Harper government called “heartless” for denying vets program access
Posted Feb 13, 2012 05:18:43 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Harper government is being labeled “heartless” for denying veterans access to programs they need.
Veterans Affairs Critic Peter Stoffer and Liberal MP Geoff Regan blasted the Feds Monday for denying several Halifax-area veterans access to various benefits and services.
Stoffer highlighted difficulties faced by three families, including Keith Haynes, who shared his story about being denied a $20,000 Agent Orange ex gratia payment because they missed the application deadline by 12 days.
“On January 21st, my wife passed away, not know if she had been betrayed by her government,” he says. “I would ask Mr. Harper and (Veterans Affairs minister) Mr. (Steven) Blaney who had the right or the qualifications to set a deadline for how long it would take for the spraying of toxic chemicals at CFB Gagetown to effect the health of anyone who had been exposed to that.”
Dawn Collins, whose husband Wayne is at the QE2 hospital with Multiple-System Atrophy, a disease much like ALS, says all she wants is home care assistance so her husband can come home.
Wayne was exposed to highly toxic chemicals, some of which are banned from use today, and as a result his nervous system and vital organs are shutting down.
90-year-old World War Two veteran Ted Shiner tells News 95.7 dealing with veterans affairs is like being in the “old west”, when you’d circle the wagons if you were attacked.
“I was outside the circle of wagons of DVA,” he says. “Inside they have the women and children to protect them, but here the current image is the staff that’s protecting itself.”
He says he’s never got in touch with anyone when he called, instead having to wait over a week for someone to call him back.
Stoffer says the process should be simple if a veteran or family member has a legitimate case.
“All they should have is two different doctors,” he explains. “One, their regular doctor that says there’s a possibility your illness or injury is caused by military service, then you get a specialist who says the same thing. If you have two different doctors say the same thing – that there’s a possibility – then you should get the benefit.”
He adds he’s never heard of a case of someone trying to defraud Veterans Affairs.
