Protest 4th October 2016 Parliament Hill & Across Canada

Veterans protest lack of support.

October 04, 2016

Military veterans held a silent protest Tuesday across from the Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Anthony Paddon Building at Canadian Forces Station St. John’s on the Boulevard.

Joe Gibbons/The Telegram Cpl. Ed Burke (left) and Capt. Matt Edwards display placards as they protest a “lack of support for veterans and the unfair treatment they are receiving for their benefits” from the federal government. Burke served in the military from 1973 to 2011 with the Royal Canadian Regiment and Canadian Airborne Regiment as a mobile support equipment operator, among other duties. Edwards served from 1999-2012, when he was medically “discharged” from the 36 Service Battalion reserve group. They were joined by a few other military veterans at their spot on the banks of Quidi Vidi Lake on the Boulevard.

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2016-10-04/article-4656263/Veterans-protest-lack-of-support/1

I'd like to thank all those who went out and protested on the 4th. I couldn't be in attendance at any of the protests as I was on a plane heading to my current location in Bangkok, Thailand. I had already planned my vacation before I knew of the protests or I would have been at my local MP's office to raise awareness.

Cheers everyone, and again much thanks!

My hats off to those three.
I could not goto Ottawa for today, but November beckons.

Article says " he doesn't understand why he has to go through the same process all over again. "

To me, that sounds very similiar to when the CF Ombudsman recently mentioned the redundancy of VaC having to prove DND's medical forgone conclusions all over again for a veterans VaC benefits.

How can DND medical records or a 3b have any impact for any VAC client if there isn't communication 101 between the two to begin with? That's pretty sad.

And irregardless of any new 400 VAC hires,
The best I've experienced, is we BECOME the bridge for our best interests.

JMO and 2 cents.

pinger

Veterans Protest Outside Anthony Paddon Building.

October 4, 2016

A very small protest outside CFS St. John's today.

Three veterans gathered outside the Anthony Paddon Building to outline their concerns with Veterans Affairs and how they say they're being ill-treated by the system.

Injured Reservist, Matthew Edwards who has Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder says he's been told he has to reapply for support through a new program, something he says doesn't make sense.

He says he doesn't think he needs to apply, because he's already receiving Service Income Support because he was injured as a reservist. He says if he's already receiving support because he was injured, he doesn't understand why he has to go through the same process all over again.

http://vocm.com/news/veterans-protest-outside-anthony-paddon-building/

The only update I have on the protest up to this hour is that LawnBoy has completed and finished his in NFL.

Veterans Protest Outside Anthony Paddon Building

Matt Edwards ‏@LawnBoy77777 5h5 hours ago
#ICYMI my protest went well, 3 others showed up! Got interviewed by @VOCMNEWS & @NTVNewsNL. Hopefully UNFAIR VET story gets out #cdnpoli.

I will post more info as it becomes available on the remaining protest being held today.

My 2 cents.

It's like any story, the more you add the more people get lost in the story and confused.

Keep it short and to the point.


*** Veterans Message to GOC ***

***The reestablishment of the injured pension act that was taken away from Veterans and offered a low Balling lump sum program that was under funded and awards are far below awarded standards of many other countries when dealing with their Vets
***Tour/Combat injuries inline with other countries awards
***Non Tour/Combat injuries inline with civilian awards
***GOC to recognize they in fact do have a sacred obligation to Veterans
***Smoother transitions to educational programs (4 years)
***VAC to overhaul its system for faster service and to help veterans family negotiate thru the system and to provide both verteran and all the family needs for mental health at a quicker pace of care
***These above points are not the only points that veterans have, there are many more concerns that can be worker out between us to further both side in an understanding thats most appealing to both sides with a overriding purpose of promoting a succcesful future for verteran and there family for ever.

*** One Veteran = One Standard ***

ok mike is going about this fairly well good points fairly simple a little late but that's fine not really sure the original post date .

thing is I feel its to many points a little confusing for civilians IMO . also a further simplification of the points . I don't think the vast majority of civies know what ELB or LSA means .

he does seem to understand its a political fight that's great but that means garnering public opinion because really that's the whole fight . if the public doesn't understand the message or is confused by to many points they will just kind of turn off .

but hey he seems to have some of the basics and it looks like a good start .

JMO

propat

Canadian Veterans Advocacy.

