FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees

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FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
SUMMER 2019
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                                                                           Promises, promises
                                                                           PAGE 12

                                                                           Target: Seniors – How
                                                                           to recognize and avoid
                                                                           scams aimed at seniors
                                                                           PAGE 16

FALLING
THROUGH
THE CRACKS
Improvements in the
system still leave big gaps
for female veterans
PAGE 6

Former CAF flight surgeon Dr. Karen Breeck

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FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
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FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
ASSOCIATION

ADVOCACY
IS OUR STRENGTH
You are our best recruiter
JEAN-GUY SOULIÈRE

The raison d’être of our association is advocacy, to advocate for the
protection of our pensions and benefits specifically, and for issues of
importance for seniors in general. The question that many members
ask is: Does advocacy really work? The simple answer is yes.

In the past, this association advocated          that is constantly acknowledged when we
for full indexation of our superannuation,       meet with MPs and government officials.
for the establishment of a dental plan for       We are now organizing our strategy for the
                                                                                                    National Association of Federal Retirees
pensioners, and full membership in the           2019 federal elections. There are many other
                                                                                                    president Jean-Guy Soulière.
governance of the Public Service Health          examples of the success of our advocacy
Care Plan. Our advocacy efforts were             efforts, so yes, advocacy works.
successful. More recently, in collaboration                                                      Our advocacy direction is based on our
with other seniors groups, bargaining            Our efforts, however, could be more             vision, mission, values, and strategic
agents, and retirees organizations such          influential if our membership were to           plan. It is developed from the bottom up,
as the Canadian Coalition for Pension            include all federal retirees from the federal   from the needs and requirements of our
Income Security, we have been successful         public service, the Canadian Armed Forces,      members, which are interpreted by our
in having the government back off from           and the RCMP. In politics, numbers count        board of directors and then developed into
Bill C-27, which would have changed the          and the more members we have, the more          a plan of action. Our national office has a
pension landscape in the country and             influence we can exercise. Our members,         professional and knowledgeable advocacy
introduced a threat to our defined-benefit       and seniors in general, vote proportionally     team that co-ordinates our efforts and
pension plans.                                   more than any other group — a fact              provides guidance to our volunteers.
                                                 candidates know.                                Those of you who are volunteers have
Federal Retirees was the lead organization
                                                                                                 already started to receive information on
in placing pressure on the government to         One of the most effective advocacy
                                                                                                 our 2019 election strategy. For members
develop a seniors strategy, including the        touch points is at the local level, which
                                                                                                 at large, please consult federalretirees.ca
re-establishment of a minister responsible       highlights the importance of our branches.
                                                                                                 regularly where you will be able to
for seniors. Last summer, the government         Many times when I meet MPs in Ottawa,
                                                                                                 appreciate our advocacy in action.
announced the establishment of a minister        they refer to the meetings they had with
of seniors. We have met with Minister            Federal Retirees representatives in their       There are many reasons for being a
Filomena Tassi on a few occasions, including     constituency. Our advocacy efforts are          member of our Association, but never
our recent Vibrant Voices lobby day initiative   successful because, across the country,         forget that because of our effective
at which she hosted a reception and              we are consistent with our messages and         advocacy, your membership is the best
acknowledged our contributions. During           our mission. Our volunteers are the key         insurance protection of your benefits.
the 2015 elections, Federal Retirees was         to this effective advocacy, and I encourage     We need to increase our membership and
particularly active across the country, a fact   you to get involved.                            each one of you is our best recruiter. p

                                                                                                                 federalretirees.ca SAGE       I   3
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
6
                                                                                                        12

                                                                                                                                                PUBLISHER
                                                                                                                                 Andrew McGillivary, Director,
                                                                                                                            Communications, Marketing and Recruitment
                                                                                                                                                  EDITOR
                                                                                                                                               Gail J. Cohen
                                                                                                                                       PUBLICATIONS MANAGER
                                                                                                                                              Karen Ruttan
                                                                                                                                       EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR
                                                                                                                                              Alex Charette
                                                                                                                                             CONTRIBUTORS
                                                                                                                         Elizabeth Thompson, Kathryn May, Helen Burnett-

                                                                                                    18                   Nichols, Patrick Imbeau, Jessica Searson, Candace
                                                                                                                             Jazvac, Marg Bruineman, Sandi Krasowski
                                                                                                                                        TRANSLATION SERVICES
                                                                                                                                   Annie Bourret, Sandra Pronovost,
CONTENTS                                                                                                                            Claire Garvey, Lionel Raymond
                                                                                                                                            GRAPHIC DESIGN
                                                                                                                                   The Blondes – Branding & Design

    3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE                                 27 HEALTH CHECK                                                                       PRINTING
                                                                                                                                              Dollco Printing
                                                                    A palliative care framework
    5 DEAR SAGE                                                     for Canada JESSICA SEARSON
                                                                                                                            SAGE EDITORIAL CONSULTATION COMMITTEE

    6 ALONG GENDER LINES                                  28 ADVOCACY IN ACTION
                                                                                                                              Roy Goodall, Rick Brick, Cynthia Foreman,
                                                                                                                                  James Nicholson, Megan Williams
        The government is addressing individual                     Election 2019: What’s your
        problems for female veterans but lacks a                    priority? CANDACE JAZVAC                               Letters to the Editor or to contact the National
        systemic, top-down overhaul of Veterans                                                                                    Association of Federal Retirees:
        Affairs programs ELIZABETH THOMPSON               30 MEET THE ADVOCACY PROGRAM                                        865 Shefford Road, Ottawa, ON K1J 1H9
                                                                                                                                       sage@federalretirees.ca
                                                                    OFFICERS
12 PROMISES, PROMISES                                               MARG BRUINEMAN
                                                                                                                              Sage Magazine is produced under licence.
        Have the Liberals lived up to all they promised
        in ministerial mandate letters? KATHRYN MAY       33 JUST GETTING STARTED                                              Publication # 40065047 ISSN 2292-7166

