Canadian Veterans Advocacy

Canadian Veterans Advocacy Position Report – Harmonization – New Veterans Charter – Pension Act.

Adapt, overcome, prevail.

The Canadian Veterans Advocacy has undertaken extensive consultation with veterans of all eras since conception and I would express my personal satisfaction to the thousands of veterans, family members, memorial Cross Mothers, Fathers and Widows who have reached out to us to have your voices heard. We are an organisation with principles founded in consultation, your voices have been heard and as we adapt to the evolving political situation, we have established a position to which we will submit to the government / conservative caucus prior to their policy meeting in two weeks. Several primary issues have been addressed: as always, CVA priorities are established on pain and suffering.

The Canadian Veterans Advocacy hopes to build on the harmonization approach the government recently implemented through the SISIP lawsuit, recognition of the 40 k poverty level threshold, and the voluntary inclusion of Earnings Loss Benefits and War Pensioners Allowance, as least in respect to the cessation of the claw back on the VAC disability award.

True harmonization has yet, regrettably, to be attained and the decision on retroactivity remains elusive. The CVA believes in full ELB, War Pensioners Act harmonization with the SISIP decision, inclusive of full retroactivity mandates. I would note that the law firm that represented Dennis Manuge has been contacted and veterans who feel they deserve full retroactivity should prepare yourself accordingly should the obligation fail; to be met.

Harmonization – An effective way forward.

The government’s harmonization approach to the SISIP ruling and application the Earnings Loss Benefit and War Pensioners Allowance provides, we believe, an opportunity to present a veterans-centric platform to the government in anticipation of the legislated review of the NVC next fall and to a lesser extent, the Conservative Party’s policy meeting in two weeks time.

We must be cognizant of all veterans’ voices, that the needs of one generation do not necessarily meet the needs of another, that all must be respected and treated fairly. We must also acknowledge many of the measures implemented through the New Veterans Charter and Bill C 55 have borne a positive effect on quality of life of many, it is not our intent to have the NVC abolished, but to have acknowledged shortcomings addressed in a meaningful manner through legislative reform.

The concept of harmonization provides the opportunity to address the divergent opinions amongst the veterans stakeholders while concurrently providing focus on the primary issues the post NVC wounded and disabled, their families and our Memorial Cross Widows and the Memorial Cross Mothers and Fathers are confronting.

Harmonization – Lump Sum Award. The LSA issue is as complex as it is contentious, as a proactive veterans’ advocacy with a veterans support base composed of Canadians who served in from WW2 to Afghanistan, we have undertaken extensive consultation on the issues that they and their respective generations are confronting. We appreciate their advice, concerns, individual needs and believe that we have created a harmonisation approach capable of addressing their wishes. Veterans who are entering the twilight years of life prefer a lump sum award so that they might enjoy a better quality of life and/or prepare for end of life responsibilities. Conversely, a vast majority of those who have been seriously wounded in Afghanistan since 2006, who are by definition much younger and raising much younger families, prefer the life time security of the Pension Act provisions.

The concept of harmonization also provides a viable method of addressing and satisfying most, if not all vested stakeholders concerns through the provisions of CHOICE.  Veterans that would prefer to accept a Lump Sum Award would be provided under a revised formula that at the very least acknowledges the Royal Canadian Legion’s current position and at best, the One Million Dollar threshold the Canadian Veterans Advocacy would champion. –denoted through consultation.

Veterans who prefer the Pension Act’s lifetime obligation may choose to do so. They will be accorded the full privileges of the Pension Act, including spousal and family support. Applicable supplementary provisions –VIP- will be accorded and the improvements enacted through the NVC accorded to all.

This solution satisfies the immediate requirements of all generations of veterans and restores the Sacred Obligation through harmonization with existing programs.

Harmonization – Memorial Cross Mothers Fathers  – Widows. As an Advocacy, we have represented several Memorial Cross Widows, Fathers and Mothers on individual levels in respect to their husbands or son’s death. We have, more importantly, conducted fairly extensive consultation with families of many of the fallen. The NVC provisions have provided improvements yet those who sacrificed husbands prior to 2006 in Afghanistan have not been accorded access to these programs. We believe that harmonization of the Pension Act – NVC benefits should be applied and compensation attained by choice. Widows preferring a LSA award over the Pension Act provisions must be accorded this position, however, the LSA must be raised to address the reality of their sacrifice. Economic loss provision in the NVC must be universally applied, particularly the application of the harmonized SISP/ELB identified poverty threshold. The consequences have been profound, the most tragic, Memorial Cross Widows abandoned to an existence beneath the government’s defined poverty threshold.

The next issue for inclusion is VIP services, which we propose be provided to all Memorial Cross Widows on the merit of their sacrifice. The compassion required for those who sacrificed so greatly in Afghanistan must be founded in the acknowledgement that many of these Memorial Cross Widows were very young at the time of their loved one’s sacrifice and are raising children under the age of ten. Many have, due to repeated deployments, been unable to work or fulfill career ambitions due to the added responsibilities to family when husbands or wives were absent for prolonged, high stress periods or an inability to participate in educational opportunities. VIP services would significantly ease the burden and reaffirm this nation’s life- time obligation.

