WHY???

Listen to the infantries encounters and commentary reporting, they are the frontline staff (up close and personal).
"American television program 60 Minutes shows O.K. laughing and joking while making and planting the kind of explosive devices!"
Where's the investigation to where those bombs went and any if any hurt our Forces (incriminating footage ,even abroad)?
Would you be awarded 10.5 million, if CSIS had a video like that of you (I don't think so), I know there is some on here that worked for CSIS, so what do you think, EH?
Done Ranting, almost!
One more thing, if this isn't promoting child soldiering by handing over 10.5 million, "then god only knows what'll stop the worlds bigotry".
And it sure isn't the courts, nor politicians, or bureaucrat; but our own beliefs as Canadians that'll fix and solve this solution.

Why the GoC would award a wrong with a right , leaves me clueless and speechless?

"By contrast, Omar Khadr was less than two months shy of his 16th birthday when he murdered SFC Speer. Footage aired on the popular American television program 60 Minutes shows Khadr laughing and joking while making and planting the kind of explosive devices that killed 97 Canadians in Afghanistan. Omar Khadr was no child soldier. Had he not been injured and apprehended that July day, he would have attempted to kill more NATO troops, and may have succeeded".

According to

International law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_children)

In 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 38, proclaimed: "State parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities." However, children who are over the age of 15 but under the age of 18 are still voluntarily able to take part in combat as soldiers.

"In addition, some accounts from leaders of armed groups, claim that children are as effective recruits as adults citing their apparent bravery, agility and stamina. Beber & Blattman (2013)"

Hence why we all joined the CF, good old Canadian Family values.

Still doesn't  add up or make any sense.
It is more like a right hook to the jaw from Tyson, then a slap in the face.
First off, the transaction was to be done in secret, what does that tell you?
Another thing, how do you medically release an injured soldier and give him nothing to live on, but yet settle with this amount under veil (evil) & secrecy.
I don't get it at all.
Move on, that is what needs to be done and please allow the new found freedom (eye for eye), we must believe in the government and their deals. (just like the promise to us)
I know my Canada isn't falling apart.  
If Canada can take care of this young fellow (Canada's newest MULTI millionaire), then we can take even better care of our Veterans.
What do you think?

Sent to me by VVi's Chief Editor

Maher Arar Accepts Ottawa's Apology - And $10.5 Million Compensation

BY NEWS STAFF

Jan 26, 2007


Maher Arar CITYNEWS

“They have acknowledged my innocence. This means the world to me.”

With those words, Maher Arar finally loosened the long yoke that has followed him around since he was deported from the U.S. and sent to be tortured in Syria in 2002. It happened after the R.C.M.P. provided false information about his ties to terrorists.

He accepted a long awaited – and much cheaper – settlement package from the federal government Friday. He had originally been asking for $400 million. He settled for $10.5 million, along with another $1 million to cover his legal costs.

And he also received another benefit that may be beyond price – an official apology from Stephen Harper.

“In doing so, the government of Canada and the prime minister have acknowledged my innocence,” Arar explains. “This means the world to me, to Monia (his wife), to my kids, to my mother, and father, to my five brothers and sister.”

Saying his struggle has shown him how important it is to fight for human rights, Arar admitted he may never get over what happened to him.

“My suffering and the suffering of my family did not end when I was released,” he agrees. “The struggle to clear my name has been long and hard. My kids have suffered silently. And I feel that I owe them a lot. I feel now that I can devote more time to being a good father to them. And to being a good husband. And to rebuilding my life.”

He also thanked the Canadian people for pushing for the truth.

It was those same people on the mind of Harper as he offered an apology of behalf of Canada for the events that happened before he took over in Ottawa.

“Although these events occurred under the last government, please rest assured that this government will do everything in its power to ensure that the issues raised by Commissioner O’Connor are addressed. I trust, having arrived at a negotiated settlement, we have ensured that fair compensation will be paid to you and your family.”

Arar was tortured for almost a year and lost his job amid a cloud of suspicion. He was eventually cleared in an inquiry conducted by Mr. Justice Dennis O’Connor and received an apology from R.C.M.P. Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli, who would tearfully resign his post over the affair.