Oct 4th Protest Update -

Broken Promise Protest Points
10-1400 hrs, in front of Parliament hill. Main entrance.
Primary Bullet points. There are other issues, melfloquine, the Critical Injury Benefit exclusionary standards, reservist care, sexual assault and the impact it has born on veterans post service, mental health, families and we will focus more intently on these issues after the briefings at the stakeholders summit Thursday. We need to focus on top five although i am inviting advocates to speak of their individual quests to anybody who will listen.
Objective! Message awareness and personal engagement must be out priorities, we will be staking out the main entrances to the commons, if we have enough people, will have people with signs and fliers at every pedestrian access point from ten to 2 pm.
Bullet points
- ELB-SISP 90% Thresh hold - FULL INCLUSION-no conditions
- Re-establish life time pension - PENSION ACT w spouse and child.
- LSA- Battlefield sacrifice cannot be compared to civilian standard
- Lawsuits -Equitas / ELB Sacrifice award clawback 06-12
- Vocational Support for all veterans?
- Equality for Memorial Cross Widows?

90% thresh hold equality re ELB-SISP raise without making SISIP clients go on REHAB in order to receive the promised Income loss Replacement raise to the 90% equivalence Workmans Compensation Model. It is important to note that those most seriously wounded were/are mandated to the SISIP program, their is no choice to go on the VAC ELB program. Those who have sustained he greatest wounds as a consequence to their service, who have been declared, after the "rehab" assessment process by Manulife, to be Totally and Permanently Impaired for decades, will be excluded.
There must be equality in recognition of national sacrifice, those who have suffered the greatest cannot be excluded.
Re establish life time pension, offer retro-active choice to those who were arbitrarily forced, at the height of combat in Afghanistan, to accept the NVC Lump Sum Award. There is only One life time pension to "re-establish", the offer of choice was to affirm the promise made to those who were so grotesquely disenfranchised by the nation's respect for their sacrifice by providing the option to return to the Pension Act. .
Unless we fight on a public level, the government is certain to accept the Policy Advisory Groups "consensus- (only the CVA dissented fought for full equality, the Sacred Obligation.) recommendations to embrace a new vision that does not reflect the promise made for our votes. The number established when the rushed through legislation on the Chump Sum Award will be come the new "pension" foundation and the pension aspect will be what is now, the option of choice on how you receive the LSA. Nothing has changed except they have raised the LSA...
The Lump Sum Award - The gov promised they would address the grotesque award through respect for Sacrifice. The original NVC amount, btw, was one hundred grand LESS that a civil legal award focused solely on work site negligence pain and suffering ward, not sacrifice.
Battlefield sacrifice cannot be compared to a negligence accident on the job and subsequent law suit. The comparison negates the virtue of the Pension Act, a nation's respect for sacrifice on the battle field, gratitude of service in war and peace, recognition of a life time of pain and sacrifice created not at the work site in Ontario, but on the battlefields of the Panjawaii Valley. There is no One veteran One standard when those who fought and bled in Afghanistan from 2002 -6 are accorded a higher, much much higher level of respect for their battlefield sacrifice compared to those, the majority of the wounded from the Afghanistan war, who were wounded when the combat phase kicked in. Since 2006, 150 valiant Canadians were tragically repatriated through the High Way of Heroes. Thousands have been physically and mentally scared.
CVA Position (through six years of consultation with the WOUNDED) - Equality to the UK Sacrifice Award, approximately 1 Million dollars. I would substantiate this position by the fact that we swear our allegiance to Her Majesty, bleed and die wearing regimental hat badges defining the honour of our service to Queen and Country and her admiration therein. PPCLI? VRI? Drill and deportment? Queens Regulations and Orders? The BNA act? Her Majesty's government presents, with her royal decree, a Lump Sum Award that respects all the virtues inherent with the Pension Act.

The promise made has been broken battlefield sacrifice is now, at least according to this government, worth squat, equitable to negligence, again, bereft respectful virtues of the Pension Act that truly define the nation's respect.
Promise - Veterans would not have to resort to the courts for justice.
Equitas. A year later, the Equitas lawsuit continues after the court enforced abeyance. Strategically a very smart move, if they settle, they might have to pay the plaintiffs legal bills but if they, through legislation that conforms to the law suits principles... checkmate. They win, the Sacred Obligation Sacrifice Award will, with great fanfare and support, be enshrined at the civilian negligence level and all so called re established pension will be based on this NUMBER, not that of the Queens LSA nor the, should the option of choice as promised, the Pension Act. Wife and children's sacrifice, acknowledged with in the Pension Act, have been cut off, considered irrelevant.
Fortunately, this will be a political fight, we can prevail on this level if we remain stead fast on the equality issues, to fight for the Sacred Obligation and equality in recognition of battlefield sacrifice for the 150 Memorial Cross families and the thousands of wounded that were subject to the LESSER STANDARD OF RESPECT for their battlefield sacrifice abandoned, and continue to be abandoned, since 2006.
These are whom for which we fight!


