Below is a copy of an eamil sent to Veteran Affairs Minsiter Greg Thompson.
The incident is so typical in the handling of the "agent orange" issue.
For a goverment that prides itself on being transparent it is very restrictive with its information.
Again - the veteran is disrepected.
Art
519-649-4284
_______________________
The Hon. Greg Thompson
Minister of Veteran Affairs
Dear Mr. Thompson
Today I called Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC)to determine the number of veterans who have received pensions because of the devastating harm caused by defoliant spraying at CFB Gagetown New Brunswick.
The VAC representative answering the phone did not have access to that information.
I thought that individual was mistaken so I called VAC's "1-800" number again thinking I would speak to another representative.
The second VAC representative claimed they did not have access to that information either.
The representatives were both professional and courteous. One representative gave me a phone number (1-800-883-6094) telling me that this was the number that military family and civilians "could call to apply for compensation."
I called the given number and was told that compensation for military family and civilians was not being considered.
It is obvious that your department is failing in communicating vital information to your staff.
It disturbs me that VAC encourages individuals to call VAC only to have those individuals misinformed or not informed at all.
It is apparent that your department's management need to be bring staff up to date on the "Agent Orange" issue.
This is not a reflection on the front line workers. It is a reflection on management who is obviously failing in informing their staff.
I trust that you will make appropriate use of my suggestion.
Art Connolly
Vice President
Agent Orange Association of Canada
www.agentorangealert.com
The CFB Gagetown Agent Orange petition is located at www.petitiononline.com/aoalert
6 comments:
Just another typical example of an "open government" - Open to What? Not one person in Ottawa knows whats going on at the best of times, and now they have only shining esxamples of the left hand not knowing where the right one is (unless of course its outstretched for more money or perks, or anything that would benefit that particular individual holding the hand out).
The VAC sucks big-time at the best of times and now they either ignore Veterans or lead them down paths of promises of false hopes without ever having real hope materalize. What a crying shame that so many good people have paid the ultimate sacrifice to see this country driven to Hell by our Politicians.
Nice to see someone trying to get Thompson on track. It appears he is quite absentminded - seems to have forgotten everything that was important to him when he was in Opposition. But that list is too long to go into here...oh well, we will have another election.
I fear that this is not the first nor will it be the last time that Ottawa (no matter who is in power) will mislead, deny or misinform the general public on the subject of the Toxic Chemicals that Ottawa ordered used on its own troops at CFB Gagetown from 1954 through and including 1984, if for no other reason then to save money and face in the world of international affairs.
Besides the world sort of founds upon a country using chemicals to kill their own troops and in this case there were also troops from many other countries also contaminated by this, what can only be described as “War Chemical Testing for the US war efforts in Vietnam.”
One of the problems surrounding this debauchery is the continued attempts of Veterans Affairs Minister, Greg Thompson, DND, the Military and Ottawa, at pointing the finger at the US spraying in 1966 and 67 which accounted for only 7 days and a bit more then 430 liters, when Canada itself sprayed well over 2 million pounds of dry chemical in addition to1.3 million liters, in liquid form of the identical chemicals which the USA used in Vietnam.
Although everyone has heard of Agent Orange and the Dioxin which causes countless medical conditions and has been studied to death, it was only contained in approximately 2% of the chemicals used at CFB Gagetown.
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which very few people have ever heard of was contained in 98% of the toxic chemicals used at CFB Gagetown and although not studied as much or often as Dioxin, has its own impressive list of deadly and scary medical conditions associated with its use.
Ottawa are now trying very hard to come up with a payout plan which can on one hand show that they have dealt with the Gagetown problem but at the same time relinquish them (Ottawa) of any quilt and/or responsibility, while at the same time whittling the eligible number of claimants down to the smallest number possible, by demanding that the sick and dieing provide absolute proof of (example) where they were at 3:15 pm, August 15, 1966 when a plane/chopper was over their head, along with the reg. number that was displayed on the plane/chopper.
At a time where Canada wishes to increase its land troops by a significant numbers, Young Canadians watch and see if Ottawa will in fact take care of its Vets, before signing on the dotted line and rightfully so.
Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (Ret'd) because of Gagetown Chemicals.
How can we believe anything the Government of Canada or DND tell us after 50 years of cover-up, denials and lies? This has been the legacy for the victims of the greatest poisoning campaign in Canadian history. By DND's own admission over 315,000 soldiers were affected by over 1 billion grams of some of the most deadly chemicals known to man, yet Canadians are being told by the Base Gagetown Fact Finding Project, Dr. Dennis Furlong, that unless the victims sprayed, mixed or burned contaminated brush, there is nothing to worry about. The facts are: our own government and DND poisoned their own citizens from 1956 to 1984 and that an estimated 1 million people may have been affected. This atrocity has to stop now, today and the truth must be revealed by means of a Public Inquiry.
I am a former soldier who was posted to CFB Gagetown in the early 70's, I have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. When I sent in my application to VAC, I was told I had to wait for the Fact Finding Commission to complete their study. Imagine, telling a cancer patient that he will have to wait. I wonder is that the governments plan for Agent Orange claiments, wait them out until the really sick ones die off. I was willing to lay down my life for the government of Canada but not because of the government of Canada.
Thank you Charles for posting this. This issue is a whole lot bigger than the Government of Canada is or ever was willing to admit to and with the facts coming out now the dependents of thousands of former military people are taking up the fight clear across Canada. The FACTS are NOT coming from the "Fact Finders" that are being paid by the government, why would they cut their own throats. But enough people have done enough research to prove beyond doubt that harm was caused to hundreds of thousands of people at CFB Gagetown and there will be a day in the near future that the truth will come out. Without a public outcry nothing will be done until the government is FORCED into doing something, taking responsibility, accepting facts and being honest with the people. Hows that for a requirement of our government - kinds scarey thoughts isn't it, especially if you are a politician. This issue will be an election issue and the next government will definitely have a different Minister of Veterans Affairs, and I highly doubt it will be a Conservative one. Hell, maybe we can even get a government in place that can do more than scream "SUPPORT THE TROOPS" - how about letting them have some fuel for their ships and planes if you really want to support them. Jeeeezzz...I could really rip into some of these overpaid neanderthal jerks that can only say "me" at payday rollcall and pretend to be our representatives !
Post a Comment