Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor, who assured Parliament on Monday he had already ordered that all regular funeral costs be covered, said it was "with considerable distress" he had learned some families might not have been reimbursed.

"If confirmed, this would indicate that my direction was not followed and I can assure you that this will be dealt with accordingly and corrected as soon as possible," Mr. O'Connor told a hastily-arranged news conference.

The reports are yet more bad news for the beleaguered minister, who in March had to formally apologize for misleading Parliament over Taliban suspects captured by Canadian troops and transferred to Afghan authorities.

Canada, which has 2,500 soldiers in the southern city of Kandahar, has lost 55 troops since sending a military force to Afghanistan in 2002. Recent polls show a majority of Canadians oppose the mission.

Opposition legislators regularly demand the resignation of Mr. O'Connor on the grounds that he is incompetent. Source...