Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to speak at a Remembrance Day ceremony for the merchant navy war dead at the war memorial here in Ottawa.
During the second world war the government named the merchant navy the fourth arm of the armed services and for good reason. The merchant ships formed the lifeline to the free world. They carried vital supplies of food, munitions and fuel. The merchant navy became the designated target of the enemy and its losses were the highest of all the war services.
Now in their seventies and eighties, only 2,900 remain of the 12,000 who went to war. They are veterans in name only without equality of entitlement for disability pensions, health care and other benefits.
I was disappointed that the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs was not able to attend the memorial service today. I call on
him and the government to finally recognize the merchant navy veterans as equals and to correct this injustice.