Age 65 CPP Clawback-Parliament

As a retired Canadian Forces member, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who supported Bill C-201.

For those who did not have the guts to show their support and those who rejected Bill C-201at the Parliamentary Committee level, shame on you! By not supporting this Bill, you proved that you value budgets and fiscal restraint more than you value to dedication and sacrifices of the members for the RCMP and the Canadian Forces.

To those who abstained from voting, you should be ashamed to show your face to the constituents in your riding. You did not fulfill your obligation to the members of the RCMP, Military, and the people of Canada when you refused to either support or reject Bill C-201.

The welfare of our RCMP and Canadian Forces veterans upon retirement should be considered honourable and deserving of whatever this country can offer to support them in their senior years. The Conservative and Liberal governments obviously do not agree or they would have voted to support Bill C-201.

At least my MP, Scott Simms, supported Bill C-201. Maybe he should be made Liberal Leader.



Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL

Medals Returned

04 June 2009Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
Governor General of CanadaRideau Hall1 Sussex DriveOttawa, OntarioK1A 0A1RENUNCIATION OF MILITARY MEDALS

My name is Robin Brentnall, a retired Sergeant of the Canadian Forces and a disabled Veteran. I am also the author of a book called A Soldiers Mask (Trafford Publishing, Victoria), a career autobiography of my life in the Canadian Forces.

I am disappointed and disheartened by the lack of support our soldiers and veterans have received when dealing with the financial and fundamental aspects of life after service. To be forced to take the action of returning my medals in order for Canadians and the Canadian Government to understand the plight of soldiers, veterans, and RCMP members, gives me grief. However, I believe it shows you and everyone who shares my concerns, that soldiers do not stop fighting, EVER. I may not be able to fight for Canada anymore, but I will never stop fighting for our soldiers, veterans, RCMP, and the wonderful citizens of this great nation.

My renunciation is based on the following actions and inactions of our Government:

- Inaction on the SISIP Claw Back, which reduces an injured veterans ability to live in
relative comfort, forcing most to work at low paying jobs to make ends meet.
Unfortunately, I cannot work and this has caused me to lose $1800 per month from my
Disability Insurance under SISIP (Manulife), funds that are clawed back due to my DVA,
CPP, and my military pension.

- Inaction on the CPP Claw Back, reducing a veteran's military pension once they start to
receive CPP. Members of Parliament do not suffer this indignity and their pension is not reduced. This has caused me to lose $1000 per month, funds that are clawed back due to my military pension.

- The Minister of National Defence, Peter MacKay, voted against fixing the CPP
Clay Back, Bill C-201.

- The Minister of Veterans Affairs, Greg Thompson, voted against fixing the CPP
Claw Back, Bill C-201.

- The Canadian Forces, on 01 April 2006, ordered it's Doctors (both military and civilian) not to provide any letter, opinion, or support to the soldier when dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs, virtually making if nearly impossible for a soldier to get compensation for an injury. Doctors were, however, still required to complete all of the paperwork for SISIP and CPP applications. DVA Pensions could be dealt with in-house but the other two dealt with civilian insurance companies and other government departments who refused to allow only a medical file as a medical opinion. Both in turn would be clawed back and changes to the Pension Act would be the only way the government would lose any funds to veterans, changes they were not planning to support.

- The Department of Veterans Affairs has become a quagmire of red tape, causing veterans and soldiers more grief than necessary. Many just walk away without fighting, more are too ill and injured to fight. I have been fighting DVA for nearly three years and only recently was approved for my injuries, even though I still have not received any compensation. CPP has determined that I qualify as 100% disabled. This was due to my doctor being able to support and give written opinion as to my limitations, something that she was not allowed to do for DVA.

If at any time I feel the Government of Canada is once again supporting our soldiers, veterans, and RCMP, I would feel proud to wear my medals once more. I would appreciate it if you would keep my medals in a safe place and allow them to be returned to me upon my request.

I worked hard to earn my medals. My Wife and Daughter are very upset that I have been forced to make this protest and send my medals back but support me in my actions. I know that my example will be understood by many others one day.

Yours in service,



Robin Brentnall, CD

DVA Complaint

Mr. Simms,

It has been nearly 3 years since I suffered a stroke due to medications prescribed and administered by my psychiatrist (who failed to monitor my blood pressure and changed medications without observing the medical practices required by the drug's manufacturer and standard medical practices) and stress involved with my Service at the time due to a Major Depression.

