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There needs to be a legislated social covenant with soldiers, Dallaire told the committee Thursday.

Since 2006, tens of millions of extra dollars have been poured into veterans care, but that can’t be considered a measure of success, Dallaire added.

The government’s position in the B.C. lawsuit represents a fundamental shift in the way former soldiers are viewed by their government, and it’s no accident the Harper government has not withdrawn it, critics say.

The veterans committee has been holding hearings on the New Veterans Charter, the legislation which spells out the benefits and entitlements of ex-soldiers. The lawsuit alleges the new system is less generous than its predecessor, which provided pensions for life to injured and maimed soldiers.

The committee has already heard a chorus of complaints from veterans — and there are signs it is starting to sting.

Conservative MP Parm Gill, Fantino’s parliamentary secretary, set his sights on one particularly vocal group last week, demanding that Canadian Veterans Advocacy disclose its funding sources and accusing one of its leaders of being partisan.

“Do you think to help the committee you would be able to provide for the committee a breakdown of your funding for the past two years, and any activity you have engaged in with political parties in Canada?” Gill asked.

Also last week, Conservative MP Brian Hayes took issue with comments posted on a popular website for veterans, including one that said the closest Fantino had ever been to a trench was “a trench coat.”

“It disturbs me to see a negative thread, a negative opinion like that allowed to stay,” Hayes told the committee.

Ron Cundell, a veteran who is one of the site’s administrators, said Hayes singled out one comment out of over 300,000, and wondered if Hayes was endorsing censorship.

“That is unfair for you to take away that person’s freedom of speech,” he testified.

On Thursday, Dallaire told the committee he believes that National Defence and Veterans Affairs should be folded into one department, each with its own budget, in order to provide uninterrupted care to the wounded.