Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House today on behalf of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and commend all persons concerned for the decision of Veterans Affairs Canada to compensate Colonel Trotter and other war heroes like him.
I would like to single out the tireless efforts of the member for Kamloops, Thompson and Highland Valleys. My hon. friend was unwilling and unable to accept anything short of the recognition that Colonel Trotter has received today and she should be commended.
Any day when we honour our war veterans is a very good day. It is for this reason that we should be proud of what the minister said only a few moments ago, but the unfortunate reality is that too many of our national heroes have been forced to take legal action against the government for compensation and recognition. In particular, I am thinking of my dear close friends in the Merchant Navy who were forced to come up here to Ottawa on a hunger strike.
Ossie MacLean, arguably the most colourful of those who came to protest, as we all know is no longer with us. He has since passed away. I know that his family is deeply proud of the selfless sacrifice he offered in the name of all of those with whom he served.
I am thinking also of veterans like the late Joseph Authorson, whose assets the federal government seized and who was denied the interest of the investments made on his behalf. Mr. Authorson and his family were forced to turn to the courts to continue their battle and thus far they have been proven right. The courts have been quick to recognize their call to justice and the wrongdoing of the government. The government has sought leave to appeal a groundbreaking judgment of the Ontario Court of Appeal. We will now wait to hear whether its decision will be overturned. Although Mr. Authorson himself is no longer with us, like Ossie MacLean, there are still thousands of Canadian veterans and their families who are suffering through this senseless legal battle.
Finally, my thoughts cannot help but turn to those brave veterans who were used by the Canadian government of the day to test chemical weapons like mustard gas. The government has recognized but never compensated those great Canadians whose patriotism and sense of duty were abused in the name of science. To this day, I have the honour and the privilege of working with great men like Mr. Bill Tanner to try to correct this terrible injustice.
The truth is that for every case like that of Colonel Trotter or that of the Merchant Navy which we bring to light, there are countless others that remain undecided, often even litigated before the courts. In times of great need, this country turned to its young citizens to fight for the ideals of freedom and democracy for the world over. In their golden years, those brave soldiers, now heroes, have been forced to take on the very government that they served so proudly two generations ago.
It has often been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I see the minister's wonderful announcement today as a single step in the right direction. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Colonel Trotter, his family and all those brave prisoners of war who will finally receive their due. On behalf of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, I thank the Minister of Veterans Affairs for taking this position.