PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 17, 2007
AGENT ORANGE ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
It has been reported that the federal budget to be announced on Monday March 19, 2007 will announce compensation for victims of the defoliant spraying at CFB Gagetown.
The March 17, 2007 edition of the Fredericton Daily Gleaner (Page A3) reports that John Chisholm, a member of the advisory panel for the Base Gagetown and Area Fact Finder Project, has met with Veteran Affairs Minister Greg Thompson and is confident compensation will be addressed in the budget.
The Daily Gleaner also reported that Chisholm said it's his understanding that any compensation will focus on those who are sick "soldiers and civilians"— from the spraying.
On March 1, 2007, Kenneth Dobbie, president of the Agent Orange Association of Canada (AOAC) had sent a 9 page document to all 308 Members of Parliament on behalf of the members of AOAC.
The document contained new information and recommendations for the government to consider regarding this black mark on Canadian history. The document also stressed the need for a public inquiry and that compensation was not the only criteria that the government must consider.
Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has responded to the letter and the Agent Orange Association of Canada waits to see if Mr. Flaherty and the federal government of Canada address the situation and in turn do what is right for our veterans and the victims of the Gagetown sprayings.
Please find attached a copy of the document that was sent to all 308 Members of Parliament including cabinet ministers.
6 comments:
Well, well, I highly doubt this arrogant government would even read any recommendations from those with extensive knowledge of the subject. They prefer their own spin as created by DND and the companies they have in their pockets that are paid to say what they were told to say. If they come out with something, it will be some useless package to a few people and they will make lots of noise about how they 'took care of business'. WRONG - The fight is just beginning and any useless 'compassionate compensation' is only going to increase the already deep anger that exists for the thousands who really know what happened.
The problems facing the Victims of Gagetown.
Some of the problems facing the Victims of Gagetown are that the Government has successfully (although incorrectly) portrayed the “Base Gagetown and Area Fact Finding Project (BGAFFP),” as a public inquiry, with powers to actually investigate the facts and fictions surrounding the poisoning of Canada’s own troops at CFB Gagetown. Nothing could be farther from the truth, as the BGAFFP not only has no legal mandate to investigate anything at all but further is restricted to report only whatever findings which the DND and Ottawa actually gives them to report and in fact are not even allowed to make any recommendation to Ottawa on this subject. In my opinion the BGAFFP are to this end nothing more then a very expensive filing cabinet for whatever documentation Ottawa, the VAC and DND have not yet been able to destroy or creatively misplace.
Another problem is that the process which was supposed to have been open and fair has once again ended up with closed mouths, little or no reporting, lack of documentation and even the public meetings held were anything but fair as known members working for the BGAFFP intimidated and disrupted speakers and many meetings were ended before everyone had a chance to speak, even after some speakers had traveled for two days to attend and be heard.
Greg Thompson has been of little help to Veterans as shortly after being appointed to Veterans Affairs he seems to not only have lost his aversions to the BGAFFP but also seems to have lost his voice and opinions with respect to Gagetown.
There have been many suggestions that there will be a $20 to $24 thousand compensation packages given out, but all of the indications so far seem to downplay the possible number of affected Victims and thereby reducing the number of eligible recipients of this “ex-gratia Blood Money.”
Although for many families the $20 to $24 thousand dollars sounds like a lot and will help greatly to reduce debts, which have over the years continued to grow due to unforeseen increases in costs including medication, loss of income as well as burial costs in all together too many cases, but if people stop to really think about it 40 or 50 years of suffering, pain, lower incomes, marriage breakdowns, loss of children and loved ones, medication costs and in many cases multiple family illnesses and deaths, the money equals less then $500 a year and is less then any MP receives for lunches in one month on his expense account.
Many Vets and Civilians have for years been paying between $200 and $3000 dollars a month on medication, I will not even try to calculate the costs of sorrow, pain and self incrimination at the loss of a child and even a budget funeral costs thousands of dollars.
Will Ottawa step up to the plate and do right by their faithful Veterans? Only time will tell but if History repeats itself, there is little doubt that the only winner here will be Ottawa as in my opinion they will try to cover up the truth once again, pay out a bit of blood money and then pull a Pontius Pilot, wash their hands of the problem leaving both the Vets and civilians to cope on their own.
Play politics, continue the game that has been going on a long time while Veterans are dying daily. For Thompson to call this so-called planned settlement a 'compasionate package' shows absolutely no compassion at all, only a total disrespect for the dead and dying.
As a former Member of the Canadian Forces who has served in Gagetown, any compensation is better than none. My question is this; What about the Past liberal gov't what did they ever do to help Vets on this issue or the forces as a whole, this new Conservative Gov't has done more in a couple of years than any Liberal gov't has in 20 years.
By the way Charles keep up the good fight!
This isn't a partisan issue, the committee and study was started under the liberals. That's just basic functioning of every government, the question is whether the current government will go by this recommendation, give more, give less, and what the liberals, NDP and other parties think should be given instead. THAT is the partisan part of the equation. The tories certainly haven't done any more or any less on the issue than liberals.
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