Contact, wait out. Response - Ministers letter - Adrift in the minefield of ignorance canadianveteransadvocacy/blog/?p=907 Minister Fantino, Thank you for your letter in response to the Adrift in the Minefield of Ignorance. Seldom do I receive a ministerial response and I am grateful that you have taken the time to actually read what I have written. I would note I penned this article earlier last week in response to the barrage of veterans’ criticism reference your appeal announcement and radio interview and consecutively, as is my custom, consultation amongst the veterans’ community. Considering some of the rhetoric that your comments have inspired, I thought my approach was balanced, based on reality and as always, focused the urgent needs of the wounded. These needs have been unequivocally identified most recently through the OVO’s report. Mr Parent’s conclusions mirror the results of over two years of consultation conducted at the CVA level and as such, I can assure you, that when I speak in public to the adversarial issues confronting veterans today, I am not misinforming Canadians, acting as a provocateur nor, conversely, am I misguided. Just where, Minister, have I devalued the sacrifice of those who have died in the service of this nation in an EMS capacity? Did I not state that I have the utmost respect for their sacrifice? Be advised that I have many friends who after military service entered the law enforcement community. In fact, I believe that you personally presented Tom Hoppe, Medal of Bravery, his first OPP badge. I am sure that all Canadians are quite like me, we share in the profound respect we bear for the sacrifice of those that selflessly serve their communities. I am also quite confident, Minister, that all Canadians, including those who serve in law enforcement today, understand the distinction between sacrifice at home and mass sacrifice on the bloody killing fields that have defined this nation. Let me clear, they are all heroes in my mind; indeed, I believe there is no greater glory than to sacrifice one’s life for another… But they have not, Minister Fantino, been in the trenches, nor are they veterans. I would take this moment to define my role as I have always been forthcoming, transparent and sincere with the ministry and, of course, put in the context of my words to you and the stakeholders last week. We are at war. Under the Harper Governments stewardship, the nation has sustained over one hundred and fifty fatalities and over fifteen hundred physical and mental casualties. This number is certain to increase significantly as serving members in transition are released as a consequence of another broken promise on behalf of your government. I would refer to the pledge made at the height of Operation Medusa, when the Canadian combat regiments were fully engaged in combat, not policing. The MND and General Hillier proudly declared that this government would take care of the wounded, there futures within the Canadian Forces were assured… Lest we Forget. | I find it extremely partisan, disingenuous and counterproductive to the dialogue required that the government would boast, at a time when Canada is at war, that they spent more on veterans than the previous governments, who governed under the auspice of peace. Need I remind you, Minister Fantino, that the entire five year Combat Phase of the Afghanistan mission occurred on the Conservative governments watch? That over 150 Canadians were killed in Afghanistan, on this government’s watch? That over fifteen hundred of the valiant have been wounded, many catastrophically, on this government’s watch? Respectfully, Minister Fantino, it is not my role to be the poster boy for what the Conservative government has done in the past, particularly in light of the deficiencies highlighted by the Veterans Ombudsman’s report! My duty, no, our duty is in the now, to the future well being of Canada’s disabled veterans and their families. Our duty is not to focus on the past, but seek improvements by focusing on the adverse issues as defined by the OVOs report and the nation’s stakeholders. The need for action is urgent, Canada’s most seriously wounded veterans continue to suffer as a consequence of the Conservative government’s refusal to act on the substantive issues. The CVA, OVO, RCL and other veterans’ organizations have made proposals that address these issue without negating the benefits of the NVC. I would draw your attention to the CVA Harmonisation plan and the mechanisms incorporated to ensure that the positive improvements of the NVC and Bill-C55 are not abandoned, but perpetuated, fine-tuned and exclusionary benefits are made available to all veterans without discrimination due to age or time of service We recognise there are vocational and income supplement that have positively affected the well being of many veteran s who were not provided under the SISIP program. It is our intent, sir, to address the deficiencies with all due diligence and by doing so, ensure that you and your colleagues within the Conservative Party honour your promise of a comprehensive Parliamentary Review and, ultimately, fulfill your government’s Sacred Obligation to the wounded Not dispute in court their claim for the same standard of care provided to our World War 2, Korean, Peacekeeping, Gulf War, Former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan pre 2006 veterans with the absurd premise that the Conservative Government has no Sacred Obligation. There will be consequences, veterans will challenge this governments abeyance of the Sacred Obligation at every opportunity until this government recognizes its duty to those who have returned to Canada bereft of limbs, minds and souls, those who have sustained catastrophic, life time altering injuries. Those who felt they have no recourse but to resort to the courts for justice. Minister’s meeting. Once again, I would thank you for inviting the Canadians Veterans Advocacy to the meeting you personally hosted Oct 3 in Ottawa. I felt indeed that, in the context of the meetings limited objectives, there was success. I would also thank you for the brief private meeting prior to the gathering and the opportunity to speak frankly and without limitations on issues of relevance as the schedule provided. But I am under no illusions. Nothing of merit was attained during this meeting on behalf of the veterans we serve. The issues that the OVO brought forth were hardly discussed, there was no comprehensive briefing on the OVO’s report | Where is the vision? Where is the government’s willingness to accept responsibility, to move forward with dialogue in good faith on the issues decided by merit, by the pain and suffering of Canada’s sons and daughters, not drivel that our catastrophically wounded must share in the burden of paying off the nations debt. Have they not paid enough? Have we not suffered enough hardship, spilled a sufficient amount of blood. Veterans Affairs Canada’s budget is not to be decided by an obscene fixation on the reducing the national debt, no, it must be decided upon the need of the casualties of war who died on your watch during the Afghanistan and the thousands of wounded who have, and will be in the future, entrusted to your Ministry’s care. How can I and the nation’s stakeholders, serving members and veterans across this nation trust you or this government when, one week you promise a comprehensive parliamentary review then the next, negate the most important issue, the Chump Sum Award, because the government does not believe it has a Sacred Obligation to those they send to war? Do I have to repeat the numbers, Minister Fantino? Recite the roll of honour? The OVO’s report was definitive; the New Veterans Charter, regardless of past amendments, continues to have a profoundly adverse affect on our most seriously disabled veterans. You are the Minister of Veterans Affairs. You have an obligation to respond fully to these deficiencies within council, to advocate for those you serve. Canada’s most seriously disabled veterans are in distress, the need has been identified, the obligation that you bear to ensure the parliamentary review focuses on ALL the issues that the OVO’s report identified must be paramount, a priority determined not by me, but by those who have suffered the most. You must embrace the obligation an ensure the proper legislation is presented before parliament in time for inclusion in the next budget. The time is now, the obligation, as Minster responsible for Veterans Affairs, is yours. Will you abandon them? Will this just be another headline without substance, very much like the promises of retention for the wounded? Or will you answer the Patriots Call, fulfill your ministerial duty to the wounded and the families of the fallen by ensuring the appropriate consultation and appropriate, comprehensive legislation is presented to parliament? I would encourage you to demonstrate to me and all veterans that you are worthy of our trust and respect, that Prime Minister Harper did not just parachute you into the portfolio to implement decisions that will decided by conservative budget ideology, not the outcome of the parliamentary review or the urgent, clear and present need to provide respite to Canada’s most seriously wounded. Sincerely. Michael L Blais CD President / Founder. Canadian Veterans Advocacy.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 16:24:36 +0000