e-3217 (Veterans' affairs)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• Canada classifies veteran injuries during active service into two distinct classifications of "Wartime Service" or "Special Duty Service" in Veterans Affairs Canada's “Disability Benefits in Respect of Wartime and Special Duty Service – The Insurance Principle” policy;
• The 34th Parliament ordered Canadians on active service for a globally mandated war against Iraq to liberate Kuwait (United Nations Security Council Resolution 665);
• This war was not immediately classified as "wartime" as Canada did not declare war, as was true for the Korean War;
• Korean War veterans, including civilian merchant mariners, were successfully reclassified to "Wartime Service" following a similar policy challenge spanning 30 years;
• World War II civilians from The Legion, The Lions Club and the Red Cross are classified as ‘Wartime’, as are Allied veterans who immigrate;
• Canadians were under threat from ballistic missiles and chemical warfare nightly; performed integral combat related duties; captured and processed prisoners of war; provided combat air patrols and performed a disproportionate number of naval interventions; without current Treasury Board benefits, tax free status or vacation; and
• The Kuwaiti ambassador has formally acknowledged Canada’s contribution in the liberation of her country, and, along with Minister MacAulay, has thanked veterans for their wartime contributions both personally and through media.