NANAIMO, B.C. -- The federal Green party is calling for a better deal for injured veterans and RCMP officers.
Green Leader Elizabeth May wants increased funding for former soldiers in need and the reopening of recently closed Veterans Affairs offices.
May is pressing for an end to lump-sum -- as opposed to ongoing -- payments for injured veterans.
She also advocates funding to ensure any veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who wants a service dog will have access to one.
The party says service dogs reduce PTSD in a majority of cases, comparing favourably to pharmaceutical approaches.
The Greens say they will be a strong partner in pushing for the changes in what many expect will be a minority Parliament after the Oct. 19 election.
"Our veterans, our military -- people who put their lives on the line -- deserve our support," May told a news conference. "And we need to do more than wrap ourselves in the flag."
She was accompanied by Trevor Greene, a retired military veteran and author who survived a brutal axe attack while serving in Afghanistan in 2006.