ELB CLAW BACK OF SACRIFICE AWARD 2006-2012. Another broken promise, another class action law suit. History. When Dennis Manuge, Veterans Advocate extraordinaire, won a major legal case against the government for clawing back the SACRIFICE Award and considering it part of the income replacement program. The conservative government responded by applying retro activity to 1976, when SISIP started the unlawful Sacrifice Award claw back. Hundreds of millions of dollars wee returned to disenfranchised veterans who were living far below the poverty line as a consequence of this cruel claw back. Those who were on VACs ELB program were also clawed back and, to a certain extent, 2012 onward, justice was served.
Justice was not served for those who were supported the VAC ELB from 2006-2012, despite the fact that SISIP went decades back, these veterans were excluded. There is no equality in recognition of national sacrifice for them, the Pension Act's non-economic, tax free award for sacrifice was unlawfully declared income clawed back. Instead of recognizing the unfairness of the situation and providing justice to the disenfranchised... the promise of going to court has been broken, once again, those who have SACRIFICED on behalf of this nation have been subject to a sacrifice award claw back.
I'm certain their will be more legal actions in the future.
VOCATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ALL VETERANS? Remember that one?
There are other important issues that must be addressed, the disharmonious manner in which our Memorial Cross Widows are accorded respect, the need to ensure that no Memorial Cross Widow is consigned to a life of poverty due to exclusion to programs that exists for others. Why it the Critical Injury Benefit available to only those who served after 2006 when som many sustained catastrophic trauma in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2006. It is a trauma based ward for sacrifice, acknowledging the terror of sustaining a catastrophic wound yet, excluded thousands of veterans who would qualify through service not only in Afghanistan, but former Yugoslavia and other deployments wherein great sacrifice was rendered.
St John's to Vancouver, veterans are stepping up and going to the MPs offices. It is grass roots, more to follow as the brave report in.

" NO MORE BROKEN PROMISES " Is very good.
At least to me it is.

Well said!!!!!!!!!!!

From CVA Facebook, posted Sept 24, 2016

Canadian Veterans Advocacy

Been thinking about protest on 4th, thinking of doing something different than just showing up and preaching to the converted and the media. Most of the time, the mps we want to share our message with see us and accesses the hill in a different route. More importantly, we do not get our message out to the people unless they go on the hill. No one sees us behind the fence, eh.
But they will see us if we respectfully stand outside parliament at every access point with our signs, eh. They will see us if we stand across the street from the prime ministers office, our message to him, eh? We need at least twenty people to cover the access pounts, thought we could rotate every twenty minutes, kind of a moving piquet someverybody could rotate through the central locations. No more broken promises. That is our message, and to that end, I would encourage any graphic artist to work with that theme and make a poster we can print out and use on the fourth.
There is a great deal of traffic along that route, some honk for veterans signs should brighten things up. Please, I need your help now. I will provide talking pounts, everybody speaking on equality and broken promises, not just me. One veteran - One message. I would like to invite those who are mobility restricted to join me, bring your scooter, bring your walker or chair, bring the family and friends that support us. Together, we will fight to restore the Sacred Obligation. Together, we will prevail...

Steelgunner, not too bad a letter at all.

Just a few tweaks to me. I would add more
politically friendly... BATTERY ACID ... (sharpness)  

Perry, you said...
"One Veteran, one charter, one standard of care."

At first I thought that's bullshyte, but no.

Throw out " One Veteran, One Standard " (cliche)
A standard is also a lamp post

Use " One Veteran, One CHARTER " instead.
Still just words, but it emphasizes one charter instead of "2" charters.

steelgunner SISIP has a specific set of relevant sources of income they can deduct written right into their policy and ELB is not one of them so they cannot deduct it legally .

propat

steelgunner you are absolutely correct same message . one that can be dummed down to a few words to fit a repetitive talking point and slogan . one easily understood by the general public .

in 2006 the GOC cut the pain and suffering benefit for disabled soldiers by 90% this must stop .

in 2006 the GOC cut the death benefit by 80 % this must stop .

or whatever just don't use military ,vet or legislative acronyms GOC is fine the general public gets that .

no use talking at the GOC for the GOC they know what they are doing is evil but they are evil fracks . the only thing that can make them stop is public opinion .

talk to the GOC for the public because that is who the message needs to be geared to .

as for attending groups to many have been co-opted by the GOC you will never get organizations like the legion on board . wish it would happen but I'm afraid it aint happening .

JMO

propat

Well said, your right.  

In regards to the 15 % that ELB brings is troublesome to me.  The reason is just talked to Manulife   I have Ltd  and I am approved for ELB. Can't have both.  But if ELB tops me up for 15% then SSIP will deduct that from the 75% they are paying me.  They said they will not increases the 15% to 90% and quote they said,"it's a Goverment of Canada problem.

Wow, this makes me want to add this to my statement.  
Now this, two types of systems, one veteran, two types of payment that pay one lower then the other.  

It can't get any better.   Lol