                                                                    The real work started after retirement                         Return undeliverable copies to:
18 TARGET: SENIORS                                                  for newly minted MPP Judith Monteith-                      National Association of Federal Retirees
        Scams aimed at older Canadians are                          Farrell SANDI KRASOWSKI                                    865 Shefford Road, Ottawa ON K1J 1H9
        sophisticated but there are telltale ways
        to spot them HELEN BURNETT-NICHOLS                34 THE LATEST NEWS                                               For subscriptions or information on advertising
                                                                                                                               in Sage, please contact Karen Ruttan at
21 LEAVE YOUR WORRIES BEHIND                              37 WE WANT YOU!                                                               613.745.2559, ext. 256
        The benefits of guided travel                               Volunteer opportunities with the
                                                                                                                                    Cover price $4.95 per issue
                                                                    National Association of Federal Retirees
23 CRUISES: WHAT YOU SHOULD                                                                                                   Member subscription is $5.40 per year,
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        KNOW BEFORE YOU SET SAIL                          38 YOUR BRANCH IN BRIEF                                           Non-member subscription is $14.80 per year
                                                                                                                            Non-members contact National Association
24 VETERANS CORNER                                        44 CROSS CANADA ROUNDUP                                              of Federal Retirees for subscriptions
        New Veterans Ombudsman scopes
        out next five years                               45 IN MEMORIAM                                                       All content in Sage magazine — including
                                                                                                                            financial, medical and health-related opinions
25 FROM THE PENSION DESK                                  46 WE’RE HERE TO SERVE YOU!                                           — is for information only and in no way
                                                                                                                                 replaces the advice of a professional.
        Women in retirement     PATRICK IMBEAU

COVER PHOTO Former CAF flight surgeon Dr. Karen Breeck.   Photo: Jana Chytil

4   I    SAGE    SUMMER 2019 VOL. 22                                                        We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada
                                                                                             Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
ASSOCIATION

                                               One case in point, on patrol near Lindsay,       The Canadian Patented Drug Pricing
                                               Ont., a man driving erratically on clear         Review Board (PMPRB) is currently

  DEAR SAGE                                    roads in broad daylight skidded off into the
                                               ditch in front of me. I got out to help him in
                                                                                                drafting new legislation to significantly
                                                                                                force drug companies to lower their
  Keep those letters and emails coming,        case he was hurt but he was impaired and         pricing on new drugs. One example is
  folks. Our mailing address is:               found transporting a considerable amount         the new drug Luspatercept. It is the first
                                               of illegal marijuana. My partner and I had       drug ever developed for certain types of
  National Association of Federal Retirees,    to wrestle his keys from him to stop him         myelodysplasia (bone marrow failure).
  865 Shefford Road, Ottawa, ON, K1J 1H9       from taking off and ensure he did not get        The maker, Celgene, now owned by
  Or you can email us at                       back on the road and have a much more            Bristol-Myers Squibb, is currently seeking
  sage@federalretirees.ca                      serious accident.                                fast-track approval in the United States and
                                                                                                European Union to sell it. It has no plans
                                               3) Growing up in the late ’60s I saw far
                                                                                                at present to seek approval for its use in
                                               too many high school friends who started
                                                                                                Canada — maybe waiting to see what kind
Note that letters have been edited             using this drug and ended up graduating
                                                                                                of regulations the PMPRB comes up with.
for grammar and length.                        to serious hard drugs that basically ruined
                                                                                                In the meantime, plans to significantly
                                               their lives.
                                                                                                reduce the cost of new drugs may be
I just received a survey request about
                                               4) Medical marijuana use is not scientifically   holding patients in a stalemate between
dental plans and will fill out same, but
                                               proven. The Canadian Medical Association         the drug companies and the PMPRB.
I am waiting for the survey as promised
                                               itself has come out publicly against
on Cannabis ads in Sage. Just in case                                                           If there is to be a national pharmacare
                                               Canadian doctors prescribing this drug
I missed it here is my opinion.                                                                 program, it needs a special program
                                               for medicine.
                                                                                                embedded in it to cover specialty drugs for
Really, the placing of cannabis ads
                                               In closing, if Sage is so hard up for            rare disorders. It should recognize the above
in Sage should not happen for the
                                               advertising revenue, just increase our           issues or new drugs for rare disorders may
following reasons:
                                               dues by a few dollars. I would much rather       never make it to the Canadian market.
1) Sage does not place ads for alcohol         not have to see this industry get any
                                                                                                Gwen Barry
or tobacco, and cannabis should be             positive exposure in our national magazine.
                                                                                                Lower Sackville, N.S.
treated the same. We do not want our
                                               Brett Hodsdon
national retirees organization to promote
                                               Ottawa
any potentially addictive, unhealthy, and
                                                                                                I refer to the letter to the editor from Paul
mind-altering products in a national           Your sentiments are shared by many,
                                                                                                Fast in your spring 2019 issue. His point
magazine for seniors. Smoking anything         so we have decided not to proceed
                                                                                                about over-packaging of Sage magazine
is unhealthy and promoting drug use in         with the survey.
                                                                                                is a good one, but so was your response
edibles is equally bad. Note the recent
                                                                                                that you’re not yet ready to move to an
incident in Canada where a bunch
                                                                                                all-electronic distribution approach. An
of seniors unknowingly ate brownies            (Re: National pharmacare and significantly
                                                                                                alternative worth considering is to do what
containing cannabis at a buffet and ended      reducing the cost of new drugs)
                                                                                                many organizations and associations do
up in hospital, not to mention the countless
                                               It was mentioned in the spring 2019              these days with their news piece: offer
stories I have read about pets and children
                                               issue that reducing the cost of drugs will       electronic distribution/access to those that
eating the stuff by accident with similar
                                               be an intricate part of any new national         request it and continue to mail a hard copy
trips required to the vet and hospital.
                                               pharmacare program. This can be bad              to those that don’t. That way you’ll use less
2) A very substantial cohort of your           news, and yes, even death for those of us        paper (and less plastic) and save money in
subscribers are, like me, retired law          who have rare disorders. Drugs for rare          mailing costs — hard to beat!
enforcement officers, RCMP, and military       disorders automatically mean higher prices
                                                                                                Bruce Keith
police, who spent years arresting people       due to a small market. How else can drug
                                                                                                Canmore, Alta.
for illegal drug use and saw first-hand the    companies recoup the billions they spend
types of people involved, who were very        in research and clinical trials, and have a      Your letter is a perfect reminder
often committing other criminal acts,          sufficient amount of money left over for         to invite members to contact
which led to them being searched and           their shareholders? And yes, ‘How much           service@federalretirees.ca to arrange
found with illegal drugs such as cannabis.     profit is enough?’ is a valid question.          for electronic delivery of Sage.

