Veterans Denied Justice Once Again, or is that Still.
 
Can the Canadian public ever expect to receive justice when the careers and advancements for any Judge who is ruling in their case is wholly and completely dependant on the goodwill and whim of the defendant or the Government in the same case? This is a question which tens of thousands of Canadians are asking themselves today.
 
I wish that I could say that I was surprised in the April fools day Court of Appeals' decision to decertified the class-action lawsuit relating to Agent Orange and the 29 years of toxic Defoliation chemicals used at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick.
 
The timing of the release was also reminiscent on most Conservative Party's "Bad News", releases and being handed to the general public on the afternoon of the day before a long four day weekend and is in my view, typical Harper tactics. Canada and the media will now have four days to distance themselves from the memory and to find more recent stories with which to occupy their time and space at news time.
 
There is no doubt that the CFB Gagetown Class action case was a complicated one and any judge worth their salt, could have found as many reasons to proceed with the case as reasons to squash it, but then again when the government decided to use dozens of proven toxic chemicals over an extended time frame and then to keep it more secret then the nuclear bomb tests in the USA, Canadians need to ask themselves Why?
 
Why were the soldiers in Gagetown sent into what now can only be described as killing fields? Why is Ottawa still refusing to provide millions of documents in this case? Why is Ottawa continually refusing to have a full Public and Judicial Inquiry into this, if it was as they claim, an un-intended mistake?
 
I am asking all Canadians and all veterans to demand of Ottawa a full Public and Judicial Inquiry into Canada's own little Killing Fields and the Gagetown Atrocity. And maybe an appointed Senate isn't the only thing that we Canadians need to stop partisan Government appointments to, if we ever wish to receive Justice.
 
 
 

April 1, 2010 

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=334996&sc=79

The St. John's Telegram

Judge halts Agent Orange class-action lawsuit
Court

by ROSIE GILLINGHAM

A Court of Appeal has decertified a class-action lawsuit relating to Agent Orange at a former military base in New Brunswick.

More than 3,000 people from across Canada - including close to 70 from this province - were involved in a class-action lawsuit against the government and the chemical manufacturers.

They were seeking compensation for being exposed to Agent Orange.

However, a decision by Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal Justice Margaret Cameron to overturn a previous ruling by a lower court means the claimants now have to file individual lawsuits.

That process would be more costly and time-consuming.

Retired Brig. Gen. Ed Ring of St. John's - who put his name forward on behalf of all the claimants in the lawsuit - was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

However, last fall, when the merits of the appeal were being argued, he told The Telegram that if those involved have to file individual lawsuits, "98 per cent of them would walk away from this, either because they can't afford it, don't have the time or are too ill."

In the fall of 2007, the federal government announced a $95.6-million compensation package for veterans and civilians who were at the base in 1966 and 1967 and were affected by the U.S. military's spraying of Agent Orange at the Gagetown base.

A one-time, lump sum payment of $20,000 each was paid to those who qualified for compensation. Roughly 4,500 people were eligible for the payment. But many believe it fell short of what the veterans and their families deserve.

In December 2007, Justice Leo Barry ruled the class-action lawsuit against the federal government would proceed in this province, as opposed to New Brunswick.

Since then, the case had been dragging through the system as the government and chemical companies file various motions and appeals.

Last fall, lawyers from both sides argued the merits of an appeal, filed by the government and the chemical manufacturers Pharmacia Corp. and Dow Chemical Group, seeking to halt the class action.

At that time, several people involved in the class action also came to court.

Their fight was all about people who were affected by the U.S. military's spraying of Agent Orange at the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick.

Agent Orange - a herbicide used by the military to control vegetation and clear dense brush - was used in Gagetown between 1956 and 2004.

The powerful and toxic defoliant was proven to have caused serious long-term health effects on those who were exposed to it.

Used by the U.S. military in the Vietnam War, Agent Orange was recognized to have caused such illnesses as Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, respiratory cancers, prostate cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

David Eaton, who represents Dow Chemical Group, had told the appeal panel that because of the large numbers involved, the diversity of the group and the specific circumstances of each, it would be difficult to deal with it as one case.

Eaton declined comment Wednesday.

Ring - who served 34 years in the military and was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 - had said they have a right to a fair hearing, despite the complexities of the case.

"This is a significant effort by large companies and the federal government to deny us that right.

"There's a common issue involved here. It's all about what happened in Gagetown."

But the appeal panel agreed with Eaton and didn't believe there was enough to establish the criteria for certification.

For example, Cameron noted that the class may have been too broad, and that it is difficult to narrow its scope.

One issue she had was with the wording of the class: it's defined as "all individuals who were at CFB Gagetown between 1956 and the present and who claim they were exposed to dangerous levels of dioxin or hexachlorobenzene while on the base."

"While various numbers have been used to estimate the potential size of the class," Cameron pointed out, "it is generally agreed that it is in excess of 400,000 people and, thus defined, includes everyone who was at CFB Gagetown, for any period of time, between 1956 and the present, whether exposed to herbicides or not.

"It lacks the rational connection to the causes of action and common issues identified by the plaintiffs. Given the pattern of spraying, its time frame and size of the base, not every one of the 400,000 plus potential claimants in fact have a claim."

She said as it's worded, it "limits class members to those who 'claim they were exposed' rather than those who 'were exposed.'"

Cameron also questioned real common issue in the class.

"The trial division judge did not address the question of whether the (primary) common issue is a common issue for the whole of the class or a series of common issues to be determined for various subclasses," Cameron said.

"Unless the relationship between various chemicals and all types of lymphomas is the same, the determination will have to be made for each type of lymphoma."

The lack of criteria for certification in this case, Cameron said, "undermines the trial division judge's decision that a class action is the preferable procedure."

rgillingham@thetelegram.com

We had a one and a half hour private presentation with Mr Stogran and his team.

Yesterday, March 23, 2010 at 13:00 hrs. Kelly Franklin, Gary Goode, Celeste Sampson (A BC member of Widows on a Warpath) and I gave a CFB Gagetown (Chemical Defoliation Program) presentation to The Veterans Ombudsman Mr. Stogran and his five man team in Legion 172, Esquimalt BC.
 
We arrived a bit early (Military training doesn't allow me to do any differently) and we proceeded to do Recce to place. Kelly and I had been there before when I gave a speech about Gagetown for the 2005 election. We were expected by the Legion and, well received by them and were later presented their own board room to conduct our interview and presentations.
 
Mr. Stogran and his team arrived about 20 minutes later and we began introducing ourselves and got into some small talk. We had just eaten but he and his team hadn't and they wanted to get on with the presentation and eat later.
 
As pre arranged Gary started with his very well research presentation concerning Cantox Environmental and their past incorrect assessments, demonstrated that their employees were in fact ex-Health Canada and in one case an ex-Dow Chemical/Health Canada employee. He demonstrated how much and how often they have been cleaning up Government messes or rather white washing them. Meg Sears presentation which is a couple of hundred pages totally destroying the Cantox report was presented to them.
 
He then went on to demonstrate how much government and chemical industry Dalhousie has been granted since their favorable report for the BGAFFP and I mentioned how they had watered down the results by (1) not contacting one single veteran who was in Gagetown at the time of the spraying, using instead recently arrived soldiers and (2) by adding 40,000 citizens from Fredericton who were no where near any of the sprayings. Adding that they might as well have done the report on people from Moscow, for all that it actually pertained to Gagetown.
 
