New Veterans Affairs office opening in Surrey

The Liberal government is honouring itselection promise to reopen nine closed Veterans Affairs offices across the country.

The federal government is also opening a new officein Surrey.

• Prince George Veterans Affairs office to reopen

Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr spoke to Rick Cluff on The Early Edition about the importance these offices holdfor veterans.

"They've committed so much of their lives for protecting us and keeping our country safe," Hehr said. "We're ensuring that the veterans that we have have the help they need when they need it to build their lives."

Hehr says the offices will handle claims assessments, physical evaluations for pensions, and have case managers to help veterans with employment, education and any lingering health or mental health issues.

The new Veterans Affairs office in Surrey is the first one in the region. Itwill serve 7,500 veterans and their families and will be staffed by21 frontline workers.

"We campaigned on a promise to do things better for veterans and their families," Hehr said. "Our analysis turned up that there was actually a need for additional offices and that's why we're here in Surrey today."

The new Surrey office is expected to open by May 2017.

Will Liberals introduce lifelong pensions?

While many veterans have welcomed the reopening ofshutteredoffices, the Liberal government has notintroduced lifelong pensions for some veterans, which it promised during the election campaign.

• Trudeau promises lifelong pensions for injured veterans

A CBC investigation also found that justice department lawyers were getting ready to advance Harper-era legal arguments to try and block a lawsuit by six Afghan war veterans arguing for lifelong pensions.

But Hehr dismissed that point, saying "you can't run government by an individual lawsuit."

He saidthe government is focusing on public policy, and promises that it would only be a matter of time before lifelong pensions are reinstated.

"Rome wasn't built in a day. We're committed to the rest of our mandate letter. We are going to have a clear option for veterans and their families to return to a lifelong pension."

With files from The Early Edition

To hear the interview, click on the link labelled Federal Minister of Veteran's Affairs Kent Hehr on new services