Legislative Amendments. – Education benefits for widows raising families. Simply put, the two-year restriction on educational benefits cannot be realistically applied. Nor can the recognition of the fatality’s impact on the family unit be marginalized by a 2-year time restriction as the grief factor, particularly in relationship to the family unit, often surpasses the time parameters legislatively applied. Taxation on the fatality’s survivor’s benefits should also cease and any VAC Pain and Suffering award excluded from poverty threshold determinations.

Harmonization of the Poverty threshold – Application to Reservists –VAC programs. The CVA spoke to this issue on May 21st at parliamentary committee in reference to the War Pensioners Allowance and Last Burial fund and was somewhat disappointed that the recommendations put forward, while discussed at length, there would be no opportunity provided to comprehensively address either issue or to apply the poverty threshold as identified in the ELB and SISIP mandate with the War Pensioners Allowance or the Last Post Burial Fund criteria. The Last Post Burial Fund threshold of 12000 dollars is 28 000 dollars beneath the identified poverty level, consequently, the denial rate is obscene when one considers a vast majority of applicants, if not all, have been deemed impoverished by this government’s formal definition.

The harmonization of the poverty threshold to wounded/ disabled reservists is of growing concern due to the number of reservist deployments to high intensity combat roles in support of regular force elements. The consequences have been indiscriminate, the physical and mental wounds horrifically equal. The 40 000 dollar threshold, correctly, identified the basic minimum-essential income required for a disabled veteran to provide for shelter, clothing and food, yet this threshold has NOT been applied to Canada’s wounded reservists regardless of the fact they were wounded at the same time as a regular force member, sustained the same extraordinary, life changing consequences and will continue to do so throughout the course of their lives.

I would speak to Corporal William Kerr, Canada’s only surviving triple amputee. Cpl Kerr is a reservist, one can only imagine how his family is prevailing under a system that accord’s him close to eight thousand dollars less per year than the identified poverty threshold?

Harmonization of WW2/Korean war – all VAC Clients – Long Term Care- War Pensioners Allowance. This issue is becoming more problematic as the post Korean War era veterans grow older yet are denied the same standard of financial respect as their forefathers even though they are clients of VAC. Many are living beneath the Government defined poverty threshold of 40 thousand dollars, a situation that will be exacerbated with the cessation of their CPP disability and SISIP or ELB LTD benefits at age 65.

There is, we believe, a harmonization solution that can be incorporated within the War Pensioners Allowance to address both of these issues by removing the exclusionary clause restricting the Allowance to WW2-Korean veterans, applying the SISIP?ELB poverty threshold income to the financial criteria and providing access to disabled veterans who are clients of Veterans Affairs once they meet the Allowance’s age criteria. Eligibility to benefits included in the War Pensioners Allowance will satisfy several other issues, such as VIP as veterans/families require greater levels of assistance to maintain their independence. The option of extending the ELB an making the program eligible for SISIP clients at age 65 is also viable

Harmonization – Environmental exposure. The issue of unfair compensation fro Agent Orange has recently been highlighted by the legal action launched by Veterans Basil Macallister. Basil served in Gagetown firing the unreasonably short time period where VAC has agree to provide compensation and cannot understand how others in his section, who did the same work, at the same place, at the same time, have been provided VAC support for consequential cancers and he is not. This is fundamentally unjust and the CVA has supported Basil, and will continue to do so through Tom Beaver and the CVA New Brunswick Chapter, until the court case unfolds and hopefully, justice is served.

Tragically, Basil is not alone, nor is the issue of defoliant exposure the only form of toxic contamination Canada’s sons and daughters are confronting as a consequence to their service. Severe, oft times life threatening neurological and physical consequences have been identified and directly attributed to service. Surely, no one disputes that the life of a soldier, sailor, airman is fraught with environmental risk, that even in training, exposure to carcinogenic/toxic agents from operational equipment, battlefield smoke dispensers, C/S gases, burn pits, excessive diesel fumes, -particularly aboard submarines- the myriad of toxic substances that makes the war machine drive, sail or fly…  sometimes has consequences.

We must acknowledge that Canadian Forces members have been subjected to vast array of toxic environments, during the past fifty years we have engaged in the 1st Gulf War – Gulf War Syndrome in not imaginary-, almost twenty years throughout the war shattered toxicity of former Yugoslavia, Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda… Furthermore, awareness and treatment is crucial, many toxic elements bear insidious consequences beyond the original victim and as with Agent Orange, there are multi-generational repercussions.

Harmonization – Age 65 provisions. This issue is of growing concern as more veterans of the Cold War reach this age and are targeted with mandatory cessation of CPP and ELB/SISIP disability awards. This issue has been identified by the OVO and after participating in consultation meetings with his office –and many others- , we have attempted to provide proposals that will address this issue and ensure the poverty threshold obligation is perpetuated after the cessation of income losses replacement policies at age 65.

Two cost effective solutions are available, first extending the ELB for life, the automatic transition of those covered by SISIP to ELB at age 65 with an obligation to ensure the 40k poverty threshold is honoured and the same level of dignified care/compensation provided until end of life. The second option is to remove the discriminatory criteria of exclusion in the War Pensioners Allowance and apply the 40k anti-poverty threshold to the criteria.