Gary then went into showing how the VAC has discontinued giving the benefit of the doubt to Veterans when it comes to CFB Gagetown, using his own file and that of others who have received a pension with the exact same conditions. the numbers were given that as of Jan 10, 2010 there had been 3071 pension requests for CFB Gagetown and AO wile only 36 pensions had been granted or just over 1%, about the same as the ex-gratia payments did.
 
I then tied them all together presented some more insight to the problems which Gary had been talking about and passed the floor over to Kelly.
 
Kelly, presented documentation tying the US and Canadian Government collaborations into not only the 66/67 2 and 1/2 barrels of chemical but 61 to date chemical testing's including the US Air Force hiring 10 times in 65 and 66 an Okanagan Helicopter to spray as much as 55,616 gals in 15 days in 65. He also using documentation demonstrated that it was not only related to SEA (South East Asia) but that that the money for the Canadian firm was paid from a SEA account.
 
I at this point interrupted to point out that even though they didn't mention which chemicals were sprayed of where they were sprayed, that we can assume that because of the date and the fact that almost all other chemicals had already been tested in CFB Gagetown, that these chemicals would have had to have been Agent White and that because the Canadian government has assured us that the only spraying of Vietnam Chemicals took place in CFB Gagetown we can also assume that this spraying did also. and that the amounts of chemicals were not neither on the DND list nor in their totals for chemicals used in CFB Gagetown.
 
Kelly continued by presenting his own time line of chemical use in Gagetown when compared against the time line of US chemicals used in Vietnam which clearly demonstrated that every single chemical use in Vietnam was first tested in CFB Gagetown before it was ever used in Vietnam. The head of Vietnam and SEA spraying operations was also often in CFB Gagetown as an advisor on our spray program and that even in their (the US Military) manual on the spraying operation for South East Asia, CFB Gagetown is mentioned and this manual has the very same project number as many of the Canadian Documents we have received.
 
Basically Kelly proved with documents that CFB Gagetown was a chemical test sight for the US military and the US war effort in SEA.
 
Kelly had many more documents but on DVD which would be past on the the Ombudsman's staff.
 
Celeste Sampson, told of her story and how she was denied both pension and ex-gratia payments and that on appeal she was told that she wasn't eligible because her husband was on leave during the spraying. Note: Her husband John had also died before Harpers Feb 6th date.
 
I then took the floor and tied all of our presentations together. I didn't have much to say at the meeting because I had already sent my presentation to all parties concerned and answered questions instead.
 
My presentation concerned debunking the rhetoric of Ottawa, DND and Greg Thompson. I showed beyond any doubt that many of the chemicals Ottawa had been spraying were unregistered chemicals and even the ones that were should never have been registered because both they and the chemical industry had never done the required tests or studied to have them registered, that the chemical industry had not been making our chemical differently. I proved that that Dow Chemical knew about the dioxin problem with Dow Chemical internal documents and I also told him that everyone needs to start looking at Agent White with HCB.
 
The idea that Ottawa would be off the hook because they lost the documents was also discussed and we let him know that there was one hell of a lot of documents out there if someone had the power to court order them. We explained the condition and the continued pollution at CFB Gagetown and that soldiers are still at danger.
 
I showed them the math on how many people should have been compensated by BGAFFP's own documents and that if it was designed to provide for only 4,500 that Ottawa already knew how many were dead. I demonstrated the costs of medications and uncovered medical procedures which many would have to pay out of pocket, told them my Gagetown story, showed them how the Freedom of information is being denied by inflating the number of pages covering even the smallest of subjects due mostly to Email.
 
Needless to say I did insert, "MY OPINION."
 
We wrapped up by presenting him with hundreds of pages and one DVD of documentation collaborating each and every point which we brought up.
 
Mr. Stogran Asked what we were hoping for from his office and we mentioned a Boots on the ground sort of a presumptive clause such as the US has for US soldiers in Vietnam and his recommendation for a Full public and Judicial Inquiry to be created. He then asked me if the only solution was to close down Gagetown and I replied absolutely not and that if Denang Vietnam  and some of the rivers in the US can be cleaned up so can Gagetown. That it was only a matter of money and the will. Also that this approach would in fact create even more jobs. I also mentioned that as the word gets out about the pollution still there, that foreign countries will be less willing to send their soldiers, so the clean up should be started ASAP.
 
It must be mentioned that both Mr. Stogran and his team's mouths dropped in disbelief and shock many time during our presentation and his team were chomping at the bit to get our documentation, and that we presented no statements which were not backed up with documentation, well except my opinion. LOL
 
We were asked for our Email addresses and phone numbers because he wants his office and investigators to keep in touch with us as he knew that we had not presented him with even 1% of the documents that we have nor the insight from having read them all and connected many of the pieces.
 
All in All I believe that we all came away from this meeting with very positive feelings. We were told that much of this and the information that we gave him would be put up on his web site.
 
We shall see.


Ken Young

Looks like the CFB Gagetown Class action law suit may be over and out.

From: Casey Churko
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 2:16 PM
To: 'Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)'
Subject: RE: Question


Justice Zarzeczny dismissed the certification motion in Saskatchewan.  He said how great he thought Justice McNally’s reasons were in New Brunswick and followed his reasoning there – i.e. too  many individual issues regarding who was there, where, and when, and how they were potentially exposed. 

 

We applied for leave to appeal, and the motion is currently scheduled to be heard in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on February 24, 2010, but the Government is trying to adjourn.  If the motion is dismissed, we may have to advance the actions in other provinces in a series of smaller class actions rather than one large national class action. 

 

If the Newfoundland Court of Appeal allows the government’s appeal on similar reasoning, or if we succeed and the Supreme Court of Canada overturns the NLCA, then class members may have to file their own actions or not sue at all.  Mr. Merchant, Q.C. will decide how to advance the various class actions in the different courts as the decisions come in. 

 

Class members may want to now file individual actions because of how long the process takes.  I estimate at least another year before there is greater finality for or against whether and where any class action may proceed.

from our lawyers in the clas action law suit.

From: Casey Churko
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 2:16 PM
To: 'Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)'
Subject: RE: Question


Justice Zarzeczny dismissed the certification motion in Saskatchewan.  He said how great he thought Justice McNally’s reasons were in New Brunswick and followed his reasoning there – i.e. too  many individual issues regarding who was there, where, and when, and how they were potentially exposed. 

 

We applied for leave to appeal, and the motion is currently scheduled to be heard in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on February 24, 2010, but the Government is trying to adjourn.  If the motion is dismissed, we may have to advance the actions in other provinces in a series of smaller class actions rather than one large national class action. 

 

If the Newfoundland Court of Appeal allows the government’s appeal on similar reasoning, or if we succeed and the Supreme Court of Canada overturns the NLCA, then class members may have to file their own actions or not sue at all.  Mr. Merchant, Q.C. will decide how to advance the various class actions in the different courts as the decisions come in. 

 

Class members may want to now file individual actions because of how long the process takes.  I estimate at least another year before there is greater finality for or against whether and where any class action may proceed.

Subject: Marlene Jennings holds News Conference on Agent Orange Motion


MEDIA ADVISORY

 

For Immediate Release

December 3, 2009

 

Marlene Jennings holds News Conference on Agent Orange Motion

 

OTTAWA - Liberal Deputy House Leader, the Honourable Marlene Jennings, will hold a news conference to discuss her recent motion calling on the Conservative government to hold a full public inquiry for the victims of Agent Orange.