                                                                                                                 federalretirees.ca SAGE   I   5
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
FEATURE

                      ALONG
GENDER
LINES
The government is addressing
individual problems for female
veterans but lacks a systemic,
top-down overhaul of Veterans
Affairs programs
ELIZABETH THOMPSON

Sitting in a restaurant in downtown Ottawa, Dr. Karen Breeck still                          women started doing jobs that in the past
                                                                                            had been reserved for men. In recent years,
has to pause and compose herself when she’s asked about her
                                                                                            those early waves of women have been
transition from military to civilian life 10 years ago. One phone call                      joining the ranks of Canada’s veterans.
was all it took. Suddenly, her 20-year career as a flight surgeon with                      Just as the military had to adapt to women,
the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) was over. “I’m not sure I want to                           making changes to things like equipment
                                                                                            designed for men, now it’s Veterans Affairs
talk about that,” she says. “It was bad. I wish I had access to all the
                                                                                            Canada (VAC) that is being called on to
great programs that are available now for military members.”                                adapt transition programs and provide aid
                                                                                            to women. Some of the special needs are
Canada has begun to improve its military        Women first entered the Canadian            medical — incontinence from carrying
transition and veterans program in recent       military decades ago but things changed     heavy knapsacks, exposure to environmental
years and it is better now than when            significantly in 1989 when the government   toxins, infertility, military sexual trauma,
Breeck left the military. But there are still   opened most military occupations to         damage from equipment such as pilots
gaps in the programs available when it comes    women. The number of female members         helmets that work well for men but are
to the particular needs of women veterans.      of the armed forces began to rise and       so heavy they strain women’s necks.

6    I   SAGE   SUMMER 2019 VOL. 22
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
FEATURE

Others are more psychological or societal           But Eichler says things have begun to          from military to civilian life. That is very
— homelessness, suicide, lower incomes              change. “I think we’re seeing more interest    different from past practice, she says.
than their male colleagues, lack of                 in the subject mostly because of [former       “It was not something that was ever
counselling groups specifically for                 Supreme Court of Canada justice Marie]         spoken about. People just left the military,
female veterans.                                    Deschamps’ report, for example. That has       they were out within 30 days and they
                                                    really brought the issue of the experiences    were just gone.”
A paper prepared for the Library of
                                                    of female veterans and of military sexual
Parliament by analyst Isabelle Lafontaine-                                                         One of the earliest female graduates of
                                                    trauma survivors to the forefront, so the
Émond says two groups have lower                                                                   the Royal Military College, Jardine, 55,
                                                    military has been taking the issue more
employment rates and bigger drops in                                                               served with the army’s Royal Corps of
                                                    seriously. We have also seen more female
income once they leave the military: those                                                         Mechanical and Electrical Engineers
                                                    veterans organizing and creating their own
who are medically released and female                                                              and had 37 years of service, including a
                                                    peer-support groups, and then we have seen
veterans. “Three years after they were                                                             year in Afghanistan. She was medically
                                                    a lot more research attention to the issue.”
released, women had a total income
21-per-cent lower than what they had                Among those paying more attention is the
made in the military, while men had exactly         current Liberal government, which has
the same income,” she wrote. “Average               set a goal of increasing the percentage of     “Researchers studying
earnings three years post-release were              women in the military from the current          gender mainstreaming
51-per-cent lower for women, compared               level of 15 to 25 per cent by 2025. It says
with a 34-per-cent decline for men.”                it’s aware of the problem and wants to          in the military believe
                                                    improve things for the women who have
The paper says different approaches
                                                    served their country.
                                                                                                    that gender-blind policies
are needed for women and for
men. “Researchers studying gender                   Alex Wellstead, press secretary to Veterans
                                                                                                    result in discriminatory
mainstreaming in the military believe that          Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay, says        outcomes and make life
gender-blind policies result in discriminatory      the government planned a Women Veterans
outcomes and make life more difficult for           Forum in May to hear from women serving         more difficult for women
women than it has to be.”                           in the military and female veterans about
                                                    the problem of gender-specific injuries and
                                                                                                    than it has to be.”
Maya Eichler, an assistant professor at Mount
                                                    how they can result in inequality in their
Saint Vincent University in Halifax, who has
                                                    care and the benefits they receive.
researched the transition from military to
                                                                                                   Photo: Jana Chytil

civilian life, says gender blindness is one thing   “The focus of the Women Veterans
the old veterans system and the new veterans        Forum is to hear directly from female
charter adopted in 2006 have in common.             veterans about their experiences and
“We’re trying to address these unique needs         to get their ideas on how to best develop
of female veterans but both VAC and CAF             policies and programs that meet their
and DND (Department of National Defence)            specific needs,” Wellstead explains.
have operated as if gender is not a relevant        “The main goal is to leave the forum
category for so long there’s a long legacy to       with concrete ideas on how to move
overcome here in terms of thinking about            forward: how does VAC continue to
female veterans‘ specific needs.”                   better engage with the female veteran
                                                    population? What are the priorities for
In the absence of action from the military
                                                    female veterans that can be worked on
and government, the charitable sector has
                                                    in the short, medium, and long term?
stepped in to fill some of the gaps, says
                                                    While VAC programs are designed to
Eichler. “The first programs we saw for
                                                    help the unique needs of all veterans,
women were, for example, through the
                                                    we recognize that there is more to be
Veterans Transition Network. They were one
                                                    done for female veterans.”
of the first groups to offer female-specific
services. And, of course, there has been a          Col. Nishika Jardine is one of those who has
development of peer support with groups             benefited from the military’s new transition                        As a military doctor, Dr. Karen Breeck knows
                                                                                                                        the health challenges unique to female
as well but that wasn’t government driven           program, which gives members of the
                                                                                                                        members of the military.
— that was from the charitable sector.”             military a six-month period to help move

                                                                                                                                     federalretirees.ca SAGE     I     7
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
FEATURE

                                                                                                                                      Medical care is also on the mind of

                                                                                                             Photo: Nishika Jardine
                                         Photo: Ken Lin

                                                                                                                                      Capt. Kate Pentney, a pilot who will
                                                                                                                                      leave the military in the fall with spinal
                                                                                                                                      cord damage as a result of her service.
                                                                                                                                      “I would like someone to manage my
                                                                                                                                      care. I would like a single point that
                                                                                                                                      manages all of my specialists, all of my
                                                                                                                                      prescriptions, all of my care and make
                                                                                                                                      sure that I don’t OD or things like that.”

