A "message" from Message - Federal treatment of disabled veterans disgraceful
Government actions seem geared to deny what is justly owed to more than 4,000 injured soldiers
By Sean Bruyea, FreelanceJanuary 27, 2010
It has become a sad truth that the path of an injured soldier to receive disability benefits in Canada is a minefield of obstacles. Last Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada heard about one of those mine-fields.
When Canadian Forces members are injured on duty, they receive pain and suffering payments from Veterans Affairs while keeping their full salary. If soldiers are so disabled as to be unemployable, those soldiers are kicked out of the military and paid 75 per cent of their salary through a long-term disability plan held by the Canadian Forces. Then, in some seeming petty act of revenge, the Canadian Forces insurance plan deducts amounts for pain and suffering paid by Veterans Affairs.
No other long-term disability income plan in Canada is allowed to deduct Veterans Affairs payments for pain and suffering.
This is why Dennis Manuge has brought his case to the Supreme Court of Canada as his case represents more than 4,000 disabled soldiers similarly affected. I am one of the 4,000 disabled soldiers. The
National Defence Ombudsman has called the deductions "profoundly unfair" and said "the inequity might very well be serious enough to attract the protection of human rights legislation" including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, "which identify physical and mental disabilities as prohibited grounds of discrimination."
The Veterans' Ombudsman agrees.
Full Article: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Federal+treatment+disabled+veterans+disgraceful/2489412/story.html
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Hugh Message
Macdonald Realty 1st Pioneer, 22424 Fraser Highway, Langley, BC V3A 8N3
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