Term of veterans ombudsman was up: minister

Canada's outgoing ombudsman for veterans was not appointed to a second term because it'sgood to get someone new into the role after three years, Veteran Affairs Minister Jean-PierreBlackburn said Thursday.

"It's difficult work for an ombudsman to be there and to try to look inside the department and to find if there is systemic problem and to deliver suggestions, Blackburn said on CBC's Power & Politics with Evan Solomon.

"I think [Pat] Stogran has done this job and it's on a three-year period of time. I think it's good for our veterans that after a three-year term, that somebody else will take the torch and still go on to help our veterans."

Blackburn addedit was the Conservative government that brought in the position of ombudsman.

Some have saidStogran's term was not renewed because of his outspoken criticismof the government.

Earlier this week, Stogranlashed outatthegovernment'streatment of servicemen and women, accusingthebureaucracy of being "deliberately obstructive and deceptive" and charging that information given to bureaucrats isn't reaching Blackburn.

Asked whether he was being stonewalled by bureaucrats, Blackburn said that when he became minister, he asked the employees in the department and Stogran what changes needed to be made.Stogran and the employeeslisted similar complaints, he said.

Blackburn also said thathe sees and signs all letters sent out to veterans in response to their complaints.

"I see every time what kind of problem is in our department," he said.