FREDERICTON _ More than 40 years after Agent Orange was sprayed on a New Brunswick military base, the defoliant program is still creating political fallout for the current federal government.
Peter Stoffer, the New Democrats‘ veterans affairs critic, said Wednesday the Conservatives are being deceitful about the spray program.
Stoffer said in an interview that when the Conservatives were in opposition, they called for a public inquiry into defoliant spraying at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown between 1956 and 1984.
“What we‘re asking (Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson) to do now is do exactly what he said he was going to do, which is call a public inquiry into the defoliant spraying at Gagetown between 1956 and 1984,‘‘ Stoffer said.
“He and (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper said they were going to do all these things. They formed government and they failed to meet their own commitments.‘‘
Stoffer said either Thompson had facts to back his call for an inquiry, or was just using the demand for political opportunism.
Thompson was quick to fire back at Stoffer.
“When is the last time Peter Stoffer and his party stood up in support of our veterans, our men and women in the military, or our international obligations?‘‘ Thompson said in a statement.
“I urge you to check their record. It‘s a sad record.‘‘
Thompson said the New Democrats voted against funding for a veterans ombudsman and a veterans bill of rights.
As for an inquiry, Thompson said his government relied on the findings of an inquiry launched by the former Liberal government, and conducted by former New Brunswick health minister Dr. Dennis Furlong.
That inquiry found no links to health problems beyond a few scattered cases relating to Agent Orange testing at Gagetown in 1966 and 1984.
As many as 4,500 _ veterans and civilians _ qualify for a one-time, $20,000 payment from the federal government.
To qualify, people must have an illness associated with Agent Orange exposure and have worked at, trained at or been posted at Gagetown, or lived within five kilometres of the base, during the two years it was tested.
As of this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs has received 1,210 completed applications, of which 518 have been approved.
So far, 195 did not meet the eligibility criteria and the remainder are being processed.
Jim Cadger, a spokesman for the lobby group Agent Orange Alert, said the department has not made it easy for people to prove they were residents of the area, especially if they were children at the time.
He said claimants are being asked to produce deeds, water or utility bills, or other documents as proof, and some frontline staff at the Veterans Affairs aren‘t as helpful as they could be.
Cadger said after many calls he finally learned that department staff have phone books from 1966 and and can easily help applicants prove their case.
“Veterans Affairs has failed to educate its own staff to help those people,‘‘ he said.
But Thompson said there are many ways for people to prove they were in the designated area.
He said there is plenty of information at the Provincial Archives, including school records.
“I‘m comfortable that there are enough relatively easy ways to prove residency,‘‘ he said.
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