January 14th, 2011

Update on Veterans Issues

In the ongoing struggle for the fair treatment of Canadian veterans and their families, the end of 2010 gave us all reason for optimism on a couple of fronts.

As I mentioned in December, the Auditor General, Ms. Sheila Fraser, informed me in writing that she would embark on the long-awaited audit of the New Veterans Charter. Although the results of the audit will not be known until the Fall of 2012, it has been my experience in government that the prospect of a visit from the Auditor General has a tendency to “focus the mind” of those responsible for Government departments, causing them to anticipate likely problems and solve them before they become part of an official, and very public, report. However, the Auditor General must be made aware of specific problems, so I would encourage you to spread the word among fellow veterans and organizations to get in touch with her directly, to let her know your experiences and concerns with the New Veterans Charter. She can be reached at:

Ms. Sheila Fraser
Office of the Auditor General of Canada
240 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G6
communications@oag-bvg.gc.ca

The second piece of good news concerns the outstanding efforts of Dennis Manuge. I would like to congratulate Mr. Manuge, his fellow veterans, his lawyers and supporters on the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada to allow his class action lawsuit to proceed in the Federal Court. While the case is far from settled, it could mean that as many as 6,500 veterans can fight the Government clawback of their disability payments. Their refusal to give up the fight has been a tremendous inspiration to many veterans.

Media coverage and public pressure led to a small victory in December 2010 when the government announced it was extending the deadline for applications for the Agent Orange ex gratia payment. This is a far cry from what is needed – and indeed, from what Stephen Harper promised he would do – but that it happened at all is a testament to the importance of keeping public pressure on this government. When I received an answer to a Written Question I tabled in the Senate last October, we found out that one-third of the money allocated for this program was going back into General Revenue (that is, it wasn’t even going to be made available for other veterans’ programs) and the reaction of the Canadian public was such that the Government was embarrassed into reversing its decision.

The latest example of this attitude is the issue of veterans’ funeral and burial expenses. I recently issued a press release describing the situation, which I have included below. Currently, the Government of Canada allows serving members of the Canadian Forces to receive up to $12,700 for funeral and burial expenses, but only provides $3,600 for veterans, an amount unchanged since 2001.

In March of last year, in response to a Written Question I tabled in the Senate, Veterans Affairs Minister Blackburn advised that the program “is currently being reviewed.” Eight months later, at the November 17th Veterans Affairs Subcommittee meeting, I questioned the lack of progress in resolving the issue, and Blackburn had this to say:

“You said that I had talked about that in March and that this matter has yet to be resolved. You are right. This brief was even drawn to my attention approximately a month ago, and I am the one who said that this was not the time to talk about this matter (...)”

Thus, by their own admission, the Harper Government is refusing to heed the advice of department officials with regard to increasing funding for the funeral and burial expenses of veterans. They owe Canadians an explanation as to when they think would be the right “time to talk about this matter”.

The clear lesson is to keep the pressure on this government. Keep sending emails and writing letters to Members of Parliament and Senators – of all parties – to keep them informed of your issues and concerns.

I would like to emphasize the importance of media coverage of veterans’ issues. There is no doubt that Canadians massively support veterans and their families receiving the benefits they need and deserve. When the media reports on the shortcomings of the benefits available to veterans, the public is often shocked, and it is this pressure that forces the current government to take corrective action. Stories need to be heard, and without media coverage, we would not have the results that we have been able to achieve to date. I would urge all veterans to continue contacting the media with any issues they may be experiencing.

Letters to the editor and other forms of commentary serve to keep issues in the public eye, which is essential to getting this government to change its position and live up to its commitments. With their obsession with image and messages, this government is very sensitive to publicity: they don’t mind breaking their promises, but they hate being caught.

In closing, I would like to commend the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association for announcing on December 15th, 2010, that they will help veterans in that province to “access and maintain benefits under the compensation programs offered by the Government of Canada.” At a time when the Federal Government is spending millions to fight veterans seeking the compensation they are due, it is good to see others stepping forward to do what is right.

Best wishes for 2011,
Percy Downe
Senator, Charlottetown