 

Date:               December 8, 2009

Time:              11:00 a.m.

Location:        National Press Theatre, 150 Wellington Street, Ottawa

Who:               The Honourable Marlene Jennings, P.C., M.P.,

Deputy House Leader for the Official Opposition and

Liberal Critic for Democratic Reform and Government Ethics

 

                        The Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, P.C., M.P.

                                    Liberal Critic for National Defence

 

                        Mr. Rob Oliphant, M.P.

                                    Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs

 

                        Ms. Carol Brown Parker

                                    Agent Orange Association of Canada, Inc.

 

The National Press Theatre is only accessible to journalists accredited through the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

 

http://marlenejennings.liberal.ca/en/news/n17054_jennings-introduces-motion-on-behalf-of-agent-orange-victims           

 

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/12/03/liberals-introduce-parliamentary-motion-calling-on-government-to-help-agent-orange-victims.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage

 Found in the Ottawa Citizen

LIBERALS INTRODUCE PARLIAMENTARY MOTION CALLING ON GOVERNMENT TO HELP AGENT ORANGE VICTIMS

 

By Dave Pugliese Thu, Dec 3 2009 COMMENTS(2) David Pugliese’s Defence Watch

 Filed under: Agent Orange, CFB Gagetown

 

Liberal Deputy House Leader, Marlene Jennings has introduced a motion calling on the Conservative government to assist those Canadians who were affected by the use of Agent Orange.

 

Press release from Jennings’ office:

 

“Between 1956 and 1984, countless Canadians have been exposed to the effects of toxic herbicides including Agent Orange, Agent Purple and Agent White,” said Mrs. Jennings. “It is the duty of this government to rectify this situation and to assist these victims and their families.”

 

Agent Orange is a highly toxic chemical herbicide that when used on plants, causes their leaves to fall off. Although it commonly used by the United States during the Vietnam War, according to documents obtained through the Access to Information Act in 2005, over three million litres of these toxic herbicides were sprayed as part of a testing program in the area surrounding Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, in New Brunswick, between 1956 and 1984.

 

“Approximately 315,000 Canadian soldiers trained at CFB Gagetown during this period of time,” said Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal Critic for National Defence. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians, who used this training area for recreation, may also have also been exposed to these chemicals.”

 

Exposure to Agent Orange has been linked to numerous medical diseases, including various forms of cancer, tumours, and mental and physical disabilities.  Victims, and their children, have repeatedly demanded that the federal government hold a full public inquiry on the issue.

 

Mrs. Jennings’ motion, which is endorsed by the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc., calls upon the government to conduct this inquiry. In particular, the motion demands that the federal government use the remaining $48 million previously allocated for ex-gratia payments to Agent Orange victims for an inquiry, as well as that this money be used for the medical testing of victims.

 

Mr. Rob Oliphant, who is the Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs, expressed his support for the motion. “The Prime Minister, in 2006, promised to conduct an investigation into this matter. Now, almost four years later, victims continue to wait, while this government continues to sit on its hands,” said Mr. Oliphant.

 

Mrs. Jennings has reiterated her support for the victims. “These individuals were serving their country, and now are experiencing life-threatening medical conditions,” said Mrs. Jennings. “The Harper government has an obligation to get to the bottom of this issue and to stand up for all victims of this tragedy.”

 

*******************************************

Your Comments

 Marilynn Kirchgessner

PM Harper stood up in Woodstock, N.B in January, 2006 and in his pre-election speech promised, once elected, compensation for EVERYONE exposed to the SPRAYING FROM 1956-1984.  Not just for exposure to Agent Orange but our exposure to all the other just as deadly herbicides that DND sprayed during those 28 years.  Once elected, he did not do this.  He lied.  Instead, he made this an American issue by allowing compensation to only 2% of the people exposed to the few gallons of Agent Orange sprayed for 7 days in 1966 and 1967 by the U.S military.  What about the thousands of victims, both military and civilian, who were exposed to these deadly herbicides year in and year out for 28 years?  What about the military who trained there during those years and the civilians who live in communities surrounding the Base who were exposed? These people are sick, dying and too many have died already.  Nor has DND taken responsibility for what they did to.  We DEMAND a public inquiry so that the magnitude of what happened at Gagetown will be told to the world and the government will take responsibility for what they did and do the right thing!  We demand compensation for ALL exposed to ALL the chemicals sprayed during those 28 years by DND, as promised by Harper!

December 04, 2009

 

 

Kenneth H Young

Although the Liberal party of Canada under Mr. Martin had the chance to do exactly what Liberal Deputy House Leader Marlene Jennings is asking for here, they refused at the time when the Conservative Party MP's while in opposition and lead by Greg Thompson rants in both the House of Commons and the Senate Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs asked, no demanded the very same. Once in power absolutely nothing was done. Let's face it ex-gratia payments, where Ottawa accepts absolutely no guilt or responsibility for what they did to Canadian Soldiers, are nothing more then blood and hush money, which hasn't worked.

 

I myself wrote to the leaders and Veterans Affairs critic of all opposition parties requesting their Parties position on CFB Gagetown Victims and to date have only received replies from Peter Stoffer Veterans Affairs critic for the NDP, regardless of this the Agent Orange Association of BC. also endorses this motion.

 

We would have liked to see Mr. Ignatieff being a lot more vocal and supportive of this motion and maybe even joining hands with the NDP, and Block in a united front on this issue. However most of the Liberal MP's on the committee having just shot down bill C201 which would have benefited all veterans, there is much doubt in the minds of all veterans as to the sincerity of Liberal Party towards Veterans issues as well as this motion. I guess it is up to the Liberal Party to prove me wrong, or is this just another Stephen Harper-type Woodstock speech. But I will admit just like the Harper's speech, it looks good in print.

 

Only time will tell if this is too little too late to win the hearts and minds of Veterans and of course their over 600,000 votes. I suppose that if there is a full public and judicial inquiry in progress or if the government was forced to actually carry out what Mr. Harper promised in his Woodstock speech, it would go a long way to recover many of the life-long Liberals that the Party lost over the mishandling of this issue.

 

Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)

 
 
 

CFB Gagetown Class Actions in Jeopardy
 
Ottawa's and their (what I consider) questionable third partied Dow and Pharmacia's win in the New Brunswick class action courts against Spalding, blocking Gagetown victims from even launching a class action law suit in New Brunswick, has embolden them to try the same in Newfoundland, using pretty much the same arguments.
 
In most ways, Dow and Monsanto (Pharmacia) make the same argument about manageability and lack of commonality to each court.  If their appeal is allowed in Newfoundland and certification is dismissed in Saskatchewan, subject to appeals, class members would have to bring their own individual actions or not sue at all.

 

It is hard for me to personally understand how Ottawa and the chemical industry can claim in one court that they believe there should only be one court case and that being in New Brunswick and then they use all means to prevent that very same New Brunswick certification. I am also having trouble with Dow and Monsanto (Paramecia) even being in this case at all. We never sued them and even Ottawa has only brought them in as third parties concerning the 1966 and 67, US chemical use in Gagetown. Both Dow and Pharmacia have denied providing the agent orange that was used in 1966/67, so why are they allowed to argue the remaining 29 years and over 3 million pounds/liters and the Canadian use of toxic pesticides at Base Gagetown?

