OTTAWA, ON, December 15, 1999 - The Heads of Canadian Veterans Organizations, including those representing Merchant Seamen, reached an agreement today to recommend to the government a compensation package ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, plus an additional 20% for those who were Prisoners of War. The estimated cost is $64 million. Approximately, 7,200 Merchant Seamen or widows would benefit.

A copy of the Communiqué follows. The Communiqué will be sent to Veterans Affairs Minister George Baker tomorrow morning.

A consensus among Veterans' Organizations was reached today on compensation for Merchant Navy Veterans.

The Chief Executive Officers of the Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Associations Inc., the Merchant Navy Coalition for Equality, the Royal Canadian Legion, the National Council of Veteran Associations and the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans of Canada have been meeting for several days.

It was agreed that all the veterans organizations would support the same set of criteria for proposed compensation:

1. That the amount of the compensation should be $5,000 for 1 to 6 months or for those who suffered actual attack by the enemy.
    
2. That it should be $10,000 for 6 to 24 months.
    
3. That it should be $20,000 for those who served at sea during wartime hostilities for 24 months or more.
    
4. That both Merchant Navy Veterans or their surviving spouses should qualify.
    
5. That all service which qualified for the war risk bonus should be recognized.

Consenseus was also reached on the process by which the numbers of recipients of this compensation could be estimated.

As a special recognition of the unique circumstances which faced merchant navy prisoners of war, veterans organizations have recommended payment equal to an additional 20% for them and their surviving spouses. The chief executive officers also encouraged the Department of Veterans Affairs to seek improvements in the ongoing PoW pension rates.

The representatives expressed their appreciation and thanks to the Minister and Deputy Minister's of Veterans Affairs for providing this opportunity to provide input, and expressed the hope that the Government would be able to address this correction of a long-standing issue in its budgetary expenditure plan.

The Joint Communiqué was signed by the following people on December 15, 1999:

• Chuck Murphy, President, The Royal Canadian Legion
• Aurele Ferlatte, President, Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Associations, Inc.
• R. R. (Bob) Cassels, President, The Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada
• Allan MacIsaac, Chairman, Merchant Navy Coalition for Equality
• H. Clifford Chadderton, CC, O.Ont., CAE, DCL, LLD
  Chairman, National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada