NDP motion seeks state funeral for WWI vets

NDP motion seeks state funeral for WWI vets
Updated Tue. Nov. 21 2006 9:10 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The New Democratic Party will put forward a motion Tuesday to hold a state funeral for all Canadians who served during the First World War when the final veteran passes away.

Just three First World War veterans are still alive -- and all of them are 105 or 106 years old.

Only three surviving First World War veterans - Percy Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106 - are still alive.

NDP Leader Jack Layton said the government should recognize that a state funeral would celebrate "the contribution of a whole generation of Canadians who served, whether overseas or here at home and their families as well."

Layton told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday morning that the funeral would allow the entire country to pay tribute all those who fought.

"We won't be able to look them in the eyes anymore and thank them for their service the way we should for everyone who is willing to serve our country the way they did and our armed forces personnel still do," he said.

The veterans' advancing years have created a groundswell of support for a Dominion Institute proposal to follow the example of Australia, which held a state funeral for the final survivor of the Battle of Gallipoli.

By Tuesday morning, nearly 89,000 people had signed a petition on the institute's website asking that the Canadian government support the proposal.

But Layton needs the unanimous support of all the federal parties to see the motion be dealt with in a timely manner.

"There's a lot of business before the House of course. we're dealing with a whole lot of issues," Layton said.

"If we're able to get all the parties to agree to the idea and I'm very optimistic. ... If everyone's agreeable to the idea then it can move along quickly through the House and that way the government will have the will of Parliament expressed and they can get on with making the preparations for this really important day."

The Liberals and Bloc Quebecois have indicated they will support the motion but the Conservatives may not.

A spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said the Tories can't say whether they will back the motion until they see it.

The government is also considering military funerals for the remaining three veterans, if their families wish to have one.

A poll released on Remembrance Day found that three out of four respondents approve of a state funeral when the last First World War veteran dies.

State funerals are one of the highest honours a country can bestow on a person, but they're traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general.

More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War and 60,000 of those were killed.