| REGISTERED MAIL Oakridge PO Box-28029 LONDON, ON. N6H 5E1 12 Feb 2001 re: HRDC-01/01 The Hon. Jane Stewart PC MP, Minister of Human Resources and Development, House of Commons, OTTAWA, ON. K1A OA6 Dear Ms. Stewart; Starting in 1968 all members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) were compelled to pay into the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Account. Effective 5 January 1986 the entitlement to the Unemployment Insurance Benefits, fully paid for by those who Serve(d) their country Honourably in a military uniform, were denied any right to those benefits by an Order-in-Council rushed through Parliament on the closing day in 1985, just before the Christmas break. After a suicide by retired and unemployed member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), who could NOT provide for his family on his meagre Canadian Forces Superannuation; a Protest March on Parliament Hill by hundreds of CAF retirees and their supporters; thousands of protest letters to Members of Parliament (MPs) and the very strong support of Liberal, NDP and a couple Conservative MPs, the government introduced Bill C-50/1986 which partially reinstated the UI Benefits to CAF Retirees upon the loss of second career employment. Upon the passage of this discriminatory Bill, at least those who were unfortunate to lose their second career job were entitled their right to the insurance for which they paid, at the second career rate. Liberal MPs at the time; including: Sheila Copps, Warren Allmand, Paul Martin, Joe Fontana, Marlene Catterall, J-R Gauthier and others now deceased, vowed to remedy the penurious discrimination against those who retired, were released or discharged from the CAF. The penurious Order-in-Council was to be rescinded and newly released CAF personnel and unemployed were to again receive the insurance benefits for which they paid - just like any ordinary Canadian citizen. Needless to say, upon achieving power, the CAF Retirees never once heard from their erstwhile Liberal friends, and of course, the promise, like so many political promises, has NOT been kept. The 1986 Report of the Forget Commission recommended restitution of full entitlement to the pre-paid UI Benefit. The recommendation was never implemented! During the final debate on Bill C-50/1986 on 9 June 1987 on page 6917 of House of Commons Debates you will note that the government has continually benefited from the compulsory CAF contributions to the Account, now called the Employment Insurance (EI) Account. Those surpluses amount to several ten of millions of dollars annually and do not include the non existent contributions of the employer. The employer, the government, has never contributed its share to match the CAF members contributions to the account, even though by law it was and is supposed to. You are currently preparing amendments to the EI Act to accommodate extra benefits for new parents and extending benefits to seasonal workers. (It is to be noted that newly released criminal are entitled to EI benefits). Now would be an excellent opportunity to correct a blatant discrimination (and keep a promise) to those who Serve(d) our Country Honourable in a military uniform, and restore the pre-paid unemployment benefit for which they pay and have paid since 1968. I am certain that the aforementioned MPs, some now cabinet ministers, will gladly assist you in the passage of such an amendment. All Opposition members assuredly would jump at the opportunity to correct the injustice to Canada's civilians in a military uniform! SERVIVIMUS PATRIAE NOSTRAE E.W. Halayko, P Eng, CD, National Chairman (519) 471-9232 e-Mail: Web Site: www.afp-aac.org cc: Leader of the Official Opposition Art Hanger MP Defence Critic CA Roy Bailey MP Veterans Affairs Critic CA Val Meredith MP HRD Critic CA John Williams MP Treasury Board Critic CA The Rt Hon Joe Clark PC. Leader PC Party Mrs Elsie Wayne MP PC Party Art Eggleton PC MP Minister National Defence Lawrence MacAulay PC MP Solicitor General The Rt Hon Jean Chrétien PC MP Prime Minister |