The issue of Agent Orange.

agent-orange, originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

Londoner appeals to PM for Agent Orange inquiry
Thu, July 13, 2006
Art Connolly was exposed to the defoliant as a child at CFB Gagetown.
By CHIP MARTIN, FREE PRESS POLITICS REPORTER

His hopes shattered that a Conservative government would quickly take steps to help Canadian victims of Agent Orange, a London man is appealing directly to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to conduct a public inquiry into military use of the defoliant.

In a letter, Art Connolly, vice-president of the Agent Orange Association of Canada, reminded Harper that the Conservative leader told him personally last summer, at an event in Woodstock, that the federal government "has to do something."

Connolly is pushing for compensation and an apology for use of the toxic defoliant at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick from 1956 to 1984. He lived on the base as a youngster with his military family and says not only soldiers but their families and civilians have suffered health problems because of exposure to Agent Orange and related chemicals tested at the base by the U.S. military.

"The letter came from a sense of frustration," Connolly said yesterday. "Nothing has changed. The Conservative party, before they were elected, were on board with us and they were going to change things . . . but once they got in (office) nothing changed."

"Last fall, Mr. Harper said all victims should be compensated," he said.

But Connolly said the Conservatives are instead continuing a fact-finding exercise initiated by the Liberals in a move derided by a top Conservative at the time as "nothing more than an elaborate public-relations exercise." That Conservative, MP Greg Thompson of New Brunswick, is now veterans affairs minister.

"We jumped for joy when we learned he was to become veterans affairs minister," Connolly said. "I still hope Mr. Thompson's heart is in the right place . . . He knows the issues, but I suspect he's being told to toe the party line."

Connolly said as the fact-finding exercise continues, former military personnel, their families and civilians continue to develop health problems and die. He couldn't provide numbers and declined to reveal the size of his organization because "we don't want the other side to know. But it is substantial and growing every day."

He has noted about 200,000 Canadian military personnel were stationed at Base Gagetown at the time.

In his letter, Connolly argues the Department of National Defence, which is conducting the fact-finding mission, shouldn't be allowed to investigate itself. He argues only a public inquiry "will finally deal with the truth."

"I urge you to do the right thing, Mr. Harper," he concludes.

Connolly said victims and their families are discovering the change of government has meant nothing to them, despite promises of help. He said the government must "make sure this (exposure to toxic chemicals) never happens again and make restitution and apologize and let everybody move on.

"But this way is damn near insulting."

Agent Orange and other chemicals were widely used in the Vietnam War by the U.S. military. Connolly recently spoke in Hanoi at the invitation of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange.