Fourteen years ago, in 1995, the Chretien Liberal government brought down its budget, and the Minister of Finance, Paul Martin announced that all Allied and Commonwealth veterans of W.W.2 and Korea would be excluded from any form of assistance offered by Veterans' Affairs Canada despite their full inclusion, as Canadian citizen, and equal partners with their Canadian comrades since war's end.

This decision was in contravention of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which clearly declares that all Canadian citizens to be equal.

By this illegal and unjust act, Paul Martin and the Liberal party effectively reduced these veterans to third-class citizens, and disregarded their contributions, since war's end, to the economic health of the nation.

This veteran began a long and arduous writing campaign to politicians who might recognize the illicit nature of this Liberal policy and the injustice it represented.

David Tilson, our M.P., recognized this policy was vindictive and illegal and gave his full support to securing the reinstatement of these excluded veterans to VAC services.

A huge number of e-mails respecting this illegal act were sent to key members of the newly elected Conservative government, including the Finance Minister, the Minister of Veterans' Affairs, and the Hon. Greg Thompson, and to the Prime Minister, the Hon. Stephen Harper, requesting that this injustice be recognized and reversed.

Finally, on Sunday 30th of May 2009, The Hon Greg Thompson announced that reinstatement to VAC service for these long excluded veterans would be introduced in the house on Monday 31st May for approval and ratification. And that is the way things unfolded with 100% agreement from the members.

On behalf of all Allied and Commonwealth veterans I thank the Conservative Government for reversing what was a departure from Canadian justice by the Liberal government Thank you again to our Prime Minister, Greg Thompson and our David Tilson.

At last my thick file on this topic can be laid to rest.
K.C.Mesure
via e-mail