Mr. Speaker, first nations and Métis veterans were cheated at the end of World War II and the Korean war and they continue to get cheated today.
It is well documented that aboriginal veterans did not receive the same education, land or resettlement benefits as other veterans. The government's own national round table on first nations veterans measured this shortfall in benefits to be approximately $125,000 each.
Yet, in a shameful abdication of responsibility, the government has offered a paltry $20,000 per person calling it a gesture of goodwill.
Time is running out for our first nations and Métis veterans to ever see justice from the government that they fought for.
I urge the government to reopen the file that is the sad history of Canada's treatment of its first nations veterans and compensate them or their survivors in an amount commensurate with the level of benefits extended to all of our proud veterans.