Both sides made reference to the large amount that taxpayers will dole out for the tragic mistake, and both insist that no amount of cash will ever be enough to undo the damage.

“I know to some Canadians that will sound like an awful lot of money,” Harper admitted. “But I can tell you that the reality is, given the findings of the O’Connor commission and the unjust treatment that Mr. Arar received, that figure is within this government’s realistic assessment of what Mr. Arar would have won in a lawsuit and that is the basis on which we concluded this settlement.”

Arar’s own lawyer was less diplomatic.

“No amount of money would cause a rational person to choose what Maher Arar and his family have been through,” Julian Falconer points out.

“I ask you to consider that he spent the 10 months and 10 days never knowing which day he would be tortured, never knowing whether he would live or die. To those who would suggest that money could somehow fix this or have rendered him whole, I say to you that is absurd. I would go further and suggest that at the end of the day, not one of us would trade our good names and our ability to live a normal life for that amount of money.”

The engineer was preparing to fly to Montreal from Tunisia when he was held at a New York airport in 2002 and subsequently sent to Syria by U.S. authorities after they received incorrect info about alleged al-Qaida ties from the Mounties. Canadian officials brought him home more than a year later, and a judicial inquiry eventually cleared him.

News of the deal comes two days after the U.S. Ambassador slammed Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day for demanding Arar be removed from the U.S. no-fly list, something they’ve refused to do.

“It’s a little presumptuous of him to say who the United States can and cannot allow into our country,” the ambassador said after meeting with Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach in Edmonton.

“Canadian officials would rightly never tolerate any American official dictating to them who they may or may not allow into their country.”

U.S. officials reason that they have information to back up their decision, but Day said this week that he’d seen it and that there was nothing incriminating in the file.

“It simply does not alter our opinion that Mr. Arar is not a threat, nor is his family,” the minister said. “We are continuing to let our position be known on that.”

University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman says the settlement doesn’t bring the Arar affair to an end.

“I don’t think the government had much choice in terms of an apology or compensation in light of the legal findings of a Canadian judge. Having said that, I think the real story here hasn’t come out yet, and that’s the culpability of the media and those in the government that leaked false information to the media,” he said. ” The media still haven’t revealed who those people are; nor is it apparent that those people have in any way been disciplined or named.”

Arar has sued U.S. officials over their role in the matter. That suit is pending.

Maher Arar Statement

“Good afternoon. I cannot begin to tell you how important it is, how important it is today that Prime Minister Harper and his government have moved forward on the work of Justice O’Connor by apologizing to me and my family and awarding compensation.

In doing so, the government of Canada and the prime minister have acknowledged my innocence. This means the world to me, to Monia to, my kids, to my mother, and father, to my five brothers and sister.

I thank the prime minister and his government for taking this step. My suffering and the suffering of my family did not end when I was released. The struggle to clear my name has been long and hard. My kids have suffered silently. And I feel that I owe them a lot.

I feel now that I can devote more time to being a good father to them. And to being a good husband. And to rebuilding my life.

This struggle has taught me about how important it is to stand up for everyone’s human rights. Monia and I also realize that this compensation makes it possible for us to contribute in other ways to Canadian society.

As I have stated many times before, this struggle was never just about me. This was a struggle for everyone. And I will continue to do all I can to add my voice to those working to make sure that all of Justice O’Connor’s recommendations … are fully implemented.

The fact that the previous government called a public inquiry into my case must be acknowledged. So too must the efforts of the current government to implement Justice O’Connor’s recommendations.

Finally I want to pay tribute to the Canadian people. Without the support of the Canadian people, I may never have come home, and I would not have been able to stay strong and push for the truth.

I feel proud as a Canadian and I feel proud of what we have been able to achieve collectively. Above all, I must thank my wife Monia for the strength, the courage, and the determination she has shown all along the struggle. To Monia, to my daughter, and to my son, I say I owe you a lot.

Thank you.”

The following is the text of the letter from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Maher Arar:

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to apologize to you, Monia Mazigh and your family for any role Canadian officials may have played in the terrible ordeal that all of you experienced in 2002 and 2003.

