Mr. Speaker, in the 1950s and 1960s the Department of National Defence sprayed agent orange, agent purple and other highly toxic chemical herbicides at Base Gagetown in New Brunswick. The health and well-being of many were put at risk because of the use of this poison. Civilian and military personnel, their dependants and the public in general who were living near the base were told there was no danger. It was obvious they were misled.
The Government of Canada has known the consequences of this spraying for many years now and since then has continued to dither, hide evidence and deny any responsibility for its actions. The Minister of Veterans Affairs has suggested in the House that she is eager to help. However, with 20 files on her desk seeking compensation without any resolution, I suggest her definition of eager is somewhat similar to the actions the government displayed on the issue of hepatitis C.
The government was quick to come up with a $4.5 billion ad hoc budget scribbled on the back of a napkin in a hotel room in Toronto to serve its own political agenda, but when it comes to helping ordinary Canadians, it has failed to act.