Justice-Fairness-Equity

teentitan wrote:It's all about baby steps Trooper.  Right now the fight is for the "social contract".  Without it any further lawsuit is basically dead in the water when trying to fix the NVC.

When we joined the CF we agreed to a "social contract" with the GoC and the CF.  That was the CF's way to release you.  If you were caught with drugs, drank to much, injured, committed a felony act etc you broke the social contract therefore you were released.

That is why I feel it is very important to have Equitas win the social contract for veterans and the GoC so when the GoC does not treat veterans the same as an injured civilian vets can go to court and state the social contract between me (the vet) and the GoC has been broken.

we agreed to sign the blank check, and put our life on the line, with the understanding the Government has our back.
that is our social contract

an injured civilian, did not make that commitment.the government has the obligation to treat us with a little more respect.

It's all about baby steps Trooper. Right now the fight is for the "social contract". Without it any further lawsuit is basically dead in the water when trying to fix the NVC.

When we joined the CF we agreed to a "social contract" with the GoC and the CF. That was the CF's way to release you. If you were caught with drugs, drank to much, injured, committed a felony act etc you broke the social contract therefore you were released.

That is why I feel it is very important to have Equitas win the social contract for veterans and the GoC so when the GoC does not treat veterans the same as an injured civilian vets can go to court and state the social contract between me (the vet) and the GoC has been broken.

As for the SISIP lawsuit everyone looks at the win differently, as this topic is looked at differently. IMO the Cons knew they were going to lose. To the point where the Judge basically told them your fighting a lost cause. So that's why they gave in. Yes we could have pushed the issue further but it just would have been for pennies that the lawyers and the tax man would have gotten in the end.

Teen,

I stand behind my opinion.

It is my understanding that the Equitas lawsuit details the unfairness between the Afghan Veterans who fall under the New Veterans Charter, and those Veterans from the old pension act, pre Aril 2006.

In my view it is a lawsuit that turned into an advocacy route, meaning Equitas falling victim to the governments trap of stall tactics and minimal gap fixes regarding negotiations.

I applaud the work that has been done within the lawsuit itself, but as it stands today, you can win the social obligation, win the suit, but at the end of the day the fact remains there's no guarantee of the fix, the government implements. To take it one step further, it gives a lot of false hope to those Veterans thinking they will be getting the same tax free pension from the old act, if won. This is not a positive or healthy situation to continue to be in. There needs to be a different approach in filing a new lawsuit, an approach that deals directly with damages, and directly with the return of the tax free pension. Everything else should be left to Veterans and Veterans groups to fight for. If you look back at the SISIP lawsuit, some would suggest this was a gift by the Conservative government, this in my opinion is completely false, the government does not hand out large gifts that size to it's Veterans, the Conservatives did not continue to fight the SISIP LAWSUIT simply because they new their chances of success were very low.

So I don't think I'm missing the point at all, I'm looking at it from a point of success with real positive change that forces the government to bring back the tax free pension from the old act.

Trooper and Rex I think you are missing the point here. Equitas has proven that the NVC is below the National Average of Provincial Wormens Comp payouts/payments and this is the crux of the continued court case.

If the GoC does not recognize the "social contract" then, as you said Rex, the GoC at anytime, under any Political Party can say, $100 a month is all you get.

Just because some of the benefits have been approved are you not wondering why Trudeau is fighting the social obligation? If the GoC wins then the latest fixes could be the last improvements....will you be ok with this?

I agree Trooper. What they should have been demanding, is that compensation based on the level of disability, be completely separate from earnings loss or employment limitations, and mirror that of the Pension Act. By merely requesting that the NVC be fixed, or provide a monthly disability pension, it leaves it up to the GoC on how they "fix" the NVC. They could give everyone a $100/mo and call it a disability pension, and still meet the criteria of the lawsuit.

In my own opinion I think it's time Equitas throws in the towel. Yes they did some good for Veterans, but what they are aiming for will not be worth the hardship and time given the fact that even if won, the judge can only order the government to fix the charter, what or how the government chooses to fix the charter is in the hands of the government. Therefore, another lawsuit with another approach might be the best thing moving forward, and approach that does not put the lawsuit on hold at anytime. I know a lot do not see it this way, but this is only my opinion.