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You in particular have intimate knowledge of the pressures that face our veterans, and more so those that face the prospect of a posting to the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU) (references B thru N.) In sending you information of the JPSU in the past many years, I knowingly risked censure, disciplinary measures and my very livelihood, but I did so knowing it was for the best of reasons: our injured and ill troops. This said, when you spoke before Parliament recently to chide our veterans and promote a dysfunctional organization (the JPSU), I was left in shock, disillusioned and most certainly dismayed.

Although I have assisted you in the past, and communicated with you often on many subjects, all communication from you ceased with the submission of my Letter of Resignation (reference O.) Since that time I have asked repeatedly to speak with you as my Member of Parliament and have not received an answer. I now understand why, and your recent actions in Parliament have made your silence loud and clear. I believe that your message has reached the ears of many of your supporters, and I hope they are listening carefully.

I have posted a portion of our correspondences online for public viewing with a hope to help your peers, opposition and citizens appreciate the information I presented to you and your inaction of same. Many soldiers have committed suicide since my first email to you, and I can only ponder those that could have been better supported, assisted or saved if action was taken – but no action was taken. Canadian soldiers are expected to fight on foreign land, not their homeland – I find it disgraceful that the CPC does not yet understand the issues involved. I hope you, and your Party, have a epiphany of some sort very soon – lives are truly on the line.

I will now carry on as an independent voter in search of a new party to support, and want you to know without an iota of doubt, that if you can chase me from the CPC, then you can chase anybody away from the CPC (and I heartily encourage them to do so). I hope that in reading this, some of your colleagues will give a second thought at the treatment of veterans, staffing of the JPSU, amending the New Veterans Charter, the untimely closing of VAC Centres and the reinstitution of VAC pension plan.

Regards…

Barry L. Westholm, CD

Sergeant Major (ret’d)

613 587 4203