 

The problem lies in the detail, much of which is under a court order and can not be made public as of yet but basically it boils down to... If the Victims and general public don't start to make their voices and opinions heard, on how both the veterans and civilians are being done by in this case, if we continue to allow our Government to use our own unlimited amounts of Tax dollars to defeat us in court, if we continue to allow Ottawa to choose which and even if they will compensate people for their government mistakes and if we continue to be lead quietly like sheep to the slaughter, Canada is doomed to the dictatorship we ourselves vote in... and what's more, we will deserver it.

 
 
Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)

A story about CFB Gagetown and how Ottawa and the chemical companies are trying to get it dismissed before it ever gets started, sighting among other things that there is little if any interest, is I am afraid being born out by the comments and responses so far.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/09/23/nl-agent-orange-923.html

Three days now and so far only 31 comments with the people who agreed at  68. Wile stories of polygamy, Hells Angles, and almost every other story are up in the thousands of comments, leaves even me totally disheartened and depressed. If we can not get along, if the military or veterans issue are different, if we came for different regiments and if we became ill in different years, who cares, but if we can't or won't stand up for ourselves and together, what in the heck makes you think for a minute that others in this country will for us.

Ottawa is depending on the fact that old veterans can't agree on the time of day let alone get organized enough to show a united front and any Veterans issue. Why can they get away with robbing our pension fund, why can the decrease veterans disability pensions under the "one time $250,000 dollar", why can they claw back your CPP when you reach 65 and why are all the other veterans issues on the back burner? Because we let them put them there. We still vote for the A-- holes who vote against veterans issues, we don't speak up and by the looks of the comments on this story, we don't even care.

If the victims of this Gagetown atrocity as well as too many other veterans issues to bother write here are too dammed self centered, too lazy, too fed up and too uncaring to even write a comment which is free to do so, well I can fully understand why the rest of Canada has said to hell with us and why Ottawa has taken the route that they have. All Ottawa has to do is stall a bit more and the problem will go away all on its own.

Stand up for yourselves or stop moaning, bitching and complaining how badly you were treated by Ottawa, DND and the VAC. That no body gives a dammed is the fault of each and every one of the, "let's just sit around and drink beer, bitch and wait and see what happens people," and they have no one to blame but themselves. They can also stop asking why no one gives a dammed and why no body does the right thing. What they can do is look in a mirror and point the finger at where a lot of the blame belongs.

PS: If you don't have your own computer use a friends, but bitch where and when it counts.


Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/09/23/nl-agent-orange-923.html

Dismiss Agent Orange lawsuit, N.L. court urged

September 23, 2009 | 8:30 PM AT

CBC News

The federal government and two chemical companies went to court Wednesday in a bid to stop a class-action lawsuit launched by people who claim they developed cancer after being exposed to Agent Orange at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick.

The suit, brought by more than 1,700 people from across the country as well as 35 from the province, was certified in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador trial division.

On Wednesday, lawyers representing federal Attorney General Rob Nicholson, Minister of National Defence Peter Mackay , the Dow Chemical Company and the Pharmacia Corp. were in a St. John's courtroom seeking to have the certification order overturned.

The plaintiffs say they have been diagnosed with cancers including leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma because of their exposure to Agent Orange at Gagetown between 1956 and 2004.

"All the time I was at Gagetown was out in the field training — you're sleeping on the ground, you are eating your hard rations … you're eating with your hands, so basically your ingesting it," said retired soldier John Mallard, who is convinced his cancer stemmed from exposure to the herbicide at Gagetown."You're sleeping in it, you're burning bush to keep warm, so you're inhaling it."

Retired Brig.-Gen. Ed Ring, a Newfoundlander and another of the plaintiffs, was outraged by the bid to stop the suit.

"I am appalled that we have large organizations like the federal government and these chemical companies trying to deny us the opportunity to even have our case heard in court," he said.

The federal government and the companies maintain Agent Orange — a herbicide developed in the United States for use in the Vietnam war — was only one of 23 chemicals sprayed on the base, so there is no way to determine who was exposed to which chemical and for how long.

They also say there's not enough common ground among the ailments suffered by the plaintiffs to justify a class-action suit.

In September of 2007 the federal government announced a $96-million compensation package for people exposed to the herbicide at Gagetown —a $20,000 payout to anyone who qualified for it.

Members of the class-action suit refused to accept the settlement.

Hearings are scheduled to continue in St. John's Thursday.

 

What Happened to t RCR Forum this time???

Not much of a surprise to most soldiers.
************************

Sunday, June 07, 2009
| Today's Toronto Star



Retirees bemoan civilian influence, obsession with political correctness

Jun 04, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story  (17)
Allan Woods
Ottawa Bureau

Ottawa's“Every soldier loves a bit of spit and polish. But too much shine and not enough substance appears to be pushing Canada's finest out the door.

Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen who have retired are complaining that the dirty work of war is losing ground to a force obsessed with image, political correctness and the kind of inclusiveness one might expect to find in the most corporate of corporations.

A sampling of the questionnaires that are completed by all retiring members of the military were obtained by the Star under the Access to Information Act. Retirees were asked why they decided to leave the military and then were presented with a number of statements about the Canadian Forces with which they could agree or disagree.

The main reason behind a soldier's decision to find new work has been family.

But a broad term the defence community calls "civilianization" as“ the creeping influence of bureaucrats who've never fired a weapon or felt the blast of a roadside bomb as“ appears to be slowly and surely killing morale in the Canadian Forces.

At CFB Esquimalt in British Columbia, 85 per cent of retirees agreed that military leaders are putting "too much emphasis on superficial image," while training and equipment is left wanting.


At CFB Wainwright in Alberta, 71 per cent of retirees felt the force has become "too politically correct." At CFB Petawawa in Ontario, 66 per cent of retirees believed high physical and moral standards are sliding and that the Canadian Forces isn't living by the same values it tries to instill in its more than 60,000 members.

"It's become, in a lot of ways, a system where management trumps leadership common sense," said one officer, who is mulling retirement.

Current and former soldiers say everything from the obsessive political control over information, to bureaucratic delays purchasing airplanes and armoured vehicles, to the application of petty government standards on a most abnormal public servant is causing resentment.

There's also the sense among the rank and file that a civilian government is trying to rein in the military after the departure of former chief of defence staff Gen. Rick Hillier, an outspoken soldier's soldier who challenged deputy ministers and elected officials as vigorously as a battlefield enemy.

"(Soldiers) don't live in bubbles and they watch the news just like everyone else. You don't see guys speaking out as much as Hillier did and they see some of that, and whatever conclusions they draw may be right or wrong but they still draw some conclusions," said the officer, who did not want to be identified.

The surveys are part of an attempt to understand the exodus from the forces that has bedeviled attempts to expand the defence department's ranks.

The rate at which members left the Canadian Forces jumped last year to 9.1 per cent, a figure that has been growing each year since 2003, when attrition was 6.7 per cent.

The government had hoped to increase the regular forces to 75,000 from about 65,000 within five years of taking office. That goal has become more modest as“ 70,000 as“ and will be stretched to 2028 after it became clear the Tories had underestimated the challenge.

In the surveys at bases in Gagetown, N.B., and Edmonton, the average length of service of retiring members was 16 years as“ just four years short of receiving a pension.