                                                                                                                                      Pentney has been told her condition
                                                                                                                                      will get worse with time and has been
                                                                                                                                      modifying her home to prepare for the
                                                                                                                                      future. However, she says she could use
                                                                                                                                      more help with childcare. “I think Veterans
                                                                                                                                      Affairs is going to take really good care
                                                                                                                                      of me. They know that I’m broken. They
                                                                                                                                      know that I’m coming.”

                                                                                                                                      However, Pentney says the transition
                                                                                                                                      program isn’t as well adapted as it could
                                                                                                                                      be for people in her situation. She says the
                                                                                                                                      program focuses on preparing for civilian
                                                                                                                                      jobs while she knows she is not likely to
                                                                                                                                      work again. “It has been rough.”

                                                                                                                                      As a military doctor, Breeck, who joined the
                                                                                                                                      National Association of Federal Retirees
                                                                                                                                      in 2009, has seen first-hand some of
Former Snowbird Karen Breeck says the government          Col. Nishika Jardine says the military's
                                                                                                                                      the health challenges that are unique to
has moved to address individual problems for female       transition program could be improved to                                     female members of the military. “Women,
veterans but there needs to be a more systemic,           help people like her translate their military                               statistically, are being hurt and injured at a
top-down overhaul of veterans programs.                   experience into civilian CVs.
                                                                                                                                      higher rate than men. We’re being medically
                                                                                                                                      released at a higher rate than men. It’s
                                                                                                                                      taking longer for VAC to make decisions
  released in May. “I’m broken, I suppose.                  Jardine is looking for a job as an executive
                                                                                                                                      about claims from women.” Among the
  Military service seems to be harder                       or as a leadership coach but says the
                                                                                                                                      problems are infertility, miscarriages,
  on women. I think it just breaks our                      transition program could be improved
                                                                                                                                      stillbirths, stress incontinence, chemical
  bodies more.”                                             when it comes to helping people like
                                                                                                                                      exposure, repetitive injury, musculoskeletal
                                                            her translate their military experience
                                                                                                                                      problems, military sexual trauma, and post-
  Six months before her release, Jardine                    into civilian CVs.
                                                                                                                                      traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  was transferred to a transition centre that
                                                            Finding a civilian doctor after years of being
  allowed her to remain as part of the military                                                                                       For women who need counselling, Breeck
                                                            able to rely on military doctors is another
  family while she prepared for civilian life.                                                                                        says female veterans either end up lumped
                                                            challenge, notes Jardine. “Just at the point
  During that time, Jardine remained at full                                                                                          into groups with male colleagues or told
                                                            where my medical needs are ramping up
  pay and had the option of going to school,                                                                                          to join groups designed for the civilian
                                                            because I’m being released for medical
  finding a job, or to “do whatever I needed to                                                                                       wives of military officers. However, female
                                                            reasons and I’m now middle aged and I
  do to get myself started on my new civilian                                                                                         members of the military don’t really fit into
                                                            need a family doctor, I can’t find one and
  life. I had a lot of support. The transition                                                                                        either group. “We know peer groups matter.
                                                            it is so difficult to go around to doctor’s
  centre was excellent. I had a nurse case                                                                                            We know group therapy matters. We know
                                                            offices and basically beg.”
  manager who guided me through all the                                                                                               most men, for group therapy, do better
  medical stuff and how to connect in with                  “If the government could do one thing for                                 in mixed genders. Women do better in
  Veterans Affairs and get my disability claims             military people, it would be to help them                                 women-only environments. They need
  in. I had a lot of help for that.”                        find a family doctor.”                                                    the safe space.”

  8    I   SAGE   SUMMER 2019 VOL. 22
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
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    Learn more: veterans.gc.ca/pensionforlife       Apprenez-en plus : veterans.gc.ca/pensionavie
                             1-866-522-2122         1-866-522-2022
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS - National Association of Federal Retirees
FEATURE

Breeck says there have also been                                                                                                                veterans programs. “They were designed by
problems in communication between                                                                                                               men, for men, about men — so whenever
the armed forces and Veterans Affairs
                                                                     “If the government                                                         women have had issues along the way, we
when it comes to which one is supposed                                could do one thing for                                                    have to, from the bottom up, come up with
to deal with a problem or medical                                                                                                               those solutions.”
problems that may be service related.                                 military people, it would
                                                                                                                                                By comparison, in the United States female
“We keep ending up with women who
are not quite put back together.”
                                                                      be to help them find a                                                    veterans are more organized and the

                                                                      family doctor.”                                                           government has put more in place to help
                                                                                                                                                them, says Breeck. “If you look at the U.S.,
Sometimes female veterans only find out
about a longer-term problem after leaving
                                                                       – Col. Nishika Jardine                                                   they’ve got the office of women’s health in
                                                                                                                                                the military but also in [Veterans Affairs]. If
the military. Breeck says doctors don’t
                                                                                                                                                I’m a female and as a veteran in the U.S.,
necessarily have the training to tell whether
                                                                       Breeck says female veterans are more likely                              if I think I have something that’s female
things like infertility could be related to
                                                                       to be single, a single parent, or married                                related, could it be related? Is my infertility
workplace exposure to chemicals. “Military
                                                                       to another member of the military —                                      related to service? They have an actual
or civilian, our health-care providers don’t
                                                                       which means their spouse isn’t as free to                                1-800 number that I can call to. I’ve got
have the awareness even if you found the
                                                                       advocate for their needs the same way a                                  resources. I’ve got research.”
right person who did the right research,
                                                                       civilian spouse can. “Then if we have left
got the right doc to say, yes, I’ll support                                                                                                     In the end, Breeck hopes the experience
                                                                       and we’re broken a lot of us are alone and
that, it then goes into VAC and VAC has no                                                                                                      of those who have already served and can
                                                                       single. You don’t have the energy to fight.”
women’s health office and no women’s                                                                                                            now talk about their experiences will lead
health [subject matter experts], which is                              Breeck says the government has moved                                     to improvements for those who follow in
why, to me, the women’s claims are taking                              to address individual problems for female                                their footsteps. “It’s not even about us,”
much longer because nobody knows what                                  veterans as they arise but what is lacking                               says Breeck. “We want to make it better
to do about them.”                                                     is a more systemic, top-down overhaul of                                 for the next generation.” p