On closing, I would remind veterans and CVA supporters, only through legislative reform will the Sacred Obligation restored. These issues will not be resolved in the court of law, they will be resolved in the court of public opinion and, as a consequence, on the floor of the House of Commons. With this objective, the CVA has attempted to present a comprehensive, workable platform capable of attaining veterans-identified objectives prior to the legislated study of the NVC during the next parliament. We need the support of all Canadians, we need the support of all veterans’ organizations, the veterans’ community and those serving members to whom we, as an advocacy, stand on guard for while they continue to serve and have no voice.

You can make a difference by merely copying this letter and forwarding it to your MP, by calling him/her up, by printing it off and engaging him/her over the summer bbq period. Your voice, your concern for Canada’s sons and daughters who have borne the consequences of war/peace, your commitment to the spirit of this nation and all that we stand for can and will make a difference.

Please share with as many friends as possible, there is momentum, it is important to keep this momentum moving through the summer months and as we engage in pro active advocacy during the next parliament. Be steady on the right, be steady on the left, stand to in the center, together, we will prevail, together, we will restore the Sacred Obligation and revive the spirit of this nation.

Michael L Blais CD
Founder/President, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
6618 Harper Drive, Niagara Falls, Ont, Cda.
L2E 7K6 // 905-357-3306 // Cell 905-359-9247

Chapter I

Introduction

Canada has a long and storied history with a reputation for punching above our collective weight in the international community. From Banting’s discovery of insulin as a treatment for diabetes to Lester B. Pearson’s brilliant peace brokering in his handling of the Suez Crisis, Canada asserts her relevance by demonstrating an ability to innovate, adapt and overcome despite the bleakest of odds. This is especially true of our military history.

Two hundred years ago, fifty-five years before Confederation, a rag-tag militia of British and French colonists assisted by Indigenous and Metis warriors fought off a coordinated and significantly larger American invading force maintaining the Canadian-American border. One hundred and thirty nine years later, at the Battle of Kapyong in Korea, Canada demonstrated unrelenting resolve while holding off a Chinese and Korean brigade for three days; an amazing feat considering the Canadian contingent was demonstrably smaller and suffered seemingly endless casualties. To this day, the Canadian Forces are highly regarded as amongst the best-trained and effective organizations in the world. However, when the mission is over and the soldier returns to civilian life, a new mission lays before the returning soldier, that of re-integrating into the society he or she fought to serve while making sense of their experiences in order to wield them to their advantage in the often difficult task of establishing an existence beyond the total institution of military service. The recently restored civilian, “for whom everything (was) provided by the state, (has lost), to a certain extent, his sense of personal responsibility” (McKelvey Bell, 1919). If it is the Government who is responsible for this transformation from civilian to soldier, should it not then be responsible for the transition in reverse? Most would agree, however the chasm between what the government is mandated to provide and what provisions are available to veterans is long, and wide, and growing longer and wider still.

Despite the contemporary and extensive media coverage regarding benefits available to veterans of the Canadian Forces, caring for our injured veterans through disability pensions coupled with vocational training is certainly not a pioneering or novel idea. During the First World War, the Tory-led Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden passed the War Measures Act creating the Department of Soldier’s Civil Re-establishment. Borden’s government proclaimed it as and indication of Canada’s strong commitment to those who had sacrificed life and limb for the Commonwealth:

“The men by whose sacrifice and endurance the free institutions of Canada will be preserved must be re-educated where necessary and re-established on the land or in such pursuits or vocations as they may desire to follow. The maimed and the broken will be protected, the widow and the orphan will be helped and cherished. Duty and decency demand that those who are saving democracy shall not find democracy a house of privilege, or a school of poverty and hardship” (Veterans Affairs Canada – Canadian Forces Advisory Council, 2004)

The newly minted Department developed and delivered comprehensive programmes designed to support the injured financially, foster professional and personal development through education and vocational rehabilitation, with the end goal of returning them to some semblance of self-sufficiency. The programmes were, by most measures, heralded as a complete success. At the time, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported:

“as soon as the returned soldier who is crippled or rendered partially disabled by disease or injury can be made to realize that life still holds interests for him in the manufacturing, the educational, or the commercial world, and that there is a department which is ready to do everything necessary to help him overcome his handicap, so soon will a step forward have been made in connection with his rehabilitation and his return to useful civilian life. The knowledge that he can still be self-supporting in spite of the handicap of the loss of limbs or of other serious defects, assists him to regain pride in his own personal effort and encourages him to make a strong endeavour to become self-supporting” (McKelvey Bell, 1919)

Certainly many things have changed since 1919, and the Government of Canada’s unfettered commitment to the injured soldier as demonstrated above is, quite regrettably, one of them.

Canada’s decision to support the NATO International Security Assistance Force mission to Afghanistan was an undertaking the likes of which the Canadian Forces had not seen since the Korean War, both in the size and scope of the operation, and in the amount of casualties incurred in combat. From the time the first Canadian boots hit the hot sands of Kandahar to the declaration of the end of combat operations, 158 flag-draped coffins have returned to Canada to be received by grieving families. The impact on those who fought selflessly and tirelessly alongside international allies and survived the horrors of war is without a doubt immeasurable.