"It just says that the inducements to stay in aren't great enough for even the four more years it takes to get to pension age," the officer said. "The attractiveness of the life doesn't meet the rewards that come at 20 years (of service)."

The rise of civilians in the defence department hierarchy began in 1972 when Ottawa united civilian and military personnel to administer defence policy and manage the Canadian Forces.

Well Rong, I maybe naively and I now know mistakenly expected most if not all Veterans to flock to the cause of other Vet's mistreatment by Ottawa. I posted many times in many military forums asking that if they could not attend our Protest - Rally that they would at least send letters of support for our demands for a full public and judicial inquiry.

Five was all that we received from Military forums members. We received twelve from US Vets and even three from Australia. The rest were from Victims and civilians. The Black Watch didn't even show up and the Canadian Legion didn't either. The US Legion on the other hand sent Richard Pelletier, a Service Officer of the American Legion, who supported the Canadian Victims as if they were US veterans and members of the American Legion. He was quick to denounce both the US and Canadian governments for stalling and the misinformation that has been the norm in regards to the Rainbow Chemicals.

Except for the Story above which I posted yesterday we were given more newspaper space in Australia, the US and Great Britain then we even received in eastern Canada.

Our next step will be to have a protest in Ottawa sometime in October, when the house returns. I will keep you all informed as things go along and as before I ask all veterans regardless of which veterans issue you are protesting, to accompany us.

If we do not stand together we will each of us fail alone. Ottawa doesn't give much thought to veterans issues because we are not even considered a voting block and so make no difference to Ottawa. If we can't put together more then 75 protesters in Ottawa, I doubt we will ever be listened to by politicians.

Ottawa has been in rescent months been complaining about a Victoria Cross going up for auction and in fact paid over $250,000 to keep it in Canada. They claim that it is an important part of Canadian Military History which Canada must preserve, yet the History of Gagetown and as many as 440,000 soldires contaminated by their own government, is dying along with the soldiers killed by the chemicals used there.

http://static.canadaeast.com/archives/postgazette/20090606/XFP0606A0164.pdf

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2009

 

agent orange widow says protests won’t stop until there’s a resolution

 

Rally held in St. Stephen to demand full, public inquiry into toxic spraying

 

By GiLLiAn CHrisTie

This Week

 

The agent orange association of Canada organized a rally outside federal Veterans affairs Minister greg Thompson’s office in st. stephen to demand for one thing: a full, public inquiry into the toxic spraying at CFB gagetown between 1956 and 1984.

 

Fourteen members of the Military widows on a war path attended the rally, including founder Bette hudson from waasis. “i think a lot of attention was paid to the widows, actually,” hudson said. “we were there in a supportive capacity so that a united front was, sort of, shown.”

 

she said she is confident the message that they’re not going away was reiterated and heard that day.  “i do believe that somebody is listening and hopefully we’ll get our message out,” hudson said. “it won’t be dying down at all, not for the widows, because we will keep going on until we get some resolution. we want what they owe us; it’s as simple as that.”

 

This group of ladies has been excluded from the government’s ex gratia settlement for those who were affected by the toxic spraying at CFB gagetown during the summers of 1966 and 1967.

 

Their husbands had already died of illness caused by the spraying before the Feb. 6, 2006 date when the harper government assumed office. “They’re so busy paying out others that they’ve forgotten us. we’re going to fight on until we get a resolution and they have to realize that,” Hudson said. “we’re quite different because we’re all widows, we’ve all lost our husbands and we’ve been snubbed by ottawa. it’s time that they know that we are just not going away.”

 

she said, overall, the message of all who attended the rally and offered their voice to the cause was heard. “i think they definitely got their point across to which the government announced within 30 minutes that they were not going to have a public inquiry,” ,hudson said.

 

“That’s part of the arrogance. we can’t let it go and we’re not going to.” retired Cpl. ken Young travelled from nanaimo, B.C. to be at the rally last Tuesday. he is an active member of the agent orange association of Canada and said this rally was something he felt he had to be a part of. he said it wasn’t as attended as they would have liked, but despite a lower than anticipated number, they’re confident their message got out. “it was a very nice coalition of gagetown victims. That was nice to see,” Young said. “The funny thing is, the people of st. stephen were coming up to us and asking what we were doing. a lot of them had not even heard of agent orange being used in gagetown. The government, that’s the way they want it. if nobody knows about it, nobody’s going to complain.”

 

There was a large number of people who couldn’t do the walk but drove from the starting point to the minister’s office. Many are suffering from health issues that prevented them from being there at all. Young said this rally is just one of a number of projects planned to help elevate the awareness of this situation.

 

“This isn’t just a new Brunswick issue. The soldiers, by their very nature, came from all over the country and they were sent here,” Young said. “This is the combat arms school.” He said he’s sick of hearing the government’s excuses in limiting the payment to so few affected.

 

“Did they do their job when they registered [Agent Orange]?” he said. Another excuse Young doesn’t accept is the fact that the government claims they didn’t know the toxic dioxins were present in the chemicals they were spraying yet, contradicting themselves, have said that because the chemicals were produced in Canada they were made at a slower, safer rate and removed all of the harmful products before putting it into use.

 

“If I have a registered gun, does that mean I can shoot you?” Young said. Young said government reports have claimed both themselves and the chemical companies were not aware HCB and PCP dioxin in the chemicals.

 

“Why are they registering chemicals if they didn’t even know what’s in them?” he said. These Canadian chemicals were made in peace time so the manufacturers made it slower and there was less dioxin in it. If they didn’t know it was in there, how can they know they removed it? Why would they remove something they didn’t know was in it?” Young said.

 

“If I can figure that out, anyone can.” “There’s no going back. This has gone out of control,” he said. “The government has not even tried to deal with it. If anything, what they’ve done with the ex gratia payments, is they’ve tried to weasel it down to the smallest number of people they could possibly get away with paying, hoping it would go away. In doing so, they’ve insulted a great number of the people who were

involved.”

 

“When they came to power, they had the chance of cleaning it up without any guilt because they had absolutely nothing to do with it because it was the Progressive Conservatives and Liberal parties. For them to do what they’ve done, it was basically a big cover-up. They not only inherited but they’ve adopted the cover-up.”

 

next up for these protestors is a rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in October. Rally organizing group Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.’s copresident Carol Brown Parker said they need to keep going in their quest to receive a full, public inquiry and they’re going to continue to do whatever they can to make that happen.

 

“There are so many people, even in this area, who don’t know or understand,” Brown Parker said. “There are a lot of misconceptions and they really highlighted it at the rally.” The AOAC has named June 15 as the deadline for the Greg Thompson to establish contact with them.

 

“I am willing to be a point person for an initial discussion on this topic and look forward to the Minister’s receptiveness,” Brown Parker said. “I’ll be waiting for Greg Thompson to communicate with me. I want a face-to-face, one on one conference to discuss the options and how we are going to go from here. It’s not a dead issue. Far from it.”

 

“I’m not looking for money,” she said. “I’m looking for that full, judicial inquiry. We need them to admit what was happening.”

 

OTTAWA - The verbal skirmishing between veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran and Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson continued Wednesday as the advocate appeared before a Senate subcommittee.

