VANCOUVER – A group of severely wounded military veterans has notched a victory in its years-long battle for better benefits from the Canadian government.
A British Columbia Appeal Court judge says the court will consider whether to take into account contradictions between the Liberal government’s current position on what it owes modern-day veterans and promises the party made during last year’s election.
The court will also consider whether to look at the Trudeau government’s decision to adopt a stance against the veterans that was initially held by the Conservative government, before it was dropped in response to a public backlash.
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Don Sorochan, the lawyer representing the veterans, said outside the court that politicians can’t go around making promises they don’t keep when it comes to constitutional obligations around its so-called sacred covenant with soldiers.
Sorochan also noted that the federal government shouldn’t be allowed to adopt a position it previously discarded, especially after passing a unanimous resolution affirming Canada’s duty to its veterans.
The class-action lawsuit argues that modern-day soldiers are discriminated against compared with those who fought in earlier wars and that they should receive comparable compensation.
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