In addition, many Canadian forces members returned home with injuries including some who returned home with gruesome physical injuries, and others who returned haunted by the intensity and vicious violence of the conflict; both types of injuries afflicted some soldiers. The brave men and women who stood face-to-face with the Taliban and other armed factions across southern Kandahar were prepared to give everything, up to and including their lives, for their country. On their return, their country has an obligation to them as mandated by the contemporary incarnation of veteran’s legislation, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Act, which charges the Minister with “the care, treatment or re-establishment in civil life of any person who served in the Canadian Forces” (The Governnment of Canada, 1984).

With an average of two thousand eight hundred troops deployed at any given time, Canada’s mission in Afghanistan was producing a constant flow of new clients for the Department. In 2005, while Leader of Her Majesty’s Official Opposition, Stephen Harper proclaimed to an audience of Legionnaires,

“all too often we hear stories of veterans who are ignored or disrespected by government. What a shameful way to treat men and women who risked their lives to defend Canada. This shame will end with the election of a new (Conservative) government” (CTV News, 2005)

But the shame did not end when Mr Harper became Prime Minister in February 2006. The first Tory government in over a decade, seemingly delivering on its promise with fervour and without delay, produced the New Veteran’s Charter (NVC) exactly two months after forming government, created an office for a veteran’s ombudsman, and introduced major changes to the financial assistance available to injured clients of the department. At the time, Harper hailed the legislation as a sign his government was “begin (ning) to do the right thing for Canada’s servicemen and women” (Veterans Affairs Canada, 2006). The Minister of Veterans Affairs, The Honourable Greg Thompson proclaimed,

“The New Veterans Charter is the most profound transformation of Veterans’ services and benefits since the end of the Second World War. It provides all the fundamental programs and services that CF Veterans and their families have told us they need as they transition from military to civilian life” (Ibid).

Even the officially non-partisan chief of the Canadian Forces, General Rick Hillier touted the NVC as “Canada’s promise to invest in (veterans) futures” (Ibid). However it was the Minister of Veterans Affairs who was closest to the results in declaring the piece of legislation a transformation.

The government was presenting the NVC as an improvement to the antiquated Pension Act, however, the major changes represented a significant decrease in the amount of financial assistance available to injured veterans at a time when hundreds of soldiers were returning home afflicted with either or both physical injuries and Occupational Stress Injuries (OSI) (Aiken & Buithenhuis, 2011). In response, Michael Blais, CD, founded the Canadian Veterans Advocacy and organized an Annual Canadian Veterans National Day of Protest, attracting thousands of angry veterans to federal riding offices and to Parliament Hill in 2010 (Canadian Veterans Advocacy, 2012). The chief complaint regarding the new legislation was the decision to remove the Life-time Disability Pension mandated by the now-defunct Pension Act and replace it with a Lump Sum Disability Award. The common argument advocating for this change is that lump sum awards provide substantial and immediate support to the veteran. The trouble is the lump sum payment does not provide the guaranteed income security needed for veterans to re-establish themselves without financial strain. If the veteran is well-versed in investment banking and has access to the best advice possible, perhaps this option would be viable, however this scenario is highly unlikely considering the social circumstances of the modern veteran.

In response, the government introduced the Enhanced New Veteran’s Charter Act, addressing some of the issues raised by concerned veterans and modifying the Lump Sum Disability Award. Rather than reverting to monthly pensions as demanded by Canadian Veterans Advocacy and many individual veterans, the government opted to change payment options for the Award to include a monthly instalment option, with the reasoning that veterans had difficulty managing a large sum of money (Veterans Affairs Canada, 2010). Still, the total amount awarded to the recipient would mirror the amount of the lump sum, giving very little incentive to prolong the pay out. In fact, the Government of Canada was scaling back the fiscal benefits to injured veterans, describing the changes as ‘enhancements’ and ‘improvements,’ purporting to be addressing the concerns regarding the NVC while only making token changes to the Act in order to give the impression of understanding and to placate the affected veterans. Additional cuts to the Veteran’s Affairs budget were announced in the 2012 Federal Budget while the government maintains its unbridled “support” for those who fought for Canada. While these changes are presented by the government as a means to speed up the process by making large cuts to the “rampant bureaucracy” within the Department of Veterans Affairs, indeed having less direct support for veterans by closing District Offices and slashing staff would tend to provoke the opposite result (The Canadian Press , 2012). Yvan Thauvette, president of the Union for Veterans Affairs Employees has countered “People are overwhelmed in a lot of district offices. Service delivery, they want to cut positions and most of those positions are frontline staff people. Do you believe that the service will be the same? No it won’t” (CBC News , 2012). The EQUITAS Society, a Veterans Advocacy group currently engaged in a class-action lawsuit against the government in response to the Enhanced New Veterans Charter has identified the services currently available to veterans as “woefully inadequate” (Equitas Society, 2012). Can cutting resources and funding while lowering the financial support to Canadian Forces veterans truly be an enhancement to the services available to them? How can recent changes represent both a reduction and an improvement to these services?

