CANBERRA - 23 November 2021
Deputy Speaker,
I rise to talk about a couple of issues to do with a member of the ADF who served our nation and has not had the right thing done by him, and then about some fire fighters that I want to acknowledge, a Territorian, and my Uncle Ray.
A couple of days ago, there was an opportunity in this chamber to talk about Australian Defence Force training, but that debate finished before I had the opportunity to make a contribution.
But what I would have said is that our training in the ADF is top notch. Is fantastic. But it doesn't come without its dangers.
And even with the risk management that goes on nowadays and even in the past, accidents do happen, serious accidents.
I want to bring to the House's attention to a serious injury that happened to one of my soldiers whilst deployed to Malaysia on Rifle Company Butterworth.
Darren Hayes, Hayesy, a fantastic bloke.
He received a serious injury in 1994, and since then he's been in a wheelchair.
He had serious head injuries as well. He died a couple of times during the evacuation and was brought back.
And I have been working with his advocates to get him a gold card.
He was seriously injured in the service of our country during training, and you would think that he'd be well looked after.
Unfortunately for Hayesy, his accident occurred a couple of months after a change in legislation, which has meant that he hasn't been able to receive a gold card – which might be unbelievable to those listening, that someone with a serious back injury that resulted in them not being able to use their legs in 1994, that they wouldn’t receive a gold card.
What I've asked successive Veterans Affairs Ministers to do, is to use their discretion, because as time goes on, there will be further complications for Hayesy, when he needs to be able to just go to a medical professional and get the support that he needs.
But for whatever reason, DVA and the Minister haven't been able to make that occur, so I appeal to the latest Veterans Affairs Minister in this Government to use his discretion.
And if it is that a gold card can't be given, then a white card be given, which Hayesy has already got, but one with ‘all conditions’ covered by it.
Hayesy is not going to the doctor to get unnecessary treatments, it’s treatment that he needs as a result of his service.
He's had a Subaru vehicle to get around – with modifications – so he can drive it with his hands, and he's had that vehicle for over 20 years now.
Subarus are good vehicles and they do well, but the Subaru’s clapped out, he told me the other day it's no longer safe to drive.
So we want to get Hayesy a new vehicle so he’s got mobility, so he can get to his medical appointments.
But DVA’s been faffing around with this for over a year, and the new person managing his case says “I’ll look around and see what we can do”.
Back when the accident happened and Hayesy needed a vehicle, Defence actually paid for it rather than DVA.
DVA have said that they will pay for the modifications to the vehicle to allow it to be driven by hand. They won’t pay for the vehicle, but they’ll pay for modifications.
Now, if Hayesy’s accident had happened three months earlier, they would have given him $39,810 towards a new vehicle.
But because his accident happened three months after a change in legislation, he has to buy the vehicle.
Mind you, he's still getting compensated the same amount that he was getting when he was a young soldier, so that payment hasn’t kept up with the career and salary progression that he would have had if it wasn't for that accident.
So if anyone’s listening to this and they own a Subaru dealership, he's after is an Outback, which at the moment costs $39,990.
DVA will pay for the modifications but not the vehicle, because he broke his back three months after a change in legislation and ministers haven't been able to see their way clear to make a determination for this Australian soldier.
So the battle for Hayesy, with his advocates – and I thank them, Peter and Andrew – will continue.
One of my constituents is a veteran firefighter, Andrew Innes.
18 years in the service. Now a lot of firefighters get cancer.
Andrew got leukaemia, and he was fighting that and he was helped through worker's compensation during that fight.
But then it came to a point where they encourage people on worker's compensation to return to the workforce by reducing their payment after 26 weeks, so he worked really hard to get back and he probably didn't rest as much as he should have during his chemo, and it actually set him back a bit.
He got another cancer in his throat.
So he's fighting that, and I'm working with him and the NT Government, who have done fantastic work bringing in compensation for these firefighters, to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support them.
We owe that to those who sign up to protect our country and our community.
We want to be doing everything that we possibly can when those who serve our country and our community are in the fight of their lives.
So I just wanted to send a message of solidarity to all those Australians who are in the fight against cancer.
During COVID, people haven't been getting their tests as much as they should.
So get your test.
Some of the cancers and the reasons for them are linked to workplace issues, some of them are genetic.
But get your test, make sure that with our focus on COVID, we don't lose sight of the importance of getting all those tests, whether it be breast or prostate cancer screening or when you turn 50, which I just did the other day, getting the bowel cancer test.
It's important.
So I want to send that message of support to Drew, who's fighting cancer and thank him for his service as a Territory firefighter.
And I also want to send a message of solidarity to my uncle, Ray Wellard, who is a former member of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Melbourne.
He's been fighting cancer, and my mum, Chris, was only visiting her beloved brother two weeks ago and Ray was frailer, she said, battling cancer. But he was walking and eating again, and the pain was under control.
He's now settled into hospice care.
So many Australian families have been through this journey where there can be that rapid dive when fighting cancer.
And for family members, they wonder whether there will be a final chance to say goodbye. So if I can’t say goodbye in person mate, I just want to say, you're a champion. You're a great bloke.
Mr Deputy Speaker, my uncle Ray has been resilient his whole life.
When our mum’s mum, Nanna Cath Wellard, had Ray in hospital in Melbourne, the doctor said, “your son's not going to make it, he’s not going to get out of this hospital”.
Such were the health challenges he had at birth. He had so many surgeries but he survived and served with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
He lived for 76 years. He had two kids, Dana and Paul. He lived a great life.
He was a great uncle.
We did so many good things with you, mate: ferreting, Spearfishing. We had a great life growing up with you as a great uncle.
So God bless you, mate.
Go well, Ray, in this final battle against cancer.
We’re all with you.
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ENDS
