Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday, the government announced $133 million to fund gold cards for surviving participants in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force and the British nuclear testing program. This is big news for some of Australia's most patient, long-suffering ex-servicemen. Canning is home to several members of the 'Wills intake'. This group of 88 national servicemen from Western Australia served on the HMAS Fremantle and the HMAS Juneein theMontebello Islands in 1956. These men worked on islands very near nuclear test sites. They wore only shirts and shorts alongside British scientists who wore full hazmat kits. Many were on deck to witness a nuclear blast only miles away. They still remember the rush of light, heat, wind and radioactive particles only seconds after the blast. Almost half their number have since either suffered from or died from cancer.

When I first met with members of the Wills intake some months ago, it was obvious that these men deserved a gold card. This was a case of natural justice and one that had been delayed for much too long. This government has acted; it has done the right thing. I thank the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Dan Tehan, for working closely with many members of this House to right this wrong. The $133 million allocated to their care represents all Australians' ongoing duty of care to those who serve our country. We can all be proud of this decision.