In May 2012, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs released its latest report, piously titled Improving Services to Improve Quality of Life for Veterans and Their Families. The Report contains seventeen (17) recommendations, most of which contain weak language including “assess the potential benefits… examine… maintaining current practices… review… continue to work,” and so on (Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, 41st Parliament, 2012). In the Supplementary Opinion of the Official Opposition, New Democratic Party of Canada members of the committee expressed “very serious concerns with its content” (Ibid, p. 71). Not surprisingly, the NDP, in chorus with the Union for Veterans Affairs Employees, stated,

“New Democrats are very concerned that the cuts to staff (approximately 804 VAC staff), the elimination of nine regional offices across the country, and proposals for private sector/alternate service… will seriously impact the quality of service to veterans and their families. The Official Opposition does not believe that the Department of Veterans Affairs can maintain the same standard of care or programs and services with fewer staff and resources” (Ibid)

In its Minority Report, the Liberal Party of Canada was scathing in its criticism of the process of the committee and the content of its Report. The Party’s only sitting member of the Committee, Sean Casey (MP Charlottown) pointed out that many of the recommendations lacked substantial or sufficient action, opting only for “further study” (Ibid, p. 75). Casey states,

“The Liberal Party is disappointed with the calibre and generality of this Report. Such an extensive study provided an opportunity for the Committee to make impactful recommendations to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The recommendations however, as well as the report in general, display that the majority of the Committee is far more interested in congratulating the government, than in providing advice and constructive criticism to improve services to the veterans of Canada” (Ibid)

With such vehement criticism from stakeholders, employee representatives and committee members, how does the government continue to mask deep cuts as improvements?

Research in this policy area is incredibly important. Reducing Veterans benefits is shirking Canada’s responsibility to care for those who signed a contract of unlimited liability and have incurred injuries while conducting combat operations in defence of the Crown. At a time when the Government of Canada has demanded so much of its Canadian Forces with the decade-long war in Afghanistan, humanitarian efforts in Haiti, increased military presence in the Arctic, security efforts for the Olympic Games, response to domestic emergencies including flooding in Manitoba, peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, it is not fulfilling its responsibilities as outlined in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act.

(I know some of you will not like this but I have to refer to the actual link as its impossible to transfer all here):

http://thecivilcentrist.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/the-social-construction-of-neoliberal-social-policy-the-new-veterans-charter-severely-reducing-veterans-benefits-through-improvements-and-enhancements/

Wounded soldier wins right to stay in military, but confusion lingers about other cases

GLORIA GALLOWAY

OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, Jun. 11 2013, 8:34 PM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Jun. 11 2013, 8:37 PM EDT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/wounded-soldier-wins-right-to-stay-in-military-but-confusion-lingers-about-other-cases/article12486181/

A Canadian soldier who was gravely injured in a rocket attack in Afghanistan will be allowed to remain in the military until he qualifies for a pension that will help him adjust to a life permanently changed by his disabilities.

But it is unclear if the protections offered to Corporal Glen Kirkland by Defence Minister Peter MacKay on Tuesday will apply to all soldiers who are wounded in the line of duty.

Cpl. Kirkland, 29, has significant hearing loss, posttraumatic stress, and his body no longer produces insulin as a result of the 2008 assault by the Taliban that killed three of his comrades. He says his aim is to ensure proper care and benefits are extended to all seriously wounded members of the Canadian Forces.

“At 10 years in the military, if you get a medical release, you get an indexed pension,” he said in a telephone interview from Brandon where he is trying to start a new career in real estate. “I believe that every wounded soldier that has had life-changing injuries deserves that.”

Cpl. Kirkland will not have served 10 years until September of 2015. So even though he is unable to participate in active duty as a result of his injuries and can’t pursue a career as a police officer, which had been his ambition, he said he would get “zero” pension if he quit the military today.

That is part of the message he brought last week when he was subpoenaed to appear before the Commons Defence committee. Shortly before he was to testify, he said he received a telephone call from officials at his base in Shilo, Man., telling him to come back.

“They didn’t say ‘do not speak’ but they wanted e-mail confirmation that I was invited here,” he told the committee. “They wanted to know exactly what I was going to say.”

The MPs on the committee expressed concern that the Forces were trying to tamper with their witness. And they demanded assurances of Mr. MacKay during Question Period last Thursday that nothing negative would befall Cpl. Kirkland as a result of his testimony.

Mr. MacKay responded that Cpl. Kirkland is courageous for stepping forward and he “will, of course, suffer no consequences and will continue to serve in the Canadian Forces as long as he decides.”

But, when Cpl. Kirkland returned to Shilo on Friday, he was handed his six-month release papers.

This week, opposition MPs again sought a commitment from Mr. MacKay that the corporal would be able to remain a member of the military until Sept. 15, 2015, when he will qualify for his pension.

“Yes, Mr. Speaker, I have already answered that question,” replied Mr. MacKay. “In fact, all injured members are not released from the military until they are prepared to do so. Until they are prepared for release, they work with members of the Canadian Forces on their transition plan, and when it is appropriate for their families and they are ready to make a shift into the private sector.”

