OH look! A Canadian flag at half-mast! At a CF base! Quick, grab my photo team! Round me up some cool tanks and shit for the background. Roust up some old foggie vet...and don't, for chrissake, forget the damn poppies this time!
Oh...forget it, it's Gagetown.
The Harper government has returned more than $33 million set aside to compensate veterans exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange to government coffers after many veterans failed to meet its strict qualifications for payments. Liberal Senator Percy Downe said the veterans didn't qualify because compensation was narrowly limited to those affected by the chemical spraying at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown between 1966 and 1967.
Right, and even those vets didn't get compensation until they had to take their own government to court for it.
Downe said what concerned him is that the money wasn't returned to Veterans Affairs or used to fund assistance for Canadian veterans and their families as was originally intended when the money was set aside.At the same time, the government has spent nearly $8 million in legal fees fighting those veterans who have launched a lawsuit over the highly restrictive qualifications.
"It would seem that instead of assisting veterans, the unspent $33 million is being used to fight them in court," said Downe.
Well, Flaherty has been telling us we all need to tighten our belts. Harper's defence funds have to come from somewhere. Gotta keep extra in that kitty as well, never know what special interest group or fringe group may outrageously take him to court over trivial things like broken promises or human rights.
And there are all those ads to promote oil fields that need funding! And someone has to pay for those Don Cherry Hearts Fantino appearances! And...and...ADSCAM!!!! Surely you haven't forgotten ADSCAM??!!!
Oh yeah...support the troops...and stuff...
2 comments:
Do you think it would be better to just start a policy of putting a bullet in vets heads to solve both our problems. Vets would not have to worry about support themselves after surviving risking life and limb for our country and we would not have to pay anything out. Sad part is some might prefere it to the current state.
an anonymous bureaucrat told Stogran that Vet Affairs would rather deal with a death than an injury to a soldier. Less expensive.
There was also a lot of speculation that harper (probably the Libs as well) held off on agent orange settlements because there'd be fewer vets alive to compensate.
Same with WWII vets and their spouses.
Just sickening.
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