Kenneth Brown/Telegraph-Journal
Veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran told a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday that the Department of Veterans Affairs is blocking his efforts to help homeless veterans.
Stogan, a retired colonel, told the standing subcommittee on National Security and Defence that the Department of Veterans Affairs is blocking his efforts to help homeless veterans across Canada.

Stogran also told the committee he has several concerns he would like to have addressed next week when the committee meets with the veterans affairs minister.

The biggest concern is the lack of access to department information to which he believes he should have full access, such as legal documents, so he can help veterans, he said.

He also expressed concern about the small number of people in his office, employment security for his workers and the "carving out" of turf by Thompson as far as "delegating his responsibilities."

Stogran told the committee he believes the department's deputy minister has too much power.

Last week, the ombudsman expressed dismay at the number of homeless veterans in Canada.

He told the committee that Veterans Affairs' lack of street-level initiatives to help homeless vets is the biggest problem that he sees.

"As an ombudsman I'm going to call it as I see it," he said after his committee appearance. "I've worked really hard over the last year to gain fair and open access to the department and, if they have information that would support me in my endeavour, I'm looking forward to it.

"I feel I have to give myself a failing grade as ombudsman," Stogran said, adding he feels he is partly to blame for any lack of co-operation between his office and the department.

Stogran he is concerned about, not just with existing veterans and war casualties, but also future veterans and whether the Canadian government has any safety nets in place for them.

"Can we say if you do become an operational stress casualty, we'll catch you?" he said, referring to families who now have sons and daughters in Afghanistan and those young Canadians who will want to fight for their country some day.

Stogran was appointed by Thompson, the MP for New Brunswick Southwest, as the country's first veterans affairs ombudsman in October 2007. The 2007 federal budget allocated $20-million a year to create the ombudsman's office for former armed forces personnel.

Since his appointment, Stogran has been travelling from coast to coast visiting homeless shelters and last week he said facilities from Calgary to Charlottetown have all served veterans.

Thompson recently said his ombudsman should "give his head a shake" because he failed to bring the names of homeless veterans to his office.

When asked by the committee how many names he has given to the department to date, Stogran said he has given them two.

Thompson said Wednesday that Stogran told him last week that is wasn't his job to forward him names of homeless veterans.

"His job is to identify problems within the veterans community and then to report them to the minister," he said. "But also there's an obligation to report those (names) to the men and women that can make a difference that day.

"Wouldn't he have the common sense to phone Veterans Affairs and say there's a number of homeless veterans - come down here. He doesn't have to provide the names, but let us know they're on the ground in Ottawa or Toronto or Montreal?"

Thompson said it is about having open and honest relationships between the ombudsman and himself and his staff.

However, there are specific reasons why information would be withheld from the ombudsman's office, the minister said.

"I've said, 'there's no reason why you can't have that document, in my opinion; unless there's some kind of a legal or security reason why you can't have the document, you'll have the document,' " he said.

"That's the kind of relationship we have."

Stogran said he could do his job better with access to all the department's information and more resources, but he respects the department and what they do for veterans.

The minister said homelessness is a result of other problems, including mental illness or drug and alcohol addictions.

Thompson denied Stogran's allegations the department isn't doing anything to help the former military personnel.

He said the Conservatives budgeted for veterans assistance three years ago, saying his department has doubled the number of operational stress injury clinics in the country and provided several peer support programs as well.

New Brunswick Senator Joseph Day said he's confident the situation can be resolved.

When you create something new like this, you never know how it's going to work and it's clear they have some growing pains," he said.

"They've got a very good man in the position. As long as he has the money to meet his mandate, he'll do a good job."

**************************


my response (comment) to the above story was.

The way that the Veterans have been neglected over the years would leave this reader very surprised and disappointed if the ombudsman wasn't stirring up some controversy. Mr. Stogran' s job after all is to find and try to correct the failings of both Ottawa and the Greg Thompson's VAC and I for one didn't expect his comments or suggestions to be welcomed with open arms by either of the two.

Too many military debouches like Gagetown Toxic Chemicals, Sheffield chemical experimentations and the use of Canadian Military to clean up Chalk River's nuclear accidents without any protection may be just the tip of the iceberg that a military ombudsman will have to tackle in the performance of his (by the government) thankless job.

I hope that Mr. Stogran is secure in the knowledge that Veterans support him and if Ottawa doesn't replace him for being too good at his job, veterans may live long enough to see some improvements in their treatment from VAC.

When I first became aware of the limited mandate and authority of the Office of Veterans Ombudsman, I was disappointed, to say the least, but not at all surprised.  The Dept of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and The Royal Canadian Legion fought against the establishment of the office, as did many on The Hill.

Once it became apparent that it was inevitable, DVA worked even harder to make the OVO a lame duck. No matter who was appointed, it was clear to me, the hired would be a DVA lap dog. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I went to a Halifax town hall meeting where Mr. Stogran met with a crowd of frustrated and sceptical veterans, I being one of them. He was there for hours and repeatedly invited attendees to provide their contact information to one of his staff; who he had introduced to the crowd at the beginning of his ‘Leave No One Behind’ presentation.

I had my guard up as I’m sure others did: We would not be swayed by a wonderful orator after years of broken promises, and fighting VAC bureaucracy.

When I was invited to become part of the Advisory Committee to Mr. Stogran, I jumped at the chance to do more for the Veterans Community and to be on the ‘inside’. So, I can speak from experience and direct contact with the man, his staff and the office.

As far as the man is concerned, I am very pleased with him as our Ombudsman and this endorsement did not come easy. And I will not hesitate to point out any fair criticisms because the man is not egocentric; he welcomes it so that he may improve which leads to helping the veterans.

I have never seen the man waffle, like Mr Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs and those of Mr Thompson’s ilk. Mr. Stogran has been straight up with the media and the veterans. I am in awe of his courage in admitting his shortcomings. How many bureaucrats or politicians have ever or would ever do that? How many would give them selves a failing grade?  Not a one. They are more skilled at covering their asses.

Considering the obstacles placed in front of the man and office, I find it amazing that the office has been able to accomplish what it has. Thirty-Four percent of complaints brought to closure is nothing short of a miracle, considering his limited resources. That’s one third of the files brought to closure from an office that was set up from scratch, in a constant state of flux and with administrative Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) VAC set in its path.

For Mr. Thompson to say Mr. Stogran is insensitive to veterans clearly shows Mr. Thompson’s inability to fully grasp the plight of the very veterans his department is mandated by legislation to assist.  His asinine statement of Mr Stogran’s insensitivity is a projection of his own demonstrated and documented lack of sensitivity to the veteran.
Considering The Department of Veterans Affairs has been around longer than 18 months, it is they who should have addressed the issue of homelessness with their greater resources. Obviously, the first complaint inflow of unsatisfied veterans to the OVO indicates that the government is not doing everything in its power to help struggling veterans, contrary to the Minister’s claim. Read: lawsuits and Bill C-201 and other motions brought before parliament to address veterans issues.

Mr. Thompson’s statement shows how uninformed he is about the homeless, as well. Being on the fringe of society for years, most are unwilling and often times fearful of providing any information that would allow them to be tracked down by the government; paranoia is very common. I have offered to get help for the homeless I know and who know me by name, but they flat out refuse.

