Mr. Speaker, I am not satisfied with the minister's message read by the parliamentary secretary.
We believe that when the national round table studied the issue and recommended at least $120,000 per veteran, that should have been binding. The offer made to the veterans, many of whom are in a desperate situation and either their health is failing or they are getting older, was less than one-fifth of the most conservative estimate of what the value of those benefits should have been.
Again, I say the high end was $430,000 each. The low end was $120,000 each. The offer made was up to $20,000 and they had to sign a release saying that they would not go after any further funds.
I believe it was a cynical move. The government should be ashamed of itself for not dealing with these people honourably and giving them the compensation that all Canadians deserve after serving in the conflicts overseas.