No Canadian compensation for families of Gurkhas killed in Kabul blast

Good to see that the Current Gov't is keeping up the previous ones policies about legal obligations to those who wear or wore a uniform and their families.

Especially those hired to protect us overseas because, we wouldn't want our obvious "moral" obligations to cut into Dr. Feelgood's giveaway program.

FFS it wouldn't cost us squat to do the right thing and give these families compensation for their losses, especially given the fact that their bread winners died protecting "our" embassy.

Agreed, our PM has billions to squander fighting climate change, but nothing for these hired guns. Its the least we could do.

Yup. The mindset of our governments both current and past, leave a lot to be desired.

Start a gofundme page?

As I have hands on experience with such contracts felt the need to comment. Sabre was contracted by Global Affairs Canada to provide security for the Canadian Embassy in Kabul. these contracts for the most part are highly lucrative. As with any contract the company, in this case Sabre, remains responsible for its employee's compensations and benefits.

People are bitching at the Government that they have some duty of care for the lost security members but I put to you that if you contract a company to replace your roof and an employee falls and is killed or injured, are you financially responsible?

What happened is abhorrent but is also the the nature of operating private security in such shitholes as Afghanistan. Companies such as Sabre, Sterling Global, G4S, Blue hackle and so on are more then happy to take Government contracts. Start pointing fingers at Sabre if their employee's are not adequately compensated for death or injury.

Due yo want your tax dollars paying for every contractors compensations packages when it remains the companies responsibility? Focus your blame where it belongs, on the private security industry.

As I pointed out in my first post. The Gov't has made it abundantly clear that they have "NO" legal obligation for the care of anyone who serves or served, be it in our own military or as a hired mercenary. So technically you're right.

But, if the company they hired won't do the proper thing then why aren't they at least working with that company to ensure the survivors are properly compensated and failing that picking up the slack which, while not what we'd consider their obligation would be the morally proper thing to do.

But, to muddy the argument even more and since you used the roofer analogy allow me to point out that:



http://smallbusiness.chron.com/responsi ... 77747.html

So if we use that analogy as a guideline it's apparent that if this fight went to court we might lose the compensation battle.


As for do I want my tax dollars going to contractors to pay for the compensation packages they're supposed to supply. No, I don't want that happening but, all it would take is having the gov't pay once and I'm pretty sure that we'd never have to have this conversation again.

I prefer my taxes to be used smartly. And to me, helping out the families of Ghurkas who died protecting our diplomats is a good use of them. It won't cost much, and it's the right thing to do. If Sabre doesn't want to pony up, there is nothing saying we need to hire them again.

Besides, Ghurkas catch a lot of shit as it is, we don't need to add to it.

I prefer my taxes to be used smartly. And to me, helping out the families of Ghurkas who died protecting our diplomats is a good use of them. It won't cost much, and it's the right thing to do. If Sabre doesn't want to pony up, there is nothing saying we need to hire them again.

Besides, Ghurkas catch a lot of shit as it is, we don't need to add to it.

Are these the same guys that make the pickles?

Are these the same guys that make the pickles?

If you find yourself on the same battlefield as them, you are in a pickle though.

They carry a blade known as a 'Kookuri', and it's one purpose is to sever your head from your shoulders in a single blow. And they are really good at it.

California court decisions hold very little sway in Canadian courts.

In Canada, the determining factors (for liability) will be found in the given contract. If it is a run of the mill contract, everyone is responsible for their own, and will have provided their licensing and WCB information prior to the start of work.

If the sub contractor is adhering to the prime's safety, and working under the prime's safety umbrella, liability can, and will, fall to the prime contractor.

If a home owner hires any contractor, they are pretty much off the hook as soon as the area of work becomes a "construction area" and falls under the contractor's WCB insurance policy and contractor's safety plan/policies.

So...to summarize, we would need to see the contract between the gooberment and Sabre.