Going back to the Halifax gathering, I heard veterans (with homes) at my own table say they would not be bothered accepting Mr. Stograns invitation to speak to his staff because nothing was going to change, anyway. Despite his genuine open invitation to also contact his office by phone, email, or snail mail with their case particulars, input and/or constructive criticism on any shortcomings with his office, himself or staff being strongly encouraged. Short of the man, walking into the crowd with a pen and paper, himself, and strong arming what more could he do? Mr. Thompson is being pathetically ridiculous. This is a cut and dry case of shooting the messenger.

It should come as no surprise why soldiers hesitate to seek help for mental health issues or addictions, and less will be coming forward now, having witnessed how Mr. Stogran’s admission of shortcomings is being received and how small Mr. Thompson has shown himself to be. 

I have yet to hear of a time Mr Thompson has come off a podium to take names. I’m sure there are many in the Agent Orange crowd who would have loved to have had him within arms reach.

Give Mr Stogran the full credit, he has earned. He’s the only one who has gotten out from behind his desk and entered homeless shelters. Where was Mr Thompson or any of his predecessors?  Where was any one in government; including VAC critics from opposition parties or Senior Canadian Forces Officers? Mr. Stogran has shown leadership and concern for the wellbeing of the troops. Leadership before this man was sorely lacking. No one had the guts to put themselves on the line, as he has.

It’s true we are behind other countries in this area. VAC has not obtained stats on veteran’s suicides. However, I and others in the Advisory Committee have heard Mr. Stogran voice his concern with this issue, as well.

I, for one, hope Mr Stogran won’t resign. I believe him to be made of stronger stuff than quitting in the face of Mr. Thompson’s or anyone else’s petty comments and attitudes. If veterans are complaining, it is because his office is the first line of defence. The abuses and negation veterans have experienced has been going on for decades. Finally, they have an outlet for their frustrations. Understandably, they will have limited patience with any delays and little understanding for what his office has been up against. Many are dying: Time is not on their side.

If anything, his term should be extended until he and veterans are satisfied that the office has been adequately set up to handle the massive task before it. Until, this happens anyone else coming in to the position will be starting at ground zero with a steep learning curve in front of them.

I would be curious to find out the budget and resources given to the Veterans Review and Appeals Board (VRAB) and the Bureau of Pension Advocates (BPA). Members (27 to date) on VRAB receive salaries in excess of $100,000 this does not include their administration staff, airfare, hotels, transportation, meals etc. And lawyers, well, I won’t even guess at their salaries. VAC spends more on discounting and denying veterans than they do helping them.

There would be little need for VRAB or BPA, if VAC honoured the ‘Benefit of the Doubt’ clause in the Pension Act. The medical personnel VAC has on staff remind me of  the ambulance chasers Insurance Companies have working for them, only the strong and persistent will ever get compensation and benefits due them. Now we’re into the salaries of Doctors and Nurses. I would conservatively estimate half the thousands of backlogged claims now before these VAC sub departments would be cleared. VAC should be upping the OVO budget instead of returning millions of dollars to Mr. Flaherty.

I can assure Mr. Thompson, that should he consider using Mr. Stogran’s admissions against him and replacing him with someone who will tow the party line, he will lose the little credibility his Ministry has left.

Mr Stogran has opened himself and his office up for full public viewing: warts and all. I can’t say the same for VAC and its sub departments. Seeing behind the curtain at VAC has the same secrecy has seeing into the inner chambers of the Vatican.

Claudia Schibler, Halifax, NS
Writer, Veterans Advocate
OVO Advisory Committee Member, proudly serving with Mr. Patrick Stogran and his staff.

Please see the message below from Peter Stoffer, MP regarding Bill C-201.  Veuillez lire ci-après le message de Peter Stoffer, député, au sujet du projet de loi C-201. 

 

Sincerely/Salutations,

 

Holly Brown

Communications and Legislative Assistant for

Peter Stoffer, MP, Sackville-Eastern Shore

2900 Hwy #2 Fall River, NS B2T 1W4

Tel:  (902) 861-2311  Fax:  (902) 861-4620

Email: stoffp0@parl.gc.ca

 

 

I am pleased to let you know that my bill (C-201) to eliminate the unfair claw back of retired Canadian Forces and RCMP service pensions will be debated for the second hour of its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday May 12th, 2009 at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT).  You can watch the debate on CPAC TV or on the Internet via ParlVu. 

 

I am hopeful that this bill will pass second reading and be referred to a committee for further study.  I expect the bill to be voted on the next day (Wednesday May 13th, 2009) immediately before the time provided for Private Members’ Business.  (Private Members’ Business usually starts at approximately 5:30 EDT so the vote would be before this time).  Please note however that it is very difficult to give an exact time the vote will take place as it is dependent on the legislative agenda for that day and is always subject to change due to events in the House.

 

In case you miss the vote on C-201, I will send out a note via email the following day that explains the results.   

 

In advance of the upcoming debate on Bill C-201, I once again encourage you to contact your Member of Parliament to ask them to support this bill. 

 

Thank you again for your interest and support of Bill C-201.  I know that the entire NDP team stands united to correct this injustice on behalf of our veterans and their families.

 

Sincerely,

 

Peter Stoffer MP

Sackville-Eastern Shore

NDP Veterans Affairs Critic

 

 

J’ai le plaisir de vous informer que mon projet de loi d'initiative parlementaire (C-201) visant à mettre fin à la récupération injuste d’une partie de la pension des retraités des Forces canadiennes et de la GRC fera l’objet de sa deuxième heure de débat à l’étape de la deuxième lecture à la Chambre des communes mardi, le 12 mai 2009, vers 17 h 30, heure avancée de l'Est (HAE). Vous pourrez suivre le débat sur la chaîne de télévision CPAC ou sur l’Internet, par le truchement de ParlVu. 

 

J’espère que le projet de loi sera adopté en deuxième lecture et renvoyé à un comité pour être étudié à fond. Je m’attends à ce qu'il soit mis aux voix le lendemain, mercredi, le 13 mai 2009 juste avant l’étude des affaires émanant des députés (qui commence habituellement vers 17 h 30 HAE; le vote devrait donc avoir lieu avant). Veuillez toutefois noter qu’il est très difficile de prédire avec exactitude l’heure à laquelle le vote aura lieu; elle dépendra du programme législatif de la journée et pourrait changer à tout moment au gré de ce qui se passera à la Chambre ce jour-là.

 

Si vous manquez le vote sur le projet de loi C-201, je vous expliquerai les résultats le lendemain dans un courriel.   

 

Comme le débat sur le projet de loi C-201 approche, je vous encourage de nouveau à communiquer avec votre député(e) fédéral(e) pour lui demander de l’appuyer. 

 

Je vous remercie de nouveau de vous intéresser au projet de loi C‑201 et de l’appuyer. Je sais que toute l’équipe néo-démocrate tient unanimement à corriger cette injustice au nom de nos anciens combattants et de leurs familles.

 

Très cordiales salutations.

 

 

Peter Stoffer, député

Sackville—Eastern Shore

Porte-parole du NPD à l'égard des anciens combattants

 

Every little bit of victories hel.
*****************
By Alysa Landry

NAVAJO NATION — Access to treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is expected to be easier for Navajo veterans following an agreement signed recently between the Navajo Area Indian Health Service and the Northern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

The agreement calls for social workers to operate from the Fort Defiance Hospital and the Chinle Veterans Center, both of which are in the Arizona portion of the 27,000-square-mile Navajo Nation.

