Veterans ask Ottawa to change course ahead of budget bill vote

Veterans and the Veterans Ombud say parts of the Budget Implementation Act would retroactively alter how benefits were calculated and could nullify ongoing lawsuits; the bill is before Parliament with clause-by-clause debate set for Feb. 23 and a possible House vote on Feb. 25.

Veterans and advocacy groups are urging the federal government to amend sections of the Budget Implementation Act that they say would retroactively change how veterans' benefits are calculated. The disputed provisions are contained in the more-than-600-page bill and were reported to relate to benefit calculations dating back to at least 1998. The Veterans Ombud wrote to the veterans affairs minister saying the bill, as written, would effectively legitimize past overcharges and nullify ongoing litigation. Several legal actions, including a class action over long-term care charges, were opened after CBC reported the charging error. Key points: - The Veterans Ombud reported that passing the bill as written would effectively legitimize past overcharges to veterans and could nullify ongoing litigation. - Advocates and lawyers say the bill would retroactively redefine the term "province" to exclude territories, which affects how long-term care rates were calculated and is central to alleged overcharges. - Parliament set a timetable for amendments and agreed to a clause-by-clause debate expected on Feb. 23, with the bill potentially reaching a House vote as early as Feb. 25. - The federal court has adjourned a class action and other legal disputes are paused pending the outcome of parliamentary debate. Summary: If passed as written, supporters of the challenges say the bill could retroactively change how benefits were calculated and affect existing lawsuits and claims. Parliamentary debate is scheduled in late February, and the legal disputes are currently adjourned or paused pending the parliamentary outcome.