$ 1.3 million to defend against veterans

'Translated'

Federal challenged 73 claims in court in two years

Sylvain Chartrand, a spokesperson for the Canadian Veterans Advocacy group, consults his veteran file at home. He says it's unacceptable that the federal government continues to fight in court against former members of the military.

CHRISTOPHER NARDI

April 06, 2018

OTTAWA | Despite an election promise to no longer force veterans to fight for compensation, the Liberal government has spent more than $ 1.3 million on legal fees since 2016 to challenge veterans' claims.

"It's not normal for the government to spend so much on fighting its veterans. What does it give him? It generates costs for the government that are sometimes higher than the amount requested by the veteran, "insists Sylvain Chartrand, spokesperson for the group Canadian Veterans Advocacy.

Since January 1, 2016, the federal government has spent more than $ 1.3 million in legal and court fees on 73 lawsuits or class actions launched by veterans or veterans groups, according to a document obtained by Conservative MP Bev Shipley.

This does not include amounts awarded to ex-servicemen who have won their case.

In the vast majority of cases, the prosecutors were seeking a veteran's pension or compensation for war injuries.


For Ottawa, the cost per file varies widely, ranging from $ 235,000 for the defense against a class action suit launched by Private Daniel Christopher Scott to $ 82 for a lawsuit that lasted only 15 days. The sum of some cases may always increase because the procedures are still ongoing.

Broken promise?

This contrasts with Justin Trudeau's election promise during the 2015 campaign. At that time, he vowed that no veteran would have to fight to get compensation for wartime injuries if his party was elected.

"Our plan will allow us to give back to those who have brought so much to their country and to ensure that no one has to fight with the government to get the support and compensation it deserves," reads the liberal electoral platform.

At the beginning of the year, the Prime Minister caused an uproar by saying that the federal government had to fight against some veterans who "ask for more than we are able to give".

Conservative MP Bev Shipley sees it as "another broken promise by the Liberals".

"We note the hypocrisy of the party of Justin Trudeau, who promised something in the election campaign, but the government does the opposite afterwards. It's like the story of abandoned electoral reform, "says Shipley.

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is defending itself by saying that the department is paying millions of dollars to provide free legal assistance to former members and to roll out the appeal tribunal for those who are unhappy with a VAC decision.

The Prime Minister's Office did not answer our questions yesterday.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/04/06/13m-pour-se-defendre-contre-des-veterans