Veterans who battled Tories to hold protest against Liberals over treatment

I have completely lost faith with this government when it comes to Veterans.

The Equitas lawsuit could have been handled by this government as the promise they made not to fight Veterans in court an to end the Equitas lawsuit.
The Liberals are doing a poor job in pretending to have our backs.
Like I already said , the lifelong pension is not complex , they already know what their going to bring forward an are just waiting for the proper time to drop the bomb.
What their going to bring forward is not going to be worth the paper it's written on.
They increased the ELB but reduce the minimum to senior private , read between the lines folks , the liberals are now elected an now everything is just for show , the latest stunt with the ELB increase , the flat rate of $11000 for a 25% award retro , and most of all the BS on this latest Liberal insulting move with the Equitas lawsuit!
Read between the lines folks an forget about the advisory group committees as they will get nowhere with Kent or the Liberals in general.
I believe it's time to switch tactics , an tackle them through media an protest , an through the courts.
Today's Liberals tone regarding Veterans is a far cry from when they were campaigning to be elected an spoke about their fight for Veterans!
The NVC in particular the comparison between the lump sum an the PA pension is a real problem , a problem that will not go away until properly addressed , there's absolutely no indication that the Liberals are going to bring back the PA pensions , on the contrary , they are going to fight us in court on this particular point.
They know this will take years to complete , that's a bonus for them , in the meantime don't expect much of a lifelong pension coming from Kent , as I said their tone has changed an the political game continues.
Again it is the Veterans who lose , not the government , at this point I would say that advocating for Veterans with Kent is a complete waste of time an the focus now should be towards the media , protest an the courts.
If someone has a better Idea please post it!

I just found this comment on "Banished Veterans" facebook page. It is from Retd Gen Leslie , now MP. Looks like the borg has got him and he has now been assimilated, and gone to the other side..VVV...

Mr. Lee,
Thank you for contacting me regarding veterans pensions and the Equitas class action.
On the matter of the lawsuit, while our Government and the plaintiffs may not agree on the specific details outlined in the class action, we do agree that parliamentarians have a sacred obligation to our veterans, as outlined in the Minister’s mandate letter. This ongoing lawsuit began years ago and it is regrettable that under the previous government, veterans had to take this step to ensure their well-being.
Though I cannot discuss any more specifics of an ongoing court case, I can assure Canadians we remain committed to re-establishing lifelong pensions as an option for injured veterans, as well as all the items listed in the mandate letter for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. A lesson learned from past experiences is that we don’t rush into development of veterans programs without proper input from the veterans themselves. Also important to note is that this change is a complicated one. We intend to bridge the financial gap between the lump-sums and the lifelong pensions for all those vets who were injured under the lump-sum system.
In summary, I ask for your patience. Restoring lifelong pensions remains a key promise to our veterans that we intend to fulfil. We have already taken a very big step forward with Budget 2016 which delivered $5.6B in additional support to Veterans. In addition, the Minister has demonstrated his commitment to fulfilling this mandate by hosting 2 Stakeholder Summits, establishing 6 Ministerial advisory groups to advise his office on specific issues, launching an online “have your say” tool for Veterans and Canadians to weigh in on these issues, and launching a cross country tour where he will engage with Veterans and get their input on top priorities.
Should you require any additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
LGen (ret’d) HON Andrew Leslie, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament | Député fédéral
255, boul. Centrum blvd.
Orléans, Ontario K1E 3W3
Tel./tél.: (613) 834-1800 | Fax/Téléc.: (613)

Sounds like the Honorable General Leslie has taken the party line. Why is it that we are told as troops that you do not follow unlawful commands...and now that we have someone who represented the Canadian Forces as a whole and knows that this direction is ludicrous and bs..yet still preaches the party line??

Good job, Dannypaj!

Veterans Protest / CTVNEWS / Video / June 16 , 2016


http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=893109

I have your backs, just like you have mine.

Petter Blindheim denied Camp Hill bed due to federal 'bureaucratic BS,' premier says.

Norway honouring Second World War soldier as Canadian veterans protest his treatment.

