Legal truce over veterans benefits on shaky ground, lawyer warns MPs

Have to agree teen

That was awesome, a great laugh and a ray of sunshine, or sunny ways. More like cloudy skies. VVV...

Now that is one hell of a video! Kudo's to the artist who drew the pics and put the video together.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Promise to Veterans.

Implemented pauses between the full length of the speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1GJZzPD4P8&feature=youtu.be

Teen, I would agree that we should lay off the Tories, if they hadn't blamed the liberals, for what they did or didn't do, to excuse their own actions, on almost a daily basis, even after three successive election wins. But that doesn't mean that I'm letting the Liberals off the hook either. If they allow their lawyer to stand in court, and continue to argue that there is no special covenant with Veterans, I'm going to be irate. If their argument manages to get the lawsuit shut down, I'm going to be downright dangerous to be around.

During Stephen Harper’s ten year run, the battles between veterans and his government were well documented. His government wrapped itself in the flag, claimed to support our troops, but also fought veterans in court.Maybe that’s what garnered more bad press for Harper than his Liberal predecessors, who waged their own penny-pinching battles with veterans.For whatever reason, it is clear that Canadians side with our veterans and want them to be well cared for.This is why it is disconcerting to see the new Liberal government pick up where the Conservative’s left off in a court battle that will affect some of our more recent, wounded vets.

Anyone who was looking for the government to change the page on its raucous relationship with veterans will remember that during the election the Liberals campaigned on a promise that veterans would never have to fight against the government for the support and respect they deserve if their party won power. Now that the election is over and power has been secured, the sanctity of that promise has been compromised – big

time.

That’s because the Liberals are continuing to fight a lawsuit that began in 2012, when six wounded Afghan veterans took the government to court to challenge the Conservative’s lump-sum payment scheme which replaced lifetime pensions in 2006. The changes were unpopular with veterans and didn’t gain support among the civilian population either.

There is no doubt this became an election issue the moment the Conservative’s started to argue that the government does not have a “social covenant” with veterans when it comes to providing pensions for injured soldiers. This was a huge about face for Canadian governments. It mobilized veterans who volunteered on Liberal campaigns firm in the belief that Justin Trudeau would keep his word, abandon the court case, and reinstate lifetime pensions. In six short months those promises are in tatters and the veterans are back in court.

Predictably, the government is hiding behind the well-worn excuse that they won’t comment on something that is before the courts, but that can only work for so long. Sooner or later they will have to address broken election promises made to veterans.

Before the election, the Conservatives had already spent $700,000 fighting veterans in court. Now the Liberal government has taken up the fight and even hired the same lawyer the Conservatives had used. Long gone is the notion of any sacred obligation that Canadians have with those who are injured in the service of our nation. Now our government fights our heroes in the courts and hides behind lawyers who do the dirty work. These are bean-counter battles and there is nothing heroic in them at all.

Last year the House of Commons unanimously passed an NDP motion that recognized Canada’s covenant of moral, social, legal, and financial obligation to our veterans. The moment the Liberals picked up the lawsuit it became clear they were just saying anything to appear different from the Conservatives at the time. Our veterans already served their country without reservation, and they shouldn’t have to fight their government for the pensions we all believe they deserve.

http://www.manitoulin.ca/2016/05/26/government-didnt-change-enough-veterans/

So true pinger so true.

I've always said the Cons are a'holes up front. The Libs are a'holes but they go for the 'but we are friendly a'holes' thru a PR campaign.

I'm one guy that would like to take you up on that bet to help veterans but.....well you know the wife would be upset that I took such a stupid bet. LOL

Good post at 14:47 Teen.

I too voted Liberal.

But here's the equalizer I've always used when voting...
THEY'RE   ALL  LIARS  TO  BEGIN  WITH !
AKA false hope (Perhaps that concept is why some people don't vote)
But I voted.

Not to play devils advocate but here's an example of what I mean.

Take JT and his promises on our file before being elected.
Anyone here willing to bet their LIFE they will all be fulfilled and not broken?
High hopes anyone...?
I'm not surprised anymore when they break promises, just peeved.

What to do... keep up pressure if you can, write, email, visit, the media,
and connect with peers and engage like here and with other groups


Promises are just loose words to me, but giving ones word . . .


jmo pinger

Trooper that's the Liberal PR machine in damage control.

We lied to the veterans so let's bombard the media with what the Conservatives did in the past so everyone ignores what we are doing now.

Never forgive and forget what has been done to the veteran file. But we are not under a Conservative gov't we are under a Liberal gov't that made very huge promises to veterans and they are trying to wiggle out of keeping them.

So the Liberals do what Liberals do....bring up the past gov't failures and just pound, pound, pound away at it until the media is bored of hearing the same thing over and over. Not to mention hearing veteran advocates say the same thing over and over.

So everytime a veteran makes a remark of what the Cons did in the past a Liberal spin doctor gets a pat on the back.

Oh and FYI the increase to the $360K was not a Liberal idea. It was proven in the courts that VAC was undercutting veterans and VAC was ordered to bring the payout up to the national average. This improvement would have happened under a Green party gov't.

Teen I agree that the Liberals lied an I also believe that there's a lot of Veterans including Veteran advocacy groups that have been given a wake up call in this regards.

I also agree that with 10 years of being miss-treated by the Conservatives is not something Veterans can forgive an forget.
I think one reason why you hear a lot of talk about the past government is reading News Articles about what the Liberals are now doing with regards to our file , 90% of the information coming from News Articles refers back to the past government in terms of our file therefore reminding those of us here on CSAT of the 10 year nightmare.

That said in my own opinion I think it would be wise to embrace to conservative opposition in our case the conservative Veterans critic to work on our behalf.
I too have negativity towards what the conservatives did in the past with our file , and will continue to voice my negativity towards what the conservatives did in the past and what the Liberals are doing in the present.
I think you would agree that avoiding the now conservatives veterans critic , would be a very bad move in terms of seeking support in our battle with the now Liberals.
Just so all of you know here on CSAT , I as other VVi staff have been working with the conservatives Veterans critic , and I can assure all of you that they are on our side.
These individuals that are from the conservative Veterans critic office are not individuals that were under the former conservative leader under the Veterans file.
I also can tell you that the Veterans critic is working hard against the Liberals on this latest news surrounding the Equitas Lawsuit.

You are all missing the point of this thread...

The Liberals lied to veterans saying they would never have to go to court to get benefits under a Liberal government.

The result of this lie is more disastrous then you all realize. Nothing in the way of benefits can be done unless the Justice Department says so. This includes:

1. Changing PIA/CIA rules
2. Lifefong pension
3. 4 Years of school
4. Removing the sacred obligation to veterans currently on the NVC that was passed under the nasty Conservative reign.

Yes the Cons sucked at veteran issues and it was equivalent to pulling teeth from a chicken but that's in the past so leave it there. All you do is empower Hehr with your "the Cons did this" because you are straying off target.

All of you that voted Liberal for a better life for veterans were lied to just to get your vote. Shouldn't you be more upset about this then what happened under the Harper gov't?

I am not done yet! (Reference my file)
Still waiting!
I've applied and applied and reapplied, who knows what else I have done for VAC in order to be heard, come on already! Send me the final notice!
I want to make the next move!
I have the paper work to back me up, I kept everything.
I am becoming more ill because of the waiting and the uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Hehr said he remains committed to veterans even after an ongoing class-action lawsuit by a group of Afghanistan veterans resurfaced last week.

The Liberal government came under fire in the House of Commons after returning to court seeking a ruling on whether the previous Conservative government’s argument that it has no special obligation to provide lifelong pensions for injured soldiers is correct.

Despite government lawyers making an appeal for a ruling on the contentious issue, Hehr put the ball back in the court of the group that initiated the action, adding since taking power the Liberals have made major strides in helping Canada’s veterans, including boosting benefits for former soldiers by $5.6 billion in the 2016 budget.

“Lawsuits can only be dropped by plaintiffs. I’ll remind everybody, the plaintiffs’ lawyer (Don Sorochan) is 90 per cent happy with what we’ve done and he acknowledges the success and the swift movement we have made on veterans’ issues,” he said.

“We are working on ensuring that veterans and their families are taken care of better than the last government.”

The veterans argue new rules implemented in 2006 discriminated against them by offering lump sum payments as opposed to lifelong pensions that had previously been offered.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/hehr-discusses-federal-response-to-fort-mac-fire

well they are all professional liars . yup RCN is right the libs did bring this in to save money . bigrex is pretty much right don't forget about that new shinny card buds lol . and yes nav is correct harper holds the record for debt among Canadian prime ministers with numbers that would make JT,s old man blush . in the end a LITTLE has changed for the better and we have to fight for the big change we are looking for against a party that promised that change instead of one that have said they would not touch it .

I can live with that .

propat

To be completely honest the Cons basic core idea is social programs and any disability programs are bad and against the capitalist notion of only the strong should survive. RCN I respect your comments, as always, but Harpers era of debt was by far the most of any PM and party in Canadian history. Nations have always had debt, in the big scheme of things it doesn't matter! Canada, USA , UK all large debt countries will still be around in 100 years as strong as ever , wars will come, depressions will come and the debt will still be there. Inflation will erode that debt over time like it always has! The NDP didn't even want the pensions back so I believe the liberals are our best hope, at least we have a mandate letter!