Cpl. Kirkland said a senior member of the Defence staff called him on Tuesday afternoon to assure him that he did not have to leave before he qualifies for his pension. And he said he was thrilled with Mr. MacKay’s response.

The minister “said all wounded soldiers can stay in for as long as they want now,” he said. “There’s not a Taliban ambush in the world that could knock the smile off my face. I am ecstatic. I think this is something that should have been fought a long time ago. But better late than never.”

Defence staff, however, could not confirm late Tuesday afternoon that the minister meant to say all wounded members of the military will now be able to stay in the Forces until they qualify for their pensions.

And John McKay, the Liberal Defence critic, said that, while Mr. MacKay has been definitive with respect to Cpl. Kirkland, “I am not at all clear that he offered the extension to all injured veterans.”

For more news articles visit: http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=9826.msg10626#msg10626

When a Child’s Parent has PTSD

This fact sheet explains common problems for children of Veterans and other caregivers with PTSD. It also gives tips for how to cope with these problems.
How might a parent’s PTSD symptoms affect his or her children?

PTSD includes a range of symptoms that can have an effect on family members. The following are some examples of how certain kinds of PTSD symptoms can affect children.

Re-experiencing symptoms

People who have PTSD often “re-experience” traumatic events through memories or dreams. This can happen quickly and can seem to come out of nowhere. These symptoms often come with strong feelings of grief, guilt, fear, or anger. Sometimes the experience can be so strong that you may think the trauma is happening again. These symptoms can be scary not only for you but also for your children. Children may not understand what is happening or why it is happening. They may worry about their parent or worry that the parent cannot take care of them.

Avoidance and numbing symptoms

Because the re-experiencing symptoms are so upsetting, people with PTSD try not to think about the event. If you have PTSD, you may also try to avoid places and things that remind you of the trauma. Or you may not feel like doing things that used to be fun, like going to the movies or your child’s event. It can also be hard for people with PTSD to have good feelings. You may feel “cut off” from family and children. As a result, children may feel that the parent with PTSD does not care about them.

Hyperarousal symptoms

People with PTSD tend to be anxious and “on edge.” With PTSD, you might have trouble sleeping or paying attention. You might be grouchy or angry much of the time. You may be easily scared, or overly worried about your safety or the safety of your loved ones. It is easy to see how these problems can affect family members. For example, acting grouchy can make a parent seem mean or angry. Since they do not understand the symptoms of PTSD, children may wonder whether the parent loves them.

How do children respond?

A parent’s PTSD symptoms are directly linked to their child’s responses. Children usually respond in certain ways:

A child might feel and behave just like their parent as a way of trying to connect with the parent. The child might show some of the same symptoms as the parent with PTSD.
A child may take on the adult role to fill in for the parent with PTSD. The child acts too grown-up for his or her age.
Some children do not get help with their feelings. This can lead to problems at school, sadness, anxiety (worry, fear), and relationship problems later in life.

Children of Veterans with PTSD

Social and behavior problems

Some research shows that children of Veterans with PTSD are more likely to have problems with behaviors and school and problems getting along with others. Their parents see them as more sad, anxious, aggressive, and hyper than children of Veterans who do not have PTSD. Some research has also found that PTSD in a parent is related to violence in the home and to children acting violent. But it is important to note that most Veterans have homes without violence.

Emotional problems and secondary traumatization

Some children of combat Veterans with PTSD are more sad and anxious than children of non-combat Veterans who do not have PTSD. Although not common, children may start to have symptoms like the ones the parent has. For example, a child may have nightmares about the parent’s trauma. Children may have PTSD symptoms related to watching their parent’s symptoms. For example, a child might have trouble paying attention at school because she is thinking about her parent’s problems. The impact of a parent’s PTSD symptoms on a child is sometimes called “secondary traumatization.” Since violence occurs in some homes in which a parent has PTSD, the children may also develop their own PTSD symptoms related to the violence. A child’s PTSD symptoms can get worse if there is not a parent who can help the child feel better.

Problems may continue into teenage years

Teenage children of Veterans with PTSD can also be affected by their parent’s symptoms. One research study compared teens of non-Veteran fathers to those with Vietnam combat Veteran fathers. The teens of the Vietnam combat Veterans showed worse attitudes toward school and toward their fathers. They were more sad and anxious and were less creative. Their mothers also rated them as having more problem behaviors. However, their behavior at school and their social functioning looked like the children of non-Veterans. This might be because the fathers in this study were not actually diagnosed with PTSD. Overall, teens’ problems are much more likely when the parent Veteran has mental health issues, such as PTSD.

Can children get PTSD from their parents?

Although not common, it is possible for children to show signs of PTSD because they are upset by their parent’s symptoms. Trauma symptoms can also be passed from parent to child or between generations. This is called “intergenerational transmission of trauma.” This has been seen in the families of WWII Holocaust survivors. It is also seen in the families of combat Veterans with PTSD. Here is how it happens:

When a family silences a child, or teaches him to not talk about disturbing events, thoughts, or feelings, the child’s anxiety gets worse. He may start to worry about causing the parent’s symptoms if he talks about the trauma. He may create his own ideas about what happened to the parent, which can be worse than what actually happened.
Sometimes parents share too many full details about the events. Children then can start to experience their own set of PTSD symptoms in response to these terrible images.
A child may begin to share in her parent’s symptoms as a way to connect with the parent.
Children may also repeat or re-do some aspect of the trauma because they see that their parent has difficulty separating the past trauma from the present moment.

How can I help?

Parents can help children by using the information provided in this fact sheet and other resources. Parents or professionals can talk to family members about the possible impact of a parent’s PTSD on children. It can help for family members to learn how traumatic reactions can be passed from parent to child.

A good first step in helping children cope with a parent’s PTSD is to explain the reasons for the parent’s difficulties. Be careful not to share too many details of the event(s) with the child. How much you say depends on your child’s age and maturity level. It is important to help children see that your symptoms are not their fault. Some parents want help with what to say to their children, and a counselor could help with this.

Treatment options

There are also many treatment options. Treatment can include individual treatment for the Veteran or adult with PTSD as well as family therapy. Family therapy supports the parent with PTSD and teaches family members how to get their own needs met.

Children may benefit from their own therapy as well, which might differ based on the child’s age. Each family is different, and decisions about what kind of treatment to seek, if any, can be hard. The most important thing is to help each member of the family, including the children, say what he or she needs.

Vet Centers across the country and some VA PTSD programs offer group, couples, and individual programs for family members of Veterans.

This fact sheet is based on a more detailed version in the “Providers and Researchers” section: When a Child’s Parent has PTSD. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/children-of-vets-adults-ptsd.asp

Suicide of soldier assigned to secret unit raises new questions about help for troubled vets

By DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN May 1, 2013 6:06 PM

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Suicide+soldier+assigned+secret+unit+raises+questions+about+help+troubled+vets/8323317/story.html

The suicide of an Afghan veteran working for a highly secretive unit is raising questions about the type of help soldiers are receiving from the Canadian Forces to deal with mental illness.

Master Corporal Charles Matiru, who killed himself in January, worked for Joint Task Force X, a secretive unit based in Kingston, Ont., whose members operated alone or in small groups in Afghanistan gathering intelligence.

Matiru had done four tours in Afghanistan and had been hospitalized once before in 2006 after he started hallucinating about the war.

Matiru’s family says the soldier didn’t receive the support he needed from the military to deal with his post traumatic stress disorder. There was a reluctance in the Canadian Forces to help the master corporal and when the military system did grant approval for treatment, there were delays in receiving that, the family says.

Matiru first sought help for alcohol abuse and paid for his own stay in 2012 at a clinic in British Columbia. He later had tried to get into a mental health clinic in Ottawa but was unsuccessful. His common law partner did, however, succeed in getting him into a mental health facility in Toronto to deal with his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as addiction.

“It didn’t seem like they (the military) were very cooperative in terms of having to facilitate it,” said Matiru’s brother David, who lives in Vancouver. “There were struggles the first time. There were struggles the second time where the military did get involved but there were hurdles.”

Charles Matiru joined the Canadian Forces in 2003 and within three years had completed two tours of Afghanistan, serving in the infantry. After the last tour he checked himself into a mental treatment facility after he started hallucinating about the war and that people were trying to attack him.

He later did two back-to-back tours of Afghanistan starting in 2009. Matiru was a “source handling officer” and would go into the field to gather intelligence from Afghan sources as part of military efforts to track down insurgents and prevent attacks on Canadian troops. He was assigned to the secretive Joint Task Force X which carries out such intelligence operations in support of Canadian Forces missions worldwide.

Once back in Canada after his last Afghan tour, Matiru turned to alcohol and had become depressed. In June 2012 he talked about suicide.

Matiru, 32, shot himself in Kingston in January. His story is outlined in the new issue of Legion magazine by writer Adam Day who got to know Matiru in 2009 while covering the Afghanistan war.

“Charles did not have to die — the system failed him,” the article concluded.

David Matiru said his brother didn’t want his close-knit family to know about the mental problems he was facing but they found out anyway, and in 2012 tried to help him deal with the PTSD. Dealing with much of the day-to-day aspects of the illness fell to Charles’ common-law partner, who will give birth to the couple’s baby in June.

Matiru said there has to be changes in how the military deals with such cases. In his brother’s case there were a number of red flags; the 2006 breakdown, the appeals for help and the discussion of suicide in 2012.

“They (Canadian Forces) know the sensitivity of what he does,” said Matiru. “There was a lot of shit that he saw and did. There are a lot of senior people who know the details. When someone breaks down like that, and they know what he’s been through, then they should try to expedite things.”

The provision of support also has to go beyond getting soldiers into two-month treatment programs for PTSD, he added. “There should be more of a hands-on approach in serious situations,” Matiru explained. “If a person doesn’t check in every two weeks, then there should be someone checking in on them. It needs to be more aggressive once it gets to a suicide situation.”

Matiru said his brother was able and willing to get treatment but there were delays in the military system in arranging that.

The Canadian Forces did not respond to a Citizen request for comment on Matiru’s case.

The Conservative government and senior military leadership have repeatedly stated that funding and support from soldiers dealing with mental illnesses is being provided. Veterans, their families and opposition MPs have countered that by saying not enough is being done.

Last year, the family of a soldier from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa kidnapped the man and took him to a mental health facility after becoming concerned about the military’s lack of treatment for the Afghan veteran.

The soldier had been released from the Ottawa Hospital’s General campus where he had been taken following his second suicide attempt. Military officers were told by doctors the soldier had to be under constant supervision but those orders were ignored and the family was concerned the man would once again attempt to take his own life.

Matiru is not the only human intelligence operator to be dealing with mental health issues. At least one other is dealing with PTSD, the Citizen has learned.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Suicide+soldier+assigned+secret+unit+raises+questions+about+help+troubled+vets/8323317/story.html#ixzz2S58eSOmU

Canadian Veterans Advocacy has posted a new item, ”

CVA Position Report , War Pensioners Allowance.

http://www.canadianveteransadvocacy.com/blog/?p=838

CVA Position Report , War Pensioners Allowance.

The Canadians Veterans Advocacy is pleased to note Veterans Affairs Minister
Blaney has fulfilled his promise to bring forward legislation that will
harmonize the War Pensioners Allowance with the recent SISIP court ruling
eliminating the claw back on VAC Pain and suffering awards. These veterans
[...]

You may view the latest post at

You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are
posted.

Best regards,
Michael L Blais CD
Founder, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
info@canadianveteransadvocacy.com

CVA Position Report , War Pensioners Allowance.

The Canadians Veterans Advocacy is pleased to note Veterans Affairs Minister Blaney has fulfilled his promise to bring forward legislation that will harmonize the War Pensioners Allowance with the recent SISIP court ruling eliminating the claw back on VAC Pain and suffering awards. These veterans are, by definition, Canada’s most economically vulnerable veterans and this decision will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their quality of life.

We have, however, continuing concerns about the status of retro activity.

The Canadians Veterans Advocacy would encourage the Government of Canada to apply the same harmonization principles of compensation as defined by the SISIP court ruling to both the War Pensioners Allowance and the Earnings Loss Benefit and provide the same standard of retro-activity as was provided to SISIP affected disabled veterans suffering from this unjust policy.

One Veteran – One Standard.

Michael L Blais CD
Founder/President, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
6618 Harper Drive, Niagara Falls, Ont, Cda.
L2E 7K6 // 905-357-3306 // Cell 905-359-9247

Canadian Veterans Advocacy has posted a new item, ”

URGENT CVA SUPPORT REQUEST – LOU DEVOUNO VRS CITY OF OSHAWA

http://www.canadianveteransadvocacy.com/blog/?p=835

I need your help. Lou Devouno is a friend of mine and I have great respect for
the SELFLESS efforts he has made on behalf of the troops and veterans during the
past several years. His events raise tremendous money for the local community
and only Oshawa has had the audacity to charge… indeed, the [...]

You may view the latest post at

You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are
posted.

Best regards,
Michael L Blais CD
Founder, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
info@canadianveteransadvocacy.com

I need your help. Lou Devouno is a friend of mine and I have great respect for the SELFLESS efforts he has made on behalf of the troops and veterans during the past several years. His events raise tremendous money for the local community and only Oshawa has had the audacity to charge… indeed, the ride last year, right down the Don Valley Parkway, cost NOTHING. Take a look at the parking lot, the street and put that in perspective of the price they are trying to gouge Lou….

I need you to write an email, short, sweet, asking that Oshawa city council to RESPECT Canada’s fallen/veterans and waive the costs for the Highway of Heroes Ride as has every other community Lou has brought this event to.

Here are the emails of the mayor and council. All you have to do is copy and paste it into your email TO block and write a short letter of support for Lou.

jhenry@oshawa.ca,jaker@oshawa.ca, rbouma@oshawa.ca, bchapman@oshawa.ca, ndiamond@oshawa.ca, aengland@oshawa.ca, tdmarimpietri@oshawa.ca, jneal@oshawa.ca, npidwerbecki@oshawa.ca, dsanders@oshawa.ca, bwood@oshawa.ca

Make a difference, take five minutes of time to send an email.

Mike // Prez/// CVA

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151324522036619

Michael L Blais CD
Founder/President, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
6618 Harper Drive, Niagara Falls, Ont, Cda.
L2E 7K6 // 905-357-3306 // Cell 905-359-9247

Canadian Veterans Advocacy has posted a new item, ”

CVA Press Release – Sunnybrook Hospital – VAC audit

http://www.canadianveteransadvocacy.com/blog/?p=833

CVA Press Release – Sunnybrook Hospital – VAC audit

The Canadian Veterans Advocacy is pleased to note that the Veterans Affairs
Canada audit investigating family orientated complaints about neglect and
substandard care has concluded and the recommendations will, if implemented,
resolve some of thiese very serous issues.

”We must bear in mind [...]

You may view the latest post at

You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are
posted.

Best regards,
Michael L Blais CD
Founder, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
info@canadianveteransadvocacy.com