Jun 16, 2016 12:00 PM AT

Liberal Premier Stephen McNeil says the federal Liberals should stop the "bureaucratic BS" and give a Camp Hill Memorial Hospital bed to 94-year-old Second World War veteran Petter Blindheim.

"It absolutely makes no sense that the national government is telling this Norwegian vet that he was good enough to stand beside, to risk his life for Canadians, and yet they're unwilling to let him spend his final days laying beside those very same Canadians," McNeil told reporters Thursday morning.

Veterans Affairs Canada rejected Blindheim's request for a bed at the Halifax site because it said he could receive adequate care at existing provincial facilities.

McNeil said Camp Hill has a dozen or more empty beds, while the province's regular long-term care beds have waiting lists. He maintained deciding if Blindheim is eligible for a Camp Hill bed is entirely a federal matter and that the veteran "should be respected by the federal government."

He hasn't talked to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, but said others in his provincial government have.

Bumping another senior down the wait list

At a separate protest at the Veterans Affairs building in Halifax, veterans were joined by Blindheim's daughters Karen and Wendy.

Karen Blendheim Higgins said her father deserves a spot in Camp Hill. She said him taking a provincial bed would just cause problems for others.

"If I was a senior here in this province I would be very concerned because that means a bed is taken from somebody else. And that other person would not qualify as a veteran for a veterans' hospital," she said.

Wendy Westerlund travelled from Norway to see her father receive Norway's Commemorative Medal today. She said the debate over where he gets his care is being followed in Norway. A family friend wrote to that country's prime minister.

'We never surrendered'

She said Norweigians took especial offence to the first reason Veterans Affairs gave for turning him away: because he enlisted during the German occupation of Norway and fought as part of the resistance, rather than an Allied country.

"We are really surprised by the letters Canada wrote to my family, with the mistakes they made about Norway surrendering in World War Two. We never surrendered in World War II," she said.

"It's no problem for the government here to wake up and say fine, open up the door and let him in."

Doug Roberts of advocacy group Banished Veterans said many families are going through a similar situation.

"To say many of us are disgusted by this act is an understatement. This is wrong," he said. "These men are our brothers. We will not take this lying down."

Allied veterans are entitled to benefits under the War Veterans Allowance (WVA). Blindheim has been in Canada since the late 1940s.

"Our government has made promises last year that veterans would not have to sue for proper care, yet these men — World War II heroes of the free world — they treat these men in such a despicable fashion at the hands of nameless bureaucrats paid by our tax dollars," Roberts said.

"My family will keep fighting, we will not give up hope"
Another WW2 vet fights for Camp Hill space
Roberts said his group — which has about 400 members — fought against the previous government's denial of benefits to veterans. Now it said it won't stand by if the new government employs similar tactics.

Blindheim will receive Norway's Commemorative Medal in Halifax this afternoon.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/petter-blindheim-protest-camp-hill-1.3638118

Thanks for showing up Danny!

There's going to have to be more advance notice in future protest , I only found out early this morning on the time an location of the protest.
Yesterdays notice did not show a time an place.

Expect more protest in the coming days , Weeks or Months as it is now become quite clear where the government stands on our file.
At this point it's unlikely that Stakeholder Committees/Meetings are going to do any good.
At this point I do believe that the Media , Veterans protest , and the courts of Canada is our best bet.
I have noticed a rise in the amount of non Veteran civilians who are now speaking out against the Liberal government for they way they are handling their promises , more so the betrayed of allowing the Equitas to go forward calling back the very same lawyer who is again saying that the government does not have a special obligation or “social covenant” with its veterans.

Veterans turn sights on Liberals after 94-year-old man rejected for hospital bed.

HALIFAX — Angry veterans demonstrated today in front of a federal office in Halifax, saying the Trudeau government is betraying their trust by refusing to allow a 94-year-old decorated war hero to enter a federally funded hospital.
About three dozen veterans from the Cold War, Bosnia, Afghanistan and other conflicts gathered at the Veterans Affairs building in support of Petter Blindheim's bid to enter Camp Hill Veterans Memorial hospital, and to protest other recent federal decisions regarding veterans.
Organizer Doug Roberts said he was disgusted by the Blindheim decision because he'd campaigned against the former Harper government in hopes of a less restrictive attitude towards the funding of veterans' care and housing.
Ottawa initially rejected entry to Camp Hill for Blindheim, a veteran of the Norwegian Royal Navy and merchant marine, because it said the Norwegian forces fighting from England didn't qualify as official allies.
The department recanted that position, but then on Monday rejected the frail man for Camp Hill on the basis that he could receive adequate care at existing provincial facilities.
A spokeswoman for federal Veterans Affairs minister Kent Hehr said Ottawa can't comment on the case, but says the Liberals have committed $5.6 billion in added support to veterans in the most recent budget.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2016/06/16/veterans-turn-sights-on-liberals-after-94-year-old-man-rejected-for-hospital-bed.html

It was a good turn out. Plenty of media coverage. Plenty of veterans on point with our message that we stand united coast to coast.

The media is very interested.

I wish I had seen this a few days ago, but unfortunately I have other obligations today. Hopefully there will still be a decent turnout though.

vs.

RED ALERT FOR THOSE IN HALIFAX!!!!!

Please attend if you are able, now is the time to apply pressure and support those who are willing to take the lead. To far away for me, not to far away for yoy though maybe....
Just got this in the mail....
Re: Veterans and Supporters Rally June 16, 2016.
Dear Veterans and friends,
You are requested to attend a rally organized by Veterans to be held in the Sears bargain centre, the Veterans Affairs office parking lot on Mumford RD, Halifax at 10:00 Thursday June 16th 2016.
The purpose of this rally is to protest the last 3 WWW2 refusals by Veterans Affairs of Canada and the Minister of Veterans affairs to admit these Veterans to a Veterans Memorial Hospitals.
The Minister of veterans Affairs openly states on you tube: That he can’t talk about specific cases. The Prime Minister states on you tube: If I am to be your Prime Minister then no Veterans will be forced to fight their Government for the support and compensation that they have earned. When will the CPP pension clawback be terminated??
Where is the compassion and the sacred trust obligation to Veterans to be treated with Dignity?? The Government of Canada states that its has no Moral, Social, Legal or tradituary obligation towards its Veterans. The Equitas Law firm must now continue with their court action on behalf of Veterans.
Military/RCMP Veterans and Friends of Veterans are requested to attend this rally. Wear your Veterans dress with Medals, wear your Veterans badges. Remember if we don’t show up be aware that Veterans Affairs and the Government of Canada will continue their delay, delay, deny policies.
" Honour, Dignity, Justice, Equality! "
Sincerely,

John Labelle
Veterans Annuity Campaign
Coordinator

That would be a real issue if ltd doesn't get the increase!
There's nothing yet so who knows

