MINISTER MUST INVESTIGATE CLAIMS

 

Reports that veterans who believe they were affected by the British Nuclear Test (BNT) and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) are being turned away from accessing full health coverage is extremely concerning.

 

The Minister needs to take these servicemen’s claims seriously.

 

This is deeply distressing for veterans who heard this announcement, believed they would be covered and are now being turned away.

 

