Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands–Rideau Lakes MP Michael Barrett has been appointed Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs by the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
The June 30 appointment gives Barrett responsibility for holding the federal government accountable on issues affecting veterans, including access to benefits and health care, support during the transition to civilian life, mental health services, housing and recognition of military service.
Barrett said serving in the Canadian Armed Forces was one of the greatest privileges of his life and called it an honour to continue serving veterans in his new role.
Before entering Parliament, Barrett served as a Telecommunications Lineman in the Canadian Armed Forces, including deployments in Canada’s High Arctic and disaster assistance operations.
As an MP, he introduced the Service Dogs for Veterans Act, which would recognize service dogs as a federally supported benefit and establish national training standards for veterans across Canada.