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FEATURE

PROMISES,
  PROMISES
                               The Liberal government has a
                            system in place to measure if it’s
                             living up to the marching orders
                            the PM gave to cabinet ministers
                                                   KATHRYN MAY

Senior bureaucrat Matthew Mendelsohn has stayed in the shadows                                 done. The idea of open mandate letters,
                                                                                               based very heavily on the [election]
as Canada’s first chief deliveryman, but as the election approaches
                                                                                               platform, create a very clear sense of
the spotlight will turn on his “results and delivery” unit to see how                          the government mandate.”
many of the Trudeau government’s promises came true.
                                                                                               In the letters, Trudeau told his ministers
A first stop will be the mandate letters Prime      But Mendelsohn says the public release     he expected them to “track and report”
Minister Justin Trudeau sent to each of his         of these letters, along with the online    on their commitments and “over the course
cabinet ministers. They laid out ministers’         “mandate tracker,” which monitors          of our four-year mandate I expect us to
marching orders and the governing plan for          ministers’ progress on achieving the       deliver on all our commitments.” Trudeau
the next four years. Until Trudeau, these ritual    commitments outlined in those letters,     clearly wants to go to the polls in October
letters to ministers were secret, not even          are crucial for “transparency, driving     with as many of those commitments
deputy ministers were supposed to see them.         accountability and helping to get things   checked off as “completed or fully met.”

12    I   SAGE   SUMMER 2019 VOL. 22
FEATURE

The original 2015 mandate letters gave              of government, so tax dollars would be better
ministers 289 tasks, but that list has since        spent and targeted to provide better care.
swelled to 432. The government has had four                                                             “Seniors, the largest growing
                                                    Dr. Samir Sinha, one of the architects of a
cabinet shuffles with new mandate letters
                                                    proposed national seniors’ strategy, says            demographic in the country,
that reflected new priorities in the wake of
an opioid crisis, a crashing federal payroll
                                                    mandate letters reveal the government’s              absolutely should have a
                                                    direction and values. Those are strong signals
system, a flood of migrants at the border,
and, of course, the election of U.S. President
                                                    for advocates to align parts of a national           dedicated voice advocating
                                                    seniors’ strategy with a minister’s mandate.
Donald Trump, which helped add another
                                                    “I see them as a starting point and we looked
                                                                                                         for their unique needs
143 priorities to ministers’ to-do list. With the
pre-election goodies announced in Finance
                                                    through them to see what aligns with the             within cabinet…”
                                                    strategy.” He notes the strategy’s research
Minister Bill Morneau’s federal budget in                                                               – Jean-Guy Soulière
                                                    and evidence became key when then-health
March, the tracker indicated the government
                                                    minister Jane Philpott was negotiating
had fulfilled 47 per cent of original promises;
                                                    the health accord with provinces and tied
dropping to a 37-per-cent completion rate
                                                    $6 billion of the Canada Health Transfer to         hospitals because they don’t have the
for the 432 commitments.
                                                    home care. He also says politicians shouldn’t       integrated care in their communities
Critics have dismissed the mandate                  be assailed for backing down on pledges             that would help them live independently.
tracker as politically self-serving and self-       in mandate letters if the evidence doesn’t          They need community-care programs,
congratulatory, but the biggest complaint is        support them or could end up causing harm.          home care, nursing-home care, long-term
there are too many priorities. Four or five                                                             facilities, and hospitals to work together.
                                                    The upcoming election will be the first in
clear, high-profile priorities are manageable                                                           Informal caregivers also need recognition
                                                    which the concerns of older Canadians and
“but 432 means everything is a priority,” says                                                          and support to address the financial and
                                                    a national seniors’ strategy will be a campaign
one official. Any failures, however, leave the                                                          health challenges of caring for a loved one.
                                                    issue for all parties. Canada is the only country
Liberals wide-open to opposition attacks for                                                            But the strategy goes beyond health and
                                                    in the G-8 that doesn’t have one. There is a
breaking promises.                                                                                      must tackle poverty, financial insecurity,
                                                    growing momentum across the country for
                                                                                                        elder abuse, loneliness, and social inclusion.
Most Canadians will likely never read a             a strategy to deal with our aging population,
mandate letter nor look at the tracker, but         dominated by post-war baby boomers moving           A national strategy has the full blessing of
advocacy and lobby groups watched both              beyond age 65 and living longer.                    seniors’ advocacy groups and the Canadian
closely in their effort to sway public policy.                                                          Medical Association. Nine organizations,
                                                    Seniors advocates say a national strategy is
                                                                                                        including Federal Retirees, representing more
                                                    an issue that transcends partisan politics but
Seniors’ strategy needed                            seniors do turn out in large numbers — up to
                                                                                                        than 4 million seniors have coalesced under
A national seniors’ strategy never made it                                                              a “Vibrant Voices” banner. The seniors’
                                                    80 per cent — to vote.
into a mandate letter but is a top priority                                                             strategy concept was backed by Liberal MP
for seniors advocacy groups. The Trudeau            “Federal Retirees has long advocated for            Marc Serré’s private members bill and studied
government implemented policies that                a national seniors’ strategy that focuses           by Senate and House committees. It’s now
moved the yardstick on improving the social,        on home care, housing, and age-friendly             in the hands of a revitalized National Seniors
health and economic lives of older Canadians        community life,” says Sayward Montague,             Council, an external advisory committee,
since elected but more remains to be done.          director of advocacy for the National               to report back with recommendations.
                                                    Association of Federal Retirees. “A strategy
                                                                                                        Many were disappointed by the Liberals’
Some of those initiatives include: steps            would provide a blueprint for an integrated
                                                                                                        inattention to seniors’ issues until the
towards pharmacare; modifications to                continuum of care to meet the needs
                                                                                                        2019 budget, which finally announced a
bankruptcy legislation aiming to help               of a growing seniors population, supporting
                                                                                                        variety of pre-election goodies aimed at
pensioners; $6 billion plowed into home             a strong economy across the country
                                                                                                        older Canadians. Many of those measures,
care; $50 million into the study of dementia;       and across generations.”
                                                                                                        however, may not be implemented unless
$100 million in the New Horizons for Seniors
                                                    What it boils down to is that care for              the Liberals are re-elected.
Fund for community programs to get
                                                    Canada’s mushrooming seniors’ population
seniors involved and prevent social isolation.                                                          Laura Tamblyn Watts, the national director of
                                                    won’t get better unless it is co-ordinated.
Advocates want the federal government to                                                                law, policy, and research with the Canadian
take the lead and adopt a national strategy         Seniors are the biggest users of the                Association of Retired Persons, says the
to stitch together the patchwork of policies,       health-care system. Too many, especially            government came to power and quickly
scattered in different departments and levels       those with chronic diseases, end up in              made two big changes — reversed the

