Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. Has the minister seen the report of the UK study this week that shows that the veterans who were forced to watch British nuclear tests here in Australia will pass on scrambled DNA and crippling health problems to their families for 20 generations? Doesn’t this make the government’s health cards for nuclear veterans look hopelessly inadequate? Will it now stop fighting these sick veterans in the courts for their compensation? Will the government now do a proper study of the families of Australian veterans and show more compassion than has been apparent so far?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware of the issue that Senator Allison has mentioned. It is a serious issue. I have not have had a briefing on the report and I will advise the senator accordingly. In relation to the health cards afforded to veterans, we have a variety of health programs available to veterans, both the gold and white cards. My own feedback from the veterans community about the health services that we provide veterans in this country has been a positive one. Just recently we made an announcement on the indexation of pensions or allowances, which went down very well. As for the health aspect, we have a good system in place that stands up very well internationally. I fail to see how Senator Allison can impute that in some way we are letting down the veterans as a result of any of the ill effects they might have suffered as a result of the testing concerned.

Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that even those white and gold cards offered to the veterans have been denied to many who have requested them? Is the minister aware of the UK study showing that the children and grandchildren of nuclear veterans suffer limb deformities; tumours; heart, eye and hearing problems; epilepsy; autism; brain deformities; twisted spines; missing organs; extra fingers and toes; and a range of other rare conditions? Is he aware that the grandchildren are eight times more likely to inherit a defect and twice as likely to get childhood cancer? Why would the scrambled DNA found in British veterans not also be present in Australian veterans?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If Senator Allison knows of any particular aspect of someone being refused a white or gold card, and which she has a problem with, she should refer them to the minister or me, and I will pass it on. The medical requirements for that are laid out in the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1996 and we apply those criteria to anyone who applies for a white or gold card. As to the United Kingdom experience, we will have a look at that and see if we can learn from it but, as I said earlier, I have not had a briefing on the report that Senator Allison mentioned. I will get back to the Senate with further details on that.