By Michael J Morris
UPDATED August 17, 2015 Another reason to dump Harper. Vets refused admission to a Harper event. Here are the details on The Tyee http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/08/17/Vets-Harper-Event/
Canada's veterans have not received the treatment they deserve from the Harper government
As the federal election campaign begins, citizens should remember that our veterans were put in harm's way in their service to the country.
For example, according to the award winning Canadian journalist Michael Harris, the Harper government spent $128 million promoting the War of 1812, but for living soldiers this same government cut $35 million from Veterans Affairs and closed much needed veteran sites.
Gordon Moore, the Dominion president of the Royal Canadian Legion, said before appearing before a Parliamentary Committee that the "legion is concerned that the government has forgotten the moral obligation to look after veterans and their families who have been injured as a result of their service to Canada.
“The government put them in harm’s way, now the government has an obligation to look after them.”
The Harper government has endured a barrage of criticism on its perceived treatment of veterans; now is the hour when Canadians have the opportunity on October 19 to vote.
Personally, among all the issues with which I disagree with the Harper government, its shabby treatment of our veterans ranks high on my list, Why, some of you may ask.
Well, for starters, my father Jim Morris was killed in the service of Canada while on active service in the RCAF during World War II. His father, my grandfather Harry Morris, served in World War I, and his brother was killed in action during that war,.
Also, two of my grandmother Morris' brothers served in World War I.
And I come from a small community in Northern Ontario, Chapleau, where the veterans of World War ! and II respectively, worked tirelessly upon returning home to make it a better community for all of us -- "They served to death, why not we?'" and they did.
In Cranbrook, as many of you know I often visit the Wall of Honour in Rotary Park where the names of those men and women from Cranbrook and area are listed -- reminds me of home where ordinary folks accomplished extraordinary things.
I have lived in five provinces and it's been the same everywhere.
In a scathing article about the dismal failure of the Harperites to properly treat our veteran, silence in iPolitics, entitled "Baffling Silence of the Backbench", Mr. Harris writes,
"Who can explain the silence of the Cons?
"I don’t mean the cabinet snake-oil parodies on the nightly news — the ones who would sell their mothers, not to mention Canada’s veterans, down the river for a chauffeur and a fat paycheque.
"Does anyone seriously believe that Conservative MPs are getting fan-mail over the atrocious disrespect the Harper government has shown to soldiers, ex-soldiers and their families? After all, the PM once said these soldiers were the best of Canadians. Is it likely these silent MPs will be greeted with brass bands when they return to their ridings?"
Like Mr. Harris, I simply don't get it. Surely the Conservative MPS Canadians sent to Ottawa have more backbone than they show. If not, best we dump the lot of them in 2015 ...
In the interests of full disclosure, "The Chapleau Boys Go To War" which I co-authored with my cousin, Michael K. McMullen, was published recently. However, I wish to make it perfectly and abundantly clear that the above is in no way related to the book or the possible views of my co-author.... mjm