                                                                                                                       federalretirees.ca SAGE    I   13
FEATURE

                                                        Conservatives’ decision to increase               Phoenix and beyond
                                                        the eligibility age for Old Age Security to       As an employer, the Trudeau government
                                                        67 from 65 and increased the Guaranteed           has mixed reviews. It quickly took steps
                                                        Income Supplement — but did little else.          to live up to its election promise to
                                                        “They did nothing for three years. Not            restore respect to the public service
                                                        only was there no seniors’ policy, but            after a decade of Conservative cuts
                                                        there was no seniors minister.”                   and attacks. It set a conciliatory tone
                                                                                                          by unwinding Tory-era legislation that
                                                        The Liberals had four ministers responsible       many felt gutted workers’ collective
                                                        for children and youth but there wasn’t a         bargaining rights and negotiated dozens
                                                        minister for seniors until the summer of 2018     of new collective agreements for its
                                                        when Filomena Tassi was appointed. “Minister      300,000 employees.
                                                        Tassi’s appointment was a victory for seniors,”
                                                        Jean-Guy Soulière, president of the Federal       But those wins with the public service
                                                        Retirees, said at the time. “Seniors, the         were overshadowed by the lingering
                                                        largest growing demographic in the country,       Phoenix payroll disaster. After three
                                                        absolutely should have a dedicated voice          years, public servants — most of whom
                                                        advocating for their unique needs within          have been overpaid, underpaid, or not
Filomena Tassi is the first minister for seniors.
                                                        cabinet, from the beginning of a government’s     paid at all — still look at their pay every
                                                        mandate right through to the end, frankly.”       two weeks and wonder if it’s right.

       What’s been done so far
                                                                                                           increased the Guaranteed Income
                                                                                                           Supplement (GIS) and in the 2019 budget
                                                                                                           introduced the automatic enrolment into
       What the Liberals have done so far                  Home care                                       the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) of those
       in light of what advocates want as                  A big win for seniors came in the 2017          over the age of 70 who have neglected
                                                           budget, which used the Canada Health            to apply, about 40,000 people. They will
       part of a national seniors’ strategy.
                                                           Transfer to pump $6 billion into home care      also receive payments at the higher rate
                                                           over 10 years. The federal and provincial       given to those who deliberately delay
       Pharamacare                                         governments are working out agreements          collecting CPP until age 70.
       Affordable medication is a big concern for          on measuring performance and how the
       seniors and its advocates who widely support                                                        The budget also increased the GIS earnings
                                                           money will be spent.
       a universal, single-payer system. Canadians                                                         exemption for low-income seniors to $5,000
       pay the third-highest drug prices in the world                                                      from $3,500, allowing more earnings before
                                                           Dementia strategy
       for prescription drugs. Brand-name medicines                                                        GIS benefits are clawed back.
                                                           A national dementia strategy is part of
       cost on average 20-per-cent more in Canada
                                                           the seniors’ strategy and the 2019 budget
       than other advanced economies.                                                                      Workplace pensions
                                                           earmarked $50 million to the Public Health
                                                                                                           Seniors advocates have long been pressing
       The Liberals have taken steps towards               Agency of Canada over five years to
                                                                                                           for legislative changes to better protect
       pharmacare, adopting some of the initial            increase awareness; develop treatment
                                                                                                           workers’ pensions in the event of corporate
       recommendations of the advisory council             guidelines; best practices for early
                                                                                                           bankruptcies, such as the collapse of
       it created to study the implementation              diagnosis; and studying its prevalence. This
                                                                                                           Sears Canada, which left pensioners with
       of pharmacare. The council’s final report           funding will support the implementation of
                                                                                                           significantly reduced pension payments
       is expected in June. The 2019 budget                the national strategy, which was expected
                                                                                                           and no health and dental benefits.
       announced the creation of a Canadian                this spring.
       Drug Agency to manage the country’s first                                                           Firstly, some would like to see retirees
       national formulary — a list of drugs covered        Public Pensions                                 have “super priority” when companies
       regardless of ability to pay. The agency will       Improving pensions is considered key to         go bankrupt so they are the first in line
       have bulk-buying powers and lead price              seniors’ financial security and reducing        of creditors for the pension funds
       negotiations with drug companies.                   those living in poverty. The Liberals           they’ve paid into.

14    I   SAGE   SUMMER 2019 VOL. 22
FEATURE

Phoenix has already cost $1 billion              Grappling with pensions                            plans, the government would set its sights
to “stabilize” and it will be years before       Bill C-27, the politically charged pension         on the pensions of Canada’s public servants,
it is fixed. Work to find a replacement          legislation that federal workers feared            military, and RCMP.
is underway but it’s unclear when it             would create a dangerous precedent in the          Morneau was cleared of the conflict allegations
will be ready. The 2019 budget offered           pension landscape, seems to have died as           but the bill stalled and never moved past
no money for a new system. In early              quietly as it appeared more than two years         first reading. Unions suspect the government
May, unions and the government reached           ago. Finance Minister Bill Morneau found           simply let it die because of the political grief
a deal over damages to compensate                himself accused of conflict interest over the      caused and heavy lobbying by labour and
employees and retirees for hardships             proposed legislation, which the opposition         retirees, who still want the bill withdrawn.
faced for not getting paid on time and           alleged would benefit his family business,
properly. Retirees will get paid leave           Morneau Shepell. The bill would have               “Our members have worked together to stop
for the years they worked, which they            allowed federally regulated employers and          moves like Bill C-27 and policy that would put
can take in cash, plus any damage claims         Crown corporations to set up target-benefit        retirement security at risk for many Canadians,
they have for the third tier of the deal.        pension plans — where benefits would no            and this is the result of our collective strength,”
They are also in tense contract talks with       longer be guaranteed and, therefore, shift         says Soulière. “But we know that retirement
unions that could drag into the election.        risk — instead of defined-benefit plans.           security is at risk in our current environment,
Luckily, pensions have been largely                                                                 so we’ll be working to make sure our next
unaffected due to quick strategy from            The bill sparked a furor among federal             government, whatever its political stripe,
the Pension Centre to prevent polluted           unions and retirees who feared if Crown            makes retirement security a priority for
pay data infecting pensions.                     corporations converted to target-benefit           current and next generations of retirees.”

Second, a pooled-risk insurance fund should     issue is loosening the rules for Registered      Age-friendly cities
be created to make up for shortfalls of         Retirement Income Funds (RRIF) requiring         and communities
underfunded pensions should employers           those over 71 to withdraw from their RRIFs.      Seniors advocates say cities need to be
go out of business or are unable to pay         The 2019 budget introduced advanced              accessible for an aging population with
retirement benefits in full. This requires an   life annuities, allowing seniors to withdraw     better legislation that makes workplaces and
amendment to the Income Tax Act to allow        25 per cent of their RRIFs, to help seniors      homes more accessible. They also call for
employers with defined-contribution plans       worried about outliving their savings            minimum standards in the National Building
to pool the assets of their retired members     to create a guaranteed income stream             Code. With more couples living longer in their
to improve economies of scale, better           after they turn 85.                              homes, there’s a move to change the popular
management, and long-term risk protection.                                                       $10,000 tax credit for home renovations so it
                                                Social Isolation                                 is available to each resident to accommodate
The 2019 budget promised insolvency                                                              people living together with different needs.
                                                The 2019 budget topped up the popular
proceedings will be made fairer, more
                                                New Horizons Fund with $100 million
transparent, and more accessible for
                                                over five years — an ongoing $20 million         Caregiver benefits
pensioners and workers. This includes
                                                a year. This fund is key for the work            More than 8 million Canadians are
giving courts more power to review
                                                of community and volunteer groups                informally caring for a friend or family and
payments to corporate executives in
                                                to promote projects or programs                  about a million of them are over 65. This
the lead up to insolvency.
                                                aimed at seniors to reduce the risk              invisible workforce is saving billions of
Federally-incorporated firms will be            of social isolation.                             dollars in the health-care system but face
required to disclose policies pertaining                                                         their own risks and need additional financial
to workers, pensioners, and executive           Affordable housing                               support. Advocates are pressing for
compensation. Federal pension law will          The government introduced a national             refundable, not earned, tax credits because
be clarified to ensure terminated pension       housing strategy with a focus on seniors.        many can’t work because they are caring
plans provide the same benefits as when         There is also the National Co-Investment         for family. They also want compassionate
the plan was active.                            Fund, which promises the construction,           care leave changed so caregivers can
                                                repair, and renewal of housing units for         take leave to support an ill family member
A long-standing battle that some                seniors, with at least 12,000 new affordable     without a medical certificate certifying the
advocates expect will be an election            units specially dedicated to seniors.            patient could die within six months.