CVA Situation report,
Steady up. The situation seems to be deteriorating, events transpiring during the past couple of weeks that have raised serious questions within the veteran community as to the commitment of the government, the sincerity of the pledges that were made during the last election and the subsequent mandate letter that was provided to the new minister when appointed to the portfolio last December.
I will try to keep this brief.
Veterans Long Term Care – The ongoing plight of General Belzile, Mr Blendhiem and tragically, many, many others who will be coming forward in the near future.
This is an issue the CVA has been engaged on for some time now. We have actively represented individual veterans residing at Sunnybrook in Toronto and fought for continuance of quality of care standards, inclusive of protest, during the transition process of St Anne’s in Montreal. I have toured both facilities, the veterans centric model is something to be cherished. There must be equality in recognition on National Sacrifice, the standards which have been accorded to those who served in one generation must be accorded to the next. This past week, the RCL brought forth a motion which is supportive, albeit tardy, in our quest and they will engage the government to open the 15 facilities serving WW2 and Korean veterans to all veterans. Unfortunately, they are a decade late, the 15 facilities are no longer under federal jurisdiction, the last, St Annes, being transferred to the province of Quebec April 1st of this year.
Adapt, overcome, prevail. Strategic plan. We believe that when the hospitals were downloaded to provincial authority, the sacred obligation they represented was also passed to the premiers and that it became their responsibility to ensure that the veterans of their respective provinces were accorded the same standards of respect historically accorded. We have advanced on three levels, first, perpetuation of the current veterans’ centric hospital wards with expedited placement for veterans, second, for those who wish to stay within their communities, expedited placement with in local nursing homes close to family and third, co-placement of spouse should he/she require LTC. It is important to note that the province pays for LTC bed as the veteran is a resident, as such, he/she should have the choice and the option of a veterans centric ward should be accorded.
I have engaged in Ontario, we have been to Queens Park to support Ms Foster’s -NDP- private members bill (successful) for expedited nursing home placement and hope to meet premier in the near future re Sunny Brook and Parkwood. I am seeking provincial leaders to take up the fight in your province, if you are interested, please contact me through the CVA website. I have spoken to the minister on this issue, defined the obstacles and the need for his leadership if the provinces are to accept the obligation. We also must do our part. One veteran – One Standard
Re establishment of the Pension Act - through the option of choice. This has been a linchpin of the CVA mandate and during the past 4 years we have fought on Parliament hill for a harmonized approach that respects the wishes of all veterans through an Lump Sum Award that reflects the Pension Act or the choice of a return to the life time pension as accorded to those on the Pension Act. The Libs adopted many of our proposals and these are reflected in the mandate letter accorded to the minister. On this level, the Liberals promised to raise the LSA and the choice to re establish the life time pension as accorded by the Pension Act. I would remind everybody that we are speaking of a pain and suffering, not income replacement issue, that these figures are NOT to be included in any future deliberations as the government seems want to do!
Budget 2016 addressed the Lump Sum Award, raising it to 360 grand and promising full retroactivity. While this is a step forward, it hardly equates to an aggregate lifetime award provided through the Pension Act and falls far short of the 1 Million Dollar (100%) threshold we proposed. Once the budget passes in July and logistics of cutting the cheques are done, the money will start flowing. This is bitter sweet, I am not a fan of the LSA but after speaking to many older veterans who served in the Cold War, Peacekeeping and Korea, I cannot ignore the fact that they want a LSA as they are elderly and very unlikely to live long enough to be provided what the LSA provides through monthly increments. I also fear now that it is done, it will be very difficult to have the issue revisited…. We will keep pressing…
Re-establishment of the life time pension – This is a very troubling issue, contradictory messages are being sent requiring diligence; on one hand, we have a mandate letter that is clear, a government that has struck the appropriate advisory group to study the issue formally and present the appropriate recommendations. The CVA is on it as is Equitas. On the other hand, we have the government returning to the court against the veterans of Equitas and their quest for justice. What is that? Very frustrating,
Regardless, The CVA was founded to fight this battle on Parliament Hill, we believe, as demonstrated this month re the assisted dying bill, that court rulings are important but that at the end of the day, legislation will be required. To that end, legislators must be informed and we have engaged all parties since conception with the same message, there must be equality in recognition of national sacrifice and will continue to do so through until the objective has been secured.
Legal Front - I would encourage all veterans to pay close attention to what transpires in the courts this week and FOLLOW THE LEAD of Aaron, Brian, Mark and the other plaintiff’s as they respond. It is vital that we are united in message, THEIR MESSAGE, that we are UNITED behind our brothers in arms with the understanding this affect thousands more than the six identified. It is also important to respect the fact that these are legal proceedings, we are veterans, yes? We can make our points respectfully and without alienating those we need in support.
Advisory side. I can tell you that at the advisory level, discussions are proceeding at a quicker rate than anticipated. The groups composition is diverse, not the same old, same old, and so far, there is unity of purpose re mandate letter. There have been three meetings already, a teleconference is scheduled for next week and another meeting in Ottawa scheduled for end month. The mandate letter is clear, re-establish the lifetime pension and offer the choice to those who wish to return and we will be encouraging others of focus on this issue with the intent on providing resolutions to the government in time for next years budget. More to follow on this issue in July’s sit rep.
Income Loss Replacement. There must be equality in recognition on national sacrifice, Once the budget is passed, the ELB will be raised to 90 percent and the anti poverty threshold elevated to 44,900. What is not clear at this time is whether those on SISIP will also be accorded the same level of relief. It is important to note that, by definition, those who have been most seriously injured have been covered by SISIP, not ELB. There have been discussions on this level, the government is aware of our position. I have also take the liberty to speak with Col Drapeau about the need of launching an class action law suit the moment the government falters.
Canadian Veterans National Day of Protest. Be advised that the CVA is non partisan and that we will engage the current government with the same vigour as we have engaged the past should they fail to keep the promises that were made to us during the election or bastardize the mandate letter into something unrecognizable! I was hoping that our protest days were over, that we would prevail within the next three years and the level of progress during this time would negate activities beyond vigils in Ottawa. Consider this a warning order, if the government proves to be lacking good faith in the discussion on the re establishment of the life time pension and it is clear it will NOT be in next years budget, we will mobilize.
Stay strong, stay focused!
ML Blais CD