But the services likely will be available to any Navajo veteran who needs help, IHS spokeswoman Jenny Notah said.

"In terms of the service area and the services provided, it's open to anyone enrolled in the northern Arizona catchment area," she said. "But we won't turn away anybody if they show up for services."

Thousands of combat veterans are diagnosed every year with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a term used to describe the psychological and physical symptoms experienced by as many as 40 percent of all combat veterans.

An estimated 25 million United States soldiers don't leave war on the battlefield. Veterans who suffer from PTSD often experience nightmares, flashbacks and exaggerated startle responses — the phenomenon that sends veterans scrambling for shelter during fireworks displays or other unexpected explosions.

"PTSD is the only disorder that comes from outside your body or your mind," said George Lawson, one of the two social workers directed to provide services on the reservation. Lawson, a licensed clinical social worker and member of the Veterans Affairs' PTSD Outreach Team, is based at the Fort Defiance Hospital.

"Other disorders may be due to a chemical imbalance inside the body, but PTSD comes from being exposed to a traumatic environment or war zone," he said. "Most veterans feel like there's something wrong with them. Family or friends will say to get over it. A counselor would not say that. It would be like erasing a part of a person's life experience."

Lawson said he serves about 20 clients per week, including veterans of the Korean, Vietnam and

Persian Gulf wars and World War II. Many of the World War II veterans seeking services never sought help.

Lawson did not have information on the number of American Indian veterans suffering from PTSD, but he said the problem is substantial.

"Tapping the numbers is difficult," he said. "That's part of why we're here. We know the numbers are here, we just don't know how great they are."

The other Veterans Affairs-funded social worker is Ruthie Hunter, who eventually will provide services at the Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility.

Notah did not have information on a similar agreement to be signed with the New Mexico or Utah Indian Health Services and the states' Veterans Affairs offices.

"Our primary work has been with the Prescott (Ariz.) Veterans Affairs office," she said. "However, that doesn't prevent us from doing any outreach with New Mexico partners. At this time, I think the veterans are just beginning to learn about this service. The agreement marks a great opportunity for them to access these workers at closer distances."

Calls to Floyd Vasquez, spokesman for the New Mexico VA Health Care System, were unreturned this week.

The health care agreement, spearheaded by the Northern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care Center, came on the heels of a federal Veterans Affairs grant, spokeswoman Ame Callahan said. The grant allows VA employees based in the Prescott, Ariz., area to provide counseling and services in the remote locations on the reservation.

"What we wanted to do was provide more outreach to Native Americans because they're in such a rural area," Callahan said. "The reservation is so far away from facility. We wanted to take the services to them instead of them having to travel a long way to us."

The agreement also called for the IHS to provide office space for the social workers. The counselors will work in the hospitals, within existing facilities.

"That's a big deal for us because office space is so hard to find," Callahan said. "With the grant, we put social workers out there to provide services for PTSD, to do counseling, to do one-on-one work with people who need it."

The two social workers also will provide additional services such as applying for enrollment with Veterans Affairs, access to other health care options, benefits counseling or applying for disabilities.

The Northern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System also has plans to expand services to the Hopi Nation, Callahan said.

The goal of the outreach program is to assist any veterans exhibiting symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, especially the young generation returning from Iraq or Afghanistan after serving multiple tours of duty, she said.

"Anyone can walk in as long as they're veterans," Callahan said. "We also have family members participate. We want to get the younger folks who just came back from the war, and the elders who can say they've been through it. We want people to feel safe talking about it."

Alysa Landry:

alandry@daily-times.com

Dear Mr.Ignatieff,
 
I am one of the many Veterans who had their lives and health altered at CFB Gagetown because of the numerous toxic chemical defoliants used there. This has continued to be a problem for many reasons, not the least of which may have more to do with MP's and past PM's parents and/or relatives involvement in portfolios which should have stopped the spraying or taken care of its victims.
 
You sir are in the enviable position of not only not having been in government while the atrocity was taking place but also that there is to my knowledge non of your family involved in what transpired in CFB Gagetown between 1956 and 1984. You may be one of the only political leaders today who can fix this issue without any need to see if you would be trashing your own family or if there might be some guilt that would fall at your own feet.
 
Having said this I wonder why you and your office hasn't come out in support of the Canadian Veterans who have been affected by what can only be described as indiscriminate chemical use and a somewhat shoddy chemical registration process which took place in the 50's through the 80's.
 
The general attitude that because it is before the courts, Ottawa won't even talk about it is somewhat backwards because if Ottawa had bothered to take care of the victims, it wouldn't even be before the courts. Soldiers love their country and are very reluctant to take Ottawa to court but have been left with no other course of action. Ottawa has refused to even acknowledge that they made an honest mistake, VAC has because of this refused any Gagetown Chemical pension clamed, Workman's comp and CPP refuse to deal with the problem while many soldiers die or loose everything they have spent a lifetime to achieve due to the costs of medications and other medical expenses.
 
There are somewhere in the neighborhood of one million voters who are going to vote with veterans issues in mind. More 440,000 for the Gagetown issue alone. It would seem prudent for you to state your position on Veterans issues and most notably the CFB Gagetown issue if you wish any of these votes to go your way in the up coming or next Federal election.
 
Remember Canada is watching you, in fact on the Gagetown issue the whole world is watching.
 
 
Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/653237

Protest planned for border town

Published Friday May 1st, 2009

Derwin Gowan
Telegraph-Journal

ST. STEPHEN - Protesters from across Canada will come to St. Stephen May 19 to demand a public judicial inquiry into spraying chemical defoliants at CFB Gagetown, says a Canadian Forces veteran who is organizing the demonstration.

Gary Goode said the group will include former soldiers, environmentalists and politicians. They will assemble at the St. Croix Public Library parking lot and march up Milltown Boulevard to the New Brunswick Southwest constituency office of Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson.

"I think you're going to be quite surprised what's going to happen there," Goode said by telephone Thursday from Fernie, B.C.

The lineup of speakers includes Peter Stoffer, New Democratic Party MP for Sackville-Eastern shore in Nova Scotia, as well as Conservation Council of New Brunswick officials David Coon of Waweig and Inka Milewski of Miramichi.

The group Veterans Widows on the Warpath will attend, Goode said.

The group will demand a public judicial inquiry into what Goode calls a cover-up related to the health effects of spraying chemicals to kill vegetation in the training areas at CFB Gagetown over 30 years from the 1950s to the 1980s.

"It was a whitewash to limit our government's liability and culpability," Goode said.

These chemicals - Agent Orange, Agent Purple and others - were different formulations of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T that released other chemicals called dioxins that cause cancer and other health problems.

Goode, a native of Springhill, N.S., served three years in the Canadian Army, all with the Second Battalion, Black Watch Regiment of Canada, at CFB Gagetown from 1967 to 1970.

In 1966 and 1967, Canadian authorities allowed Americans to spray defoliants at CFB Gagetown, Goode said.

He left the army and operated heavy equipment in Alberta and British Columbia.

He began to have trouble with pneumonia in 2003 and doctors diagnosed a tumour on his right lung in March 2005. The lung was removed a month later.

He joined the class action lawsuit underway now.

In Goode's view, Thompson did not keep promises he made as an opposition MP to deal squarely with victims of chemical spraying, and has not moved on a full inquiry. For this reason the group chose to demonstrate outside his St. Stephen office.