                                                                                                                    federalretirees.ca SAGE       I   15
FEATURE

Debi Daviau, president of the Professional            given the perceived large swing vote of the    Budgetary Office backed up their complaint.
Institute of the Public Service, says public          veteran community to the Liberal party in      It compared the various pension regimes
service pensions will continue to be a future         2015, largely based on the prime minister’s    veterans have enjoyed since the First World
target. Governments’ grappling with deficits,         campaign promises to address the veterans’     War and found pensions before 2006 were
low interest rates, and an aging workforce            agenda and the Equitas lawsuit.”               the most generous with veterans receiving,
will invariably look for ways to reduce                                                              on average, 1.5 times more over their
                                                      The anger over the Trudeau government’s
pension costs. “We are always worried about                                                          lifetime than under the Liberals’ latest plan.
                                                      plan revolves around complaints about
attacks on our pensions. They are always a
                                                      fairness and equality that have smoldered      This inequity was also at the core of the
prime target, like when the Liberals scooped
                                                      among different generations of veterans        Equitas lawsuit, a class action launched by
the plan’s surplus years ago,” says Daviau.
                                                      for years. A promise to re-establish a life-   veterans of the Afghan war. They claimed
“There is no reason to modernize existing
                                                      long pension as “an option” for veterans       lifetime pensions under the Pension Act paid
pension plans, just create plans for those
                                                      was embedded as a key task in four of the      older veterans, who served in the Second
who don’t have them.”
                                                      mandate letters for the revolving door of      World War and Korea and other tours of duty
                                                      Veterans Affairs ministers who have held       before 2006, more generously than those
Veterans still frustrated                             the post over the past four years.             who served in recent conflicts. The Supreme
Few Canadians feel as angry, frustrated, and                                                         Court of Canada dismissed the case, which
disenchanted with Liberal election promises           The battle for lifetime pensions goes back
                                                                                                     has pushed the issue back into the political
as some of the country’s 658,000 veterans.            more than a decade when lifetime pensions
                                                                                                     arena and squarely on the campaign trial.
The Liberals made a raft of promises to               under the old Pension Act were switched to
address the anger veterans heaped on the              a series of lump-sum payments under the        While it is still too early to know the effects
Conservatives after a decade of cuts. They            New Veterans Charter, conceived by Paul        of the new Pension for Life program, there
claim to have pumped more than $10 billion            Martin’s Liberals and enacted in 2006 with     are lingering concerns about the difficulties
into veteran services and benefits since              all-party support.                             of Veterans Affairs Canada’s application
2015. According to the mandate tracker,                                                              processes. Changing legislation and policy
                                                      For years, veterans bitterly complained the
the Liberals say they have delivered on                                                              environments under multiple ministers
                                                      new lump-sum payment and other benefits
more than half of those promises and                                                                 has not helped these concerns. The trust
                                                      were not as generous as the old ones.
the rest are well underway.                                                                          some veterans have in the system has been
                                                      Trudeau promised to re-establish life-long
                                                                                                     shaken, which situations such as the VAC
                                                      pensions, which veterans widely took to
A pledge for life-long pensions brought                                                              underpayment blunder do little to resolve. In
                                                      mean that the pre-2006 regime was coming
Trudeau widespread support from former                                                               late 2018, the former Veterans Ombudsman
                                                      back. Instead, the government introduced
service members in the last election, but                                                            Guy Parent and his office found that 270,000
                                                      its own version: Pension for Life.
some veteran advocates say the new                                                                   disabled veterans of the CAF and RCMP, and
Pension for Life plan he introduced is                But critics claim that plan, which came into   their survivors, were underpaid between 2003
engendering a sense of betrayal that could            effect April 1, will create three classes of   and 2010, to the tune of $165 million. The
cost votes this time. “The alienation of the          veterans. New applicants will be entitled      error was identified and corrected in 2011, but
veterans’ community in an election year               to less than those who applied since 2006      repayments are only set to start in 2020. “We
does not make for good politics,” says Brian          and considerably less than those who           were encouraged by the government securing
Forbes, chairman of the National Council of           started receiving their pension payments       the funds needed to do the right thing and
Veteran Associations. “This is particularly so        before 2006. A report by the Parliamentary     pay veterans and their survivors what is owed
                                                                                                     to them,” says Montague, “but this must be
                                                                                                     prioritized, especially for low-income veterans
          Mandate Letter Tracker: Delivering results for Canadians
                                      (Progress as of May 6, 2019)                                   and their survivors, as soon as possible.”
           Completed/Met                            Progress Made                        Not Met     Brad White, executive director of the Royal
                                                                                                     Canadian Legion, says veterans’ issues
                                                                                                     shouldn’t be political because governments,
                                                                                                     not parties, send military personnel into
                                                                                                     conflict and “have collective responsibility”
                                                                                                     to take care of them when they return
                                                                                                     injured or not well. He also says it’s too early
                                                                                                     to pan the Liberals’ Pension for Life program
                                                                                                     because it is barely off the ground.

16    I    SAGE SUMMER 2019 VOL. 22
FEATURE

It’s a sentiment Soulière agrees with.                                                                  Improved support for veterans, especially
“Financial well-being is incredibly important                                                           during transition from military to civilian life,
— a cornerstone for a secure, dignified, and
                                                    “The alienation of the                              is a longstanding concern of the Federal
meaningful life after service to Canada. We’re       veterans’ community in                             Retirees. The 2019 budget expanded access
still working to understand how Pension for                                                             to support from the Canadian Armed Forces
Life will meet veterans’ and families’ financial     an election year does not                          Transition Group to ensure all CAF members,
needs, and how this package delivers
an easy-to-access, uncomplicated set of
                                                     make for good politics.”                           not just the ill and injured, get better
                                                                                                        personalized support.
benefits to veterans.”                              – Brian Forbes                                      The government also doubled funding for
For some, the best solution rests with the                                                              the Last Post Fund to ensure all veterans
Ministerial Policy Advisory Group, which                                                                get a decent burial and developed a suicide
recommended a plan that combines the best           workers and front-line staff — although             prevention strategy for the military and
parts of the old and new ones that would be         there is a still a backlog of cases. It increased   veterans. It announced a $20-million centre
fair and equitable for all disabled veterans. But   benefits for injured veterans so they received      for excellence for chronic pain, which
others say the debate also highlights the need      90 per cent of their former military salary; and    veterans face at twice the rate of Canadians.
for legislation to spell out the government’s       boosted disability awards for injured veterans
                                                                                                        The feds are still grappling with a
obligations for the military or what soldiers       to $360,000 to cover the “pain and suffering.”
                                                                                                        ongoing demand to get rid of the archaic
call the “social covenant” or “sacred
                                                    It invested $25 million and loosened the            “gold-diggers” clause, which prevents
obligation” that Sir Robert Borden made when
                                                    eligibility for permanent impairment allowance      surviving spouses of veterans from collecting
he addressed troops in the First World War.
                                                    — renamed the career impact allowance —             pensions if the retiree married after age 60.
The Trudeau government can lay claim                so more wounded veterans qualify for higher         The budget, however, tagged $120 million
to addressing a slew of veterans’ policy            benefit if the injuries and illness suffered in     for a new Veterans Survivors Fund, which
complaints. They re-opened nine Veterans            the line of duty limited their post-military        will also help survivors of public servants
Affairs’ regional offices and hired more case       career options.                                     and RCMP. p

   After record rebates in 2018                                                                            Available directly through
   Management Expense Ratio                                                                                Tradex in Ontario, Quebec
   is 1.03% vs 2.18%                                       TRADEX                                                 & British Columbia or
   category average                                        EQUITY                                           through quality dealers &
                                                          FUND LTD.                                              discount brokers in all
                                                                                                                 Canadian jurisdictions
              Savings of                             Founded by Public Servants

                53%
                                                      in April 1960 exclusively
                                                     for Public Servants and their
                                                                families
                                                          Tradex Management Inc.
                                           www.tradex.ca | 1600-85 Albert St., Ottawa, ON K1P 6A4
                                                       info@tradex.ca | 613-233-3394
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses may all be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus
         before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performances may not be repeated.

                                                                                                                       federalretirees.ca SAGE      I   17
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