From: Wes Bowers

Date: 23/05/2007 12:00:26 AM

To: The Honourable G Thompson

Cc: The Right Honourable Stephen J. Harper; The Honourable Gordon O'Connor; The Honourable Russ Hiebert (Sry Ofc); The Honourable Russ Hiebert (OW Ofc)

It would appear that an injustice was perpetrated by a previous government and now the legacy of that injustice causes dishonour, rather than honour to those who have served our country in the Canadian Forces.

I bring to your attention excerpts from messages that were sent to the website titled, Military and RCMP Veterans Campaign Against Clawback at Age 65, found at: http://users.eastlink.ca/~clawback/ 

As the following excerpts (below my signature block) are posted on the website, they are public domain information. Those posting the messages are either senior officers, or in one case, a Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer, the highest rank of Senior Non-Commissioned Members. Their ranks indicate that the CF, on behalf of the citizens of Canada, has recognized the loyalty, integrity, leadership, and highly valued contribution of these members in the service of Canada. Their testimonies should not be disdained. 

If the pension figures posted on that website accurately reflect the recompense for these individuals, this is a travesty of justice.

As ÇF Chief Warrant Officer Marr has highlighted, when a Private Pay Level 3 gets paid more in salary than the superannuation of a CF CWO with 38 years of pensionable service, something has gone terribly wrong. It means that our previous governments have not sufficiently taken into consideration the rising cost of living, rising rates of pay, and the billions in surplus that were built up and available in the pension account, to do the right thing and introduce legislation that would adequately compensate veterans by making appropriate adjustments to the pension payments, regardless of member's previous contributions.  

If the previous governments were sincere in wanting to honour veterans, they would have taken legislative action to right this gross injustice long before now.

If ever there was a case to use a "notwithstanding clause" this issue should be it.  If ever there was a government that could rise to the challenge of honouring the CF veterans through adequate pension compensation, surely it would have to be the current one.  

Surely it must be possible for this government to set CF superannuation compensation as follows: 

Notwithstanding any previous legislation and calculations of CF superannuation, OAS, and CPP,  recipients of CF superannuation benefits shall immediately receive these benefits in the manner referred to as "stacked" rather than "integrated" with CPP at present. Any additional costs associated with this legislation will be chargeable to the pension account.

In the spirit of what Captain (N) J.T. Jones has expressed, I appeal to your common sense and your sense of fairness in dealing with Canadian Forces veterans.

Sincerely, 

Wes Bowers

Major (retired)