To date, I have not been compensated for the stroke and have had to fight tooth and nail to get the hypertension recognized by DVA as a result of my Service to my country. I was denied claim for the stroke 2 times, the 3rd time they agreed that it was claimable due to being caused by hypertension but changed to name from stroke to Atherosclerosis.

The Hypertension claim was originally denied but overturned due to a letter from another psychiatrist who worked with the first psychiatrist, pointing out the mistakes made by the first psychiatrist who treated me and the known side affects of the medications prescribed.

DVA changed the name/claim for my stroke to Atherosclerosis, without consulting me. The medication for Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) Zocor was denied by DVA, causing me to have to prove it was required by seeing a doctor and getting a letter stating that it was a required drug to fight Atherosclerosis. I don't know why DVA changed to name of the claim but the St. John's office said it was probably to assist me with any other claims I may have due to hypertension/cholesterol. I believe it was to minimize my claim. We will see.

I need your help with the following:

Please find out why I have been waiting so long, where my stroke claim is exactly, the percentage that Dr. Higgins (DVA doctor St. John's) stated I was disabled (CPP has deemed me to be 100% disabled), and why it has taken so long to approve my medication Zocor (it's been nearly 5 weeks).

DVA Ombudsman has not given me any answers even though I have complained to them several times.

This is not the first time I have contacted you with regards to this problem but I do expect it will be the last. Thanks again for your help.

Unfortunately, this is a fight that nearly all of our Soldiers and Veterans are fighting, being cheated out of the very support that our government so proudly states they are giving in their banner Support Our Troops. Please help me and in doing so, help others in the same situation.

COMPENSATION RECEIVED

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Good Morning Mr. Simms,

I would like to inform you that I have received a positive return on the compensation request from the Department of Veterans Affairs for my Hypertension and Stroke. The Hypertension claim was rated at 5% and the Stroke claim has to be evaluated by a DVA Doctor to determine my limitations before a percentage can be decided on. This process has taken over two years after repeated "Claim Denied" letters from DVA and barring further delays, I should have a decision on the Stroke compensation within 6 months.

Both claims were finally approved based on new evidence. The new evidence that turned the tide in my favour was a letter submitted by my Military Doctor, which was against Canadian Forces Health Services Group rules, and I am now convinced that if the Canadian Forces ordered it's doctor's to provided a statement, letter, or opinion to the Adjudicator's at DVA, there would be very few "Claim Denied" letters sent to our hard working, dedicated soldiers.

I would like to thank you, Fred Cuff, and Peter Stoffer for your support to my case. If there is anything that can be done to make changes to the current system to enable our injured soldiers greater satisfaction and quicker compensation for their claims, I would be more than willing to share my experiences and findings with a Board of Inquiry or similar investigation.

Once again, thank you.

-- Robin Brentnall

COMPENSATION RECEIVED

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After 16 months, a Review Hearing (which reversed the Claim Denied status of my compensation claim to 5/5ths fault of my service), I finally got compensation for Carpul Tunnel Syndrome. I got the standard 5 percent.

I was also compensated for Anxiety (Major Depressive Order) after my Doctor, against Canadian Forces Health Services Group policy, forwarded my state of affairs to Veterans Affairs. When you consider most of the increase in my depression and anxiety was due to the run around I was getting from Veterans Affairs in the first place, I think the compensation was fair.

I probably would not have applied for either of these two conditions had Veterans Affairs dealt with my serious claims of Hypertension and Stroke in the first place, it only stands to reason that they could have saved themselves some extra time and money by dealing with our soldiers and veterans properly the first time. Instead, they refused to take the time to contact my doctor because they knew Military Doctors were ordered not to assist our soldiers with compensation claims.

Now I need the other two very serious, career ending, compensation claims dealt with. I have already been approved to receive SISIP (Manulife disability) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) which in itself is almost impossible to get, but both applications are done by the Military Doctor, unlike Veterans Affairs who are happy to receive as little information as possible in order to deny claims and make the soldier/veteran work through the quagmire to red tape that they wrap our benefits in.

Keep fighting troops, to lay down and surrender when victory is this close at hand would be a disgrace to our uniform and our proud military tradition, not to mention those have fallen before us.

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THE STANDARD 5 PERCENT

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Well, it's been since 23 July 2008 (I applied in October 2007) but I finally got compensation for Carpul Tunnel Syndrome.

You guessed it, 5 Percent, just what I said it would be.

Now, let's see what I get for Hypertension and Stroke. It better be more than that!