Although these events occurred under the last government, please rest assured that this government will do everything in its power to ensure that the issues raised by Commissioner O’Connor are addressed.

I trust that, having arrived at a negotiated settlement, we have ensured that fair compensation will be paid to you and your family. I sincerely hope that these words and actions will assist you and your family in your efforts to begin a new and hopeful chapter in your lives.

Key Quotes

“I’ve never wanted to become a public figure, but the circumstances forced me to. You know sometimes I sit down and write my name on Google and see how many hits I have. So the minute I feel it’s going, I will come back again and talk to you.”
Arar on his unwanted and undeserved infamy.

“What they’re doing now by making political certain selected items of information, is not the way to proceed. [Not] if the United States considers itself to be a democratic country.”
Arar on his continued exclusion from the U.S.

“I believe that the most important question is that if somebody is put on this no-fly list, how can that name be withdrawn from the list. Are you on that list for life? For example in my case. When they sent me to Syria, they gave me a document in which it was said I couldn’t come to the United States for five years. Now in September of this year, does that mean that they will take my name off the list? That I do not know.”
Arar on how long the ban will last

“We went to Brussels back in March, the plane actually entered the U.S. airspace for about 10-15 minutes, and I was watching us on the map and it actually flew over Bangor [Maine] … where the private jet refuelled before it went to Rome. So I was not comfortable at all during those 10-15 minutes. Time will tell only whether this will change.”
Arar on his travel problems

“I ask you to consider what he now faces, him and his family. Severely restricted from practicing their faith and returning or conducting a pilgrimage to Mecca. They can’t travel to over one-third of the world’s countries according to experts, not simply because of their own fears but because acting reasonably while on the U.S. watch list and for the rest of the foreseeable future, he would be a fool to take such a risk.”
Julian Falconer, Arar’s lawyer

“I have tried to find a job before in my field. I have never been able to. Remember in the old days it, took me like a week to find a job so at least now I have this hope how to rebuild it, how to do it.”
Arar on his future employment as a computer engineer

“Part of this process was an apology in writing, and I want you to know why. Monia Mazigh (Arar’s wife) told me that she wanted an apology in writing from the prime minister so when her children are old enough they have written proof from the prime minister of Maher’s innocence. That is wrong. No one should have to prove their good name to their children. That is simply abominable.”
Falconer on the future of Arar’s family

“I really wish I can buy with this money my life back,”
Arar on what he’d really like to do with the $10.5 million

“Today innocence has triumphed.”
Falconer

Key dates in the Maher Arar ordeal, courtesy Canadian Press:

Sept. 26, 2002: Arar arrives at JFK Airport in New York City, on flight from Zurich, headed for Montreal. Detained by U.S. authorities, questioned, told he is inadmissible to the United States and asked where he would like to go. He says Canada.

Oct. 4, 2002: Arar visited by Maureen Girvan, Canadian consular officer in New York. She later says she never thought the Americans would send him anywhere except home to Canada.

Oct. 8, 2002: Arar taken from his cell at 3 a.m., told by American officials he is being deported to Syria on suspicion of terrorist activity. Bundled aboard private jet.

Oct. 9, 2002: Plane lands in Jordan, Arar quickly transferred by car to Damascus where he is to be jailed by Syrian military intelligence.

Oct. 10, 2002: Arar gets first look at cell he describes as size of a grave. Spends most of next 10 months there.

Oct. 11, 2002: Arar tortured for first time, beaten on palms, wrists, lower back and hips with electrical cable. Confesses — falsely, he says — to terrorist training in Afghanistan.

Oct. 23, 2002: Arar meets Canadian consul Leo Martel for first time. Beatings have lessened since he was first jailed, and Martel later says he couldn’t detect any signs of physical torture. Several more consular visits in subsequent months but none are private; Syrian officials insist on being present.

Early April, 2003: Arar briefly allowed some time in outdoor courtyard. First time he has seen sun in six months.

April 23, 2003: Arar meets Canadian ambassador Franco Pillarella and two visiting Canadian MPs, Marlene Catterall and Sarkis Assadourian. Again Syrians insist on being present and he can’t speak frankly.

Aug. 14, 2003: Routine consular visits resume after long interruption. Arar describes living conditions and later says he told consul he had been tortured. Consul says he knew living conditions were bad, but Arar never spoke of torture.

Aug. 23, 2003: Arar blindfolded, put in car and driven to new prison. Treatment improves and there is no further torture. No longer held in solitary confinement, can mix with other prisoners.

Sept. 19, 2003: Arar teaching English to fellow prisoners when he hears another Canadian has arrived at prison. It’s Abdullah Almalki, an acquaintance from Ottawa who has also been tortured.

Oct. 4, 2003: After days expecting further interrogation, Arar told instead he will be going home to Canada. He doesn’t believe it.

Oct. 5, 2003: Arar taken to meet prosecutor who reads out confession of his supposed terrorist past and tells him to sign it without giving him chance to read it. Then taken to meet head of Syrian military intelligence, who has been joined by Canadian officials for occasion. Arar freed and put on plane to Canada.

Sept. 18, 2006: Inquiry report blames RCMP for supplying inaccurate and unfair to Americans about Arar’s alleged terrorist leanings, likely basis for the U.S. decision to detain and deport. Says Arar has committed no crime and is no threat to Canadian security.

Sept. 28, 2006: RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli apologizes to Arar, but says he will not resign. Receives support from government and some opposition parties.

Dec. 6, 2006: Zaccardelli resigns after acknowledging he provided erroneous information about the Arar case to a Commons committee.

Dec. 12, 2006: Second part of Arar inquiry report released, recommending much tougher oversight of RCMP and other security agencies.

Jan. 26, 2007: Canadian government announces settlement with Arar.

http://www.citynews.ca/2007/01/26/maher-arar-accepts-ottawas-apology-and-10-5-million-compensation/

Posted to show the same payout amount.

This is why many Canadian veterans are troubled over the Khadr settlement

By Sean Bruyea, for CBC News Posted: Jul 15, 2017 5:00 AM ET



When pressed about the issue on the Senate floor Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he understood Canadians' "concerns" about the $10.5 million payout to Omar Khadr. "In fact," he added, "I share those concerns about the money; that's why we settled." But to the thousands of men and women who have served in Canada's military, their concerns go far beyond the simple dollar amount.

Many veterans and their families are not happy about the Khadr settlement — that much is obvious. But in the climate of vicious and partisan name-calling that seems to accompany all things Khadr, veterans' reactions are being unfairly dismissed as little more than conservative barking. (In fact, while the military and its veterans traditionally have been the natural constituents of the right, that largely changed during the last federal election.)

Fighting for benefits

At the core of the issue is benefits — specifically, the grueling adventure race veterans have to endure to plead for their parsimonious assistance. Certainly Khadr had to fight for years for justice. Veterans, likewise, often have to fight years — and often decades — to receive their benefits.

Khadr sued the Canadian government for mistreatment and violations of his rights. Veterans are barred from suing government for mistreatment when seeking benefits. What's more, veterans are limited to using the military's rotten veterans tribunal system, one that provides "free" lawyers employed by the very department from which veterans are trying to seek benefits.



Legal settlements in Canada do not fall under taxable income, therefore Khadr will pay no tax on his $10.5 million. But ever since Ottawa replaced lifetime pensions for wounded veterans with one-time lump sums, 95 per cent of the benefits received by severely injured veterans and their survivors is now taxable. The court case to return to lifelong pensions continues for its fifth year, even though Trudeau promised to end court cases against veterans and return to lifelong pensions.

To prove permanent disability, Canadian veterans must make humiliating annual declarations that they are still missing their legs, or that their minds and spirits continue to be devoured by the lingering trauma of war. Should the most injured attempt some part-time employment for a more meaningful life, the government deducts every dollar earned. Indeed, the government already deducts pension, CPP disability, OAS and GIS from veterans' benefits. Khadr, on the other hand, gets to keep every cent of his settlement.

What's more: the $10.5 million was made rather surreptitiously — the government hasn't actually even confirmed that amount, nor has it explained how the precise dollar figure was determined.

