I had a chance to eat breakfast with some veterans in Quebec City, many of whom had served in Afghanistan. Even members who were leaving were there, they came to talk with us. To illustrate my point, I will divide the two wars into two categories. I consider the Second World War and the Korean War to be human wars. There have always been and there will always be wars. The other kind of war is inhuman war. During the Second World War, we were trained to kill and be killed. But they are trained to kill and kill no one. They worry about what they are going to do when they hit 65.
A typical case is that of someone who has lost both legs. He gets $154,000. His father is retired, and his mother makes him buy a house. He has no money left. When his parents die, who will pay the property taxes? He does not have a single cent, and he has only a grade-seven education. What do you want him to do? His spirits are as low as they can be. Most of those we meet, real soldiers who served in Afghanistan, are worried; you cannot begin to imagine how worried. You would not believe how much they worry. They say they are not administrators and do not know how to interpret all the confusing information they are given. They are told it is one amount here and another amount there, but that does not tell them anything. They just want enough money to support themselves for the remainder of their lives, as is the case with the soldiers from the Second World War.
Personally, I am considered to be 50% disabled, and Mr. Renaud is considered to be 100% disabled. I do not get that same $1,600 a month that someone who is fully disabled does. Soldiers do not understand, and neither do I. I read this and wonder where this is going and what exactly is the soldier going to get. And soldiers are even more confused.
Someone with a grade-seven education will never be able to understand the mishmash of numbers and jargon or the associated requirements that depend on their rank, age and salary. There are so many factors involved, and these soldiers will end up with nothing. I find that inhuman. Soldiers hand out candy to children with a man at their side, and he is the one planting the bomb when night rolls around. They say to themselves the odds are in their favour, and they admit it. They say to themselves that 157 people killed in 8 years is not too many. Soldiers go there for the money. A corporal gets $70,000, and his only expense is what he buys at Tim Hortons. Then he gets another cheque for $20,000. When you have a guy with a grade-seven education starting out in the workforce, it doesn't get any better than the army. If the odds are in his favour, he comes through okay, but if he is not so lucky, he will be in trouble. His future will not be very bright.
That is all, Mr. Chair.