OTTAWA, ON, December 29, 2005 - The National Council of Veteran Associations (54 member-groups) today released a report, detailing the requirements of its members in regard to veterans benefits. This report is issued following media news stories in respect of announcements made in the current campaign for the '05/'06 Federal election with regard to short-comings in the veterans program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The list follows:

AGENT ORANGE: 

The Government has ordered studies instead of adopting the policy of accepting responsibility for compensation approved after millions of dollars in research in the United States.

LONG-TERM CARE: 

NCVA has consistently petitioned the Government for an additional 10,000 long-term care beds for veterans. Promises have been made but the situation remains desperate.

SEPARATION OF SPOUSES: 

The Federal and Provincial Governments, for the most part, refuse to allow a veteran's spouse to join her husband where both required institutional care. A national campaign by The War Amps was successful in obtaining a commitment to solve the issue.

RE-MARRIAGE AFTER AGE 60: 

NCVA continues to request support of the recommendation that the spouse of the Canadian Forces retiree marrying after age 60 be eligible for survivor benefits under the Superannuation Act without penalty to the retiree.

VETERANS INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM (VIP) FOR WIDOWS: 

All widows of seriously disabled veterans be eligible for VIP services regardless of when the husband died and to be eligible for benefits based on their own medical needs.

MENARD MEDALS: 

No Victoria Cross was awarded to a French Canadian in the Dieppe Raid of August 1942 despite the fact that at least 40% of the troops who served in the Dieppe Raid, including those killed or taken prisoner, were of French Canadian origin.

A Distinguished Service Order was awarded to Lieutenant Dollard Menard of the Fusiliers de Montreal (FMR). The Government refused to petition the Crown to elevate this decoration to a Victoria Cross.

VETERANS CHARTER: 

In 2005 - - the Year of the Veteran - - the Federal Government trumpeted loud and long about a need for improvement in veterans benefits. A new Veterans Charter was approved but it contained no substantial increases above the Veterans Charter which had been enacted for World War II veterans.

WAR MUSEUM PAINTINGS: 

A very considerable hue-and-cry was raised by veterans concerning a display in the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa of two paintings of Canadian soldiers who committed criminal offences in the death of a Somali youth. Notwithstanding the Government refused to replace the paintings.

PLAQUES IN WAR MUSEUM: 

Wording on a plaque in the new Canadian War Museum incorrectly indicated a higher percentage of venereal disease for Canadians who served in the Korean conflict of the 1950' s. Also, another plaque was critical of the victories of Bomber Command, thus reflecting ingloriously upon the brave Canadians who were part of the RAF and RCAF Air Forces which bombed military targets in Germany. Ten thousand lost their lives. The War Museum agreed to change the wording on the first plaque but insisted on keeping the wording on the second which is a tragic insult to Canada' s brave airmen.

CLIFF WENZEL: 

This highly decorated veteran applied for continuation of benefits from the Superannuation Act, on the understanding that he wanted to leave the Forces ahead of his retirement date to engage in a further career in aviation. (He had earned the Air Force Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross and is universally known as one of Canada' s best wartime aviators). It took 44 years but eventually the Federal Government approved payment of an extended pension benefit.

ABORIGINAL VETERANS: 

The Veterans Charter was translated into what has been termed "white man's" law. It was applicable to those who entered the Armed Forces with reasonable educational backgrounds. Without such pre-enlistment qualifications, however, the Aboriginal veterans, due to lack of education, were denied the benefits of the rehabilitation program available to those raised in Canadian communities populated by persons who had no status as Indians, Metis or Inuit.

VETERANS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT: 

A group of lawyers commenced a class action, demanding payment of interest on trust funds held by DVA on behalf of veterans who were unable to handle their own finances while institutionalized due to mental incompetence.

The matter remains in the courts but the Federal Government has refused to adopt a plan under which deserving veterans would be paid appropriate interest.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: 

The Federal Government' s approval of same-sex marriage raised the issue of two war veterans living together under the 'buddy system.' This would mean denial of benefits to a survivor where one veteran died despite the fact that in the case of two civilians under the same circumstances, the surviving civilian would be eligible for "widows" benefits.

MONUMENT RESTORATION COMMITTEE: 

Veterans Affairs requested the National Council of Veteran Associations to approve the appointment of Mr. Robert Wood, a former Liberal Member of Parliament, as Chairman of the Restorations Committee. This was opposed by NCVA on the understanding that such appointment would 'politicize' grants for the restoration of monuments. Veterans Affairs, however, proceeded with the appointment.

VETERANS DEEMED NOT TO HAVE SERVED: 

This became an issue late in the year 2005. At the end of World War II, legislation was enacted in order to dispose of cases where persons called up under the National Resources Mobilization Act (conscripts) did not report for duty and were thus discharged as 'deemed not to have served.' The same legislation was, however, used to close out the files of deserving veterans who had failed, usually due to the exigencies of their rehabilitation, to complete the documentation as being honourably discharged. The Government agreed to compensate but failed to put into place a system which would locate and adjudicate upon claims from such deserving veterans, many with combat