Because we don't know the details of the Khadr settlement, the reasons for the discrepancies are speculative. But for those who have devoted their lives to defending Canada and now fight to receive their deserved compensation, watching the Canadian government simply hand over $10.5 million to someone who allegedly fought against our ally is unsettling, to say the least.

Indeed, for all the government's rhetoric about sending signals about fairness and justice, out-of-court settlements have minimal effect upon future court decisions. And as for Trudeau's claim that "when governments fail to respect people's rights, we all end up paying," there is no indication that the bureaucrats who actually breached Khadr's rights according to the Supreme Court ended up paying anything. Instead, you and I are paying the price.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/986591811813/

Among Trudeau's justifications for paying Khadr was the idea that it would have cost the government more to fight than to pay. But justice, fairness, openness and transparency about a government's actions should not be dependent on how much it costs to avoid paying a debt. Veterans are owed billions in lifetime pensions. Should we wait until Ottawa racks up a billion-dollar legal bill before settlement is possible?

When they see such comprehensive government action to try to right the wrongs done to Khadr, veterans and their fellow Canadians simply can't understand the gross discrepancy. Why are those willing to make the supreme sacrifice for our country so persistently left behind?


http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/veterans-khadr-settlement-1.4206063

Khadr Settlement Provokes Outrage In The Pembina Valley "I'm Embarrassed To Be A Canadian"

Saturday, 15 July 2017
Written by Steven Sukkau


Many voiced frustration at seeing Canadian taxpayer dollars used for the settlement

Residents from across the Portage-Lisgar riding recently vocalized their dismay at the Canadian government's financial settlement with Omar Khadr.

Those who gathered at Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen's office in Morden Tuesday for a roundtable meeting on the issue expressed outrage over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's $10.5 million settlement.

Trudeau also issued an apology for the Canadian government's role in Khadr's incarceration and torture while detained at the U.S military prison, Guantanamo Bay.

"You could sense the frustration and the anger from people... that was pretty clear," Bergen says. "They want to know what they can do, 'can we change this decision?'"


Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen held a roundtable at her office in Morden Tuesday

While born in Canada, Khadr travelled to Afghanistan with his father, a known affiliate with terrorist organizations. At age 15 Khadr was wounded in a firefight between U.S soldiers and Taliban fighters. During the fight Khadr allegedly threw a grenade that killed an American soldier before being captured and interrogated by Canadian and U.S intelligence officers.

Bergen explains while the Supreme Court ruled Khadr's human rights were violated at Guantanamo Bay, there was no prescribed monetary award.

"It's very disturbing," one resident said, "we don't pay prisoners of war."

Others voiced frustration at seeing Canadian taxpayer dollars used for the settlement.

"It's the first time I'm embarrassed to be a Canadian," another said.

"Common sense has been lost, but I'm not supposed to be angry?"



Others said it's painful to watch veterans struggle to receive needed services, only to watch someone with a terrorist background receive a multi-million dollar settlement.

The response in Morden falls in line with a recent poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) between July 7 and July 10.

Just over 70 percent of respondents felt the government had "done the wrong thing" and instead should've fought Khadr in court, as he was suing the Canadian government for $20 million for breaching his civil rights.

Only around 29 percent believed the government did the right thing, while only 35 percent believed Trudeau had no choice but to offer an apology and financial compensation.

For those upset with the decision, Bergen says the best course of action is holding Liberal MPs accountable.

"I would think, if they're in touch with their own constituency, they will denounce this decision," Bergen says.

https://www.pembinavalleyonline.com/local/khadr-settlement-provokes-outrage-in-the-pembina-valley-i-m-embarrassed-to-be-a-canadian-video

At the time of the budget, a senior government official speaking on background said the intention is to roll out the revised pension plan later this year and issue cheques to veterans by 2018 — a year ahead of the next election call.

The new plan, however, "would not seek parity with the old pension act," that pre-dates the Conservative changes, the official told CBC News last spring.

At the same time, the letter to Hehr expressed frustration that the advisory panel's recommendations were being ignored and "deliberately pushed down the line for further review and evaluation."

Specifically, the advisers pointed to their October 2016 report, delivered to Veterans Affairs, which suggested rolling a suite of already existing benefits and entitlements, including the Exceptional Incapacity Allowance and Attendance Allowance, into "a single stream of income for life."


Let's hope for a better solution to our concerns, now with all this fiasco in the lime light.
It'll be an eventful summer to come up with a solution.
We served our country and we are worth more then a dollar amount.
"Especially that 10.5 million can be handed out in secret".
Unfortunately this is unsatisfactory and any veteran whom is injured & settles for less....oh boy, oh boy

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/veterans-khadr-settlement-1.4206063
(In fact, while the military and its veterans traditionally have been the natural constituents of the right, that largely changed during the last federal election.)
We're being heard left right and center, GoC is GoC no matter which party is in office.

Thanks Sean Bruyea !!! BZ Brother!
Making sense of this is a nightmare in itself.
Bewildered anyone?
Here on forward will be interesting, since there is a promised announcement.....
Can someone correct me if I am wrong about an up coming announcement in reference to our file.

I don't know about you guys and gals but this takes the cake and we should all be tired of the back and forth delays on our Rights and our Freedom.
Every waking moment I am worried...(VAC has absolute control, they provide my financial support), don't follow the vocational rehab program and chances are you get the boot.
Do veterans under the PA feel this way?
My rights are violated (no financial security, because of always waiting on a decision, and only god (VAC) knows the outcome) and no Freedom, because I must rely on a benefit that is reassessed every two years....

I felt bad for receiving a 5% pension and I fought 19 years to get it, this is unsatisfactory.
Goes to show how this society works and what pecking order us Vets fall under.
Losing faith with all the parties involved with the GOC?

Soldiers shouldn't have an obligation to government?
That sounds just as fair, as what they are stating to soldiers.
Who runs the show in Ottawa!
Gut feeling is what?
They can treat us like dirt (civil servants) but, remember who protects their asses on the frontlines at home and abroad.
And there must be more to this $10.5 million payout, it doesn't make any sense and using The Canadian Charter of Rights as an excuse, infringes on my rights as a French Canadian veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces.
I never believed what an ex-Military Police said to me, until the other day.
He stated "I wouldn't wipe my a$$ with the Canadian charter of rights"....and now I know why.
Our Canadian charter has been violated and Canadians need to protect it.
National vote! Does this guy deserve to get a 10.5 million dollar payout? & $360,000 for a Canadian Soldier....................what's the joke, I don't get it.
People will say read the facts and I'll state, I lived the facts and ask me what I would of done overseas on a CFB and invaded, would I of protected my ass while in Baden as a 15 year old Air cadet overseas, with an old man who's a full patch Airborne (prior to the disbandment of the Regiment)?
My ruling would be, "ignorance to the law at home and abroad is no excuse".?
MAKE SOME SENSE or risk having a military who will be questioning every move it makes, having no assurance.

Looking forward to this announcement on what the future will look like for us Veterans.

Don’t blame Harper’s Conservatives for Liberal failures on Khadr, veterans

July 14, 2017 2:00 am By J. Brian Batte

Re: Wednesday’s letter from David Perron, Albas’s government did nothing to stop the torture of a minor.

A few facts Perron conveniently left out: the Conservative government did do something. They repatriated Khadr to Canada. It was two successive Liberal governments that did nothing to stop the “torture” (sleep deprivation). The Supreme Court ruled that CSIS and Department of Foreign Affairs interviews breached Khadr’s section 7 rights. Those interviews occurred during the Chretien and Martin Liberal governments.

Perron states “Albas’s Conservative government continually fought against a Canadian.” Khadr was fighting, possibly laying IEDs in Afghanistan against allies of Canada, the U.S., who were in the neighbouring area of operations (AOR).

What, Mr. Perron, would you say if Khadr was in the Canadian AOR and killed a Canadian medic and wounded another soldier?
Incidentally, it was Jean Chretien who committed Canadian troops, who were not adequately equipped, to the war in Afghanistan.
If a member of the Canadian Forces is killed on duty, either in armed conflict or military accident, their survivor would receive a total of $360,000 after a claim is submitted and approved by Veterans Affair Canada.

Meantime, the class-action suit against the withdrawal of lifetime disability pensions for Canadian veterans is still pending with the government’s defence being: “The government has no obligation to soldiers”

Before you blame the Conservatives again for the withdrawal of lifetime disability or survivor’s pensions for Canadian veterans, one more fact: the New Veterans Charter was the Chretien Liberal government’s legislation that died on the order paper.

Reintroduced by the Conservatives, it was passed unanimously by all parties. Unfortunately, it was flawed legislation.

Trudeau campaigned in 2015 on the promise to bring back the pension. To date, Liberal promises, Liberal promises.

Five million dollars spent on the legal action to date? That’s a lot of court costs. Government lawyers and their support staff are public service who get paid whatever they are doing.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale in his statement said it was all the Conservatives fault? Grow up Ralph. You sound like a child blaming someone else. Well, of course, your government is headed by a juvenile.

J. Brian Batter (Lt.-Col, Ret’d), Winnipeg

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_7436fd86-6820-11e7-817e-b75ed400cda1.html

CANADIAN VETERANS SPEND IN THE SECOND

July 14, 2017

OTTAWA | Canada’s veterans digested badly that the ex-child-soldier Omar Khadr has received $ 10.5 million so quickly while their own causes against Ottawa dragged before the courts for years.

“Every time that we, the veterans, have inquiries about our fundamental rights, Ottawa replied that there is no money “, critical Jordie Yeo, a veteran quebec, wounded in Bosnia-Herzegovina in July 1993.

Hit in both legs by enemy bullets in a mission, Montreal has seen its comrades-in-arms fall before her eyes, an event that continued to haunt him on his return to the country.

Unfair

The veteran Jordie Yeo was injured in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993

It cannot be doubted then that the battle would continue in the country to recognise the syndrome of post-traumatic stress disorder. Six years before the courts have been required to demonstrate the seriousness of his condition and be granted a pension for wounded soldier.

“Why the government is taking it more into consideration the rights of those who fight against their country or those who fight for their country ?” asked Mr Yeo.

Especially, it is explained poorly that Canada has paid so quickly$ 10.5 Million to Omar Khadr last week, under the pretext that the country has violated its rights guaranteed by the constitution.

Battle

Born in Toronto, Khadr was captured in Afghanistan at the age of 15 years and imprisoned in the american base of Guantanamo for a decade, because they have not been repatriated by the Harper government.

“During this time, the soldiers who come back wounded no longer even have the right to their pension for life, even if it has been promised by Justin Trudeau. We would like that it adjusts more quickly than the Khadr matter “, compares Mr Yeo, who is said to lead the struggle for the new generation of soldiers.

Six canadian veterans injured in Afghanistan have been engaged for more than five years in their own legal battle against Ottawa for the right to a lifetime pension, which is denied to them.

This type of pension has been abolished for military personnel who have retired after 2006, and now it is up to the Court of appeal of British Columbia to determine whether the injured were still right.

“The veterans feel even more betrayed since the case of Khadr,” says Mark Burchell, a spokesman for the organization Equitas Society, which has launched this class action.

2017

Kent Hehr
Minister Of Veterans Affairs

The office of the minister of Veterans affairs Kent Hehr, we are promised that the injured will find their life-long pension by the end of the year.

“We are determined to provide a pension option to life for our injured and ill veterans, and we will give more details on this before the end of the year 2017,” says its spokesman, adding that the government has planned $ 7 billion extra for veterans for the past two years.

https://sherbrooktimes.com/canadian-veterans-spend-in-the-second/12968

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/trudeau-says-khadr-settlement-troubles-him/ar-BBEmwkE?li=AAggNb9&ocid=SNYDHP

You can put a monkey in a suit and it is still a monkey!

teentitan wrote:So let me get this straight....Trudeau was "worried" about the cost of fighting Kahdr in court?   Yet he has no F'N problem spending money fighting veterans in court?!?!?!?  The veterans who he said should not have to go to court to get benefits?

Yeah the real genius got elected as PM!

The PM is definitely feeling the heat on this one, but come next election, this will be all forgotten, and the PM knows this, the wheels of stupidity continues to turn.