district offices.

The offices offer veterans one-on-one help through case managers. In areas where Veterans Affairs will no longer have a district office veterans are being asked to go to Service Canada. Eight Veterans Affairs employees will move from district offices to Service Canada.

Stoffer said that's not acceptable.

"What you're basically saying is that you're a veteran and now you're going to have to go and get in line with people who are getting Canada Pension reviews, EI reviews, possibly passport services," he said.

"One person in that office simply won't cut it. What happens if that person goes on vacation or becomes sick or becomes overloaded and you have one person in there and the other veterans show up? What happens to them in that time?"

The district offices will close on Jan. 31. In Charlottetown, Veterans Affairs says clients will also be able to get face-to-face help at an access centre in the department's head office.