Feds will keep unclaimed Agent Orange cash
FREDERICTON - Any unclaimed money left over when the Agent Orange compensation program expires in 2009 will likely be returned to the government pot.
Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said Tuesday his department won't get to keep leftover funds.
"Normally, under any of those types of programs, the money wouldn't actually go back to Veterans Affairs (but) to general revenues," Thompson said.
The federal government announced a $95.6-million compensation package last fall for veterans and civilians affected by the United States military's spraying of Agent Orange at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown during the 1960s.
Those who qualify and meet a number of medical requirements are eligible for a one-time, $20,000 payment. But payouts are only considered for primary caregivers of individuals who died on or after Feb. 6, 2006 - the date the government of Stephen Harper took office.
To date, more than 1,500 Agent Orange-related compensation cheques have been issued by Veterans Affairs Canada to those affected by the deadly chemical at Gagetown.
Thompson's statement that leftover funds will end up in the government's general revenue account dampens the hopes of many groups, such as Military Widows on a War Path. The Lincoln-based group has been working on ways to be included in the compensation package.
Spokeswoman Betty Hudson said members of her group don't fall into the parameters established by the government and they feel that's unfair.
"He (Thompson) can run, but he can't hide," Hudson said. "We are not fighting this because of the money.
"We are fighting because of the principle," she said. "To send it back to general revenue is another swat in the face - not that I would want their leftover money."
Hudson said the government is doing nothing but patronizing her and other members of the group.
"We're staying in his face," Hudson said. "We will not give up. We are just a small group, but we are picking up some members across the country."
Thompson said it's practically impossible to move beyond the dates the government has established. Thompson said the problem in making the compensation package perfect has to do with the 40-50 years that occurred between events.
"At the end of the day, it's good and I don't think we could have done any better," Thompson said. "We take responsibility from the dates we announced and it's very difficult to move off those dates. I think the package we came up with is probably in the 80- to 90-per-cent range in terms of perfection."
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In my opinion Ottawa needs to stop protecting their shoddy chemical registration process, they admittedly neither knew what was in the chemicals which they registered for use in CFB Gagetown nor did they have any idea weather the chemicals were harmful.
To state as defense that the chemicals were registered is beyond contempt if the registration process never bothered to find out what was in the chemicals being registered or if their were health concerns.
Besides I doubt that the directions for use included spraying soldiers and/or crawling around in it shortly there after.
Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (Ret'd).