Veterans who battled Tories to hold protest against Liberals over treatment.

Published Wednesday, June 15, 2016 3:54PM EDT

HALIFAX -- It appears the Liberal government has stirred the anger of a veterans' group who just months ago battled the Harper government over Veterans Affairs' handling of applications for care and benefits.
The advocacy group Banished Veterans is organizing a public protest Thursday in Halifax over a decision earlier this week to deny a decorated 94-year-old war veteran entry into the federally funded Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital.
Organizer Doug Roberts says his group -- which has about 400 members -- fought hard against the federal civil service that he says used technicalities to deny benefits to veterans, and it won't stand by to see a similar approach flourish under the new government.

"Most of the veterans voted for change ... but they're doing business the same way they did last year," said Roberts.
Ottawa initially rejected entry to Camp Hill for Petter Blindheim, a veteran of the Norwegian Royal Navy and merchant marine, because it said the Norwegian forces based in Britain didn't qualify as official allies.
Blindheim's family says the Department of Veterans Affairs backed away from that position, but then on Monday rejected the application on the basis that Blindheim could receive adequate care at provincial long term care facilities.
However, a spokesman for the Nova Scotia Health Authority said the current median wait time for a nursing home bed in the Halifax area is 285 days, and the family says Blindheim should have access to the better funded care at the federally subsidized Camp Hill facility.
The veterans with the advocacy group plan to protest in front of the Veterans Affairs building on Thursday morning over the decision, along with the treatment of several other Second World War veterans.
Meanwhile, a Norwegian military historian said the Canadian rejection of Blindheim's application for care at Camp Hill has raised questions in the country he fought for.
Lars Borgersrud, the author of a number of books and academic articles on the Norwegian military, said veterans like Blindheim who served in both the merchant marine and the Royal Norwegian Navy are highly regarded in his country.
"It's very strange," he said.
"He not only served in the merchant navy but also in the Royal Navy. He did heroic acts by diffusing charges and he was on a destroyer that was sunk. He is among the few heroes from that time."
Blindheim's action in rushing to the deck of a sinking ship and removing the primer from depth charges earned him decorations during the war.
He is to receive the Government of Norway's Commemorative Medal from the Royal Norwegian Embassy on Thursday afternoon at a ceremony in Halifax.
A spokeswoman for federal Veterans Affairs minister Kent Hehr said the federal Liberals are planning to improve treatment of veterans during their time in office.
The office said in an email that the Liberal government has taken steps forward with Budget 2016, "which delivered $5.6 billion in additional support to ensure that Canadian veterans and their families receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve."
The steps include reopening and staffing the nine Veterans Affairs service offices that were closed by the former government and increasing the number of case managers, says the statement.
"We are also increasing the disability award to $360,000 per year, expanding access to the permanent impairment allowance and increasing the earnings loss benefit to 90 per cent of a veteran's pre-release salary to ensure stability while they undergo rehabilitation."

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/veterans-who-battled-tories-to-hold-protest-against-liberals-over-treatment-1.2947296