Lying in a hospital bed, and just starting to comprehend losing both his legs in a Taliban ambush, Canadian Major Mark Campbell found out the federal government had stripped his lifetime military pension, according to journalist Tamsyn Burgmann in an article published by Canadian Press Thursday (December 4).
“I expected to just move off into the twilight and retire, but unfortunately it’s just like the clichè out of a Hollywood movie,” he said describing the end of 33-years of service after a final tour in Afghanistan.
“I come home and I find that, honestly, the biggest battle I’ve ever faced in my entire life is here at home against my very own government.”
Campbell is one of seven plaintiffs attempting to sue the federal government for drastic changes to the Canadian Forces compensation regime.
Federal government lawyers are now before the highest court in the province of British Columbia, appealing a lower court decision to allow the class-action suit to proceed.
Inside the court, reports Burgmann, “government lawyer Paul Vickery told a three-judge panel the appeal was necessary because the soldiers’ claims could negatively impact fundamental democratic principles.”
Campbell’s case was brought up in the Question Period in the House of Commons on Thursday
More information:
Canadian Press/ Tamsyn Burgmann – Class-action against government ‘biggest battle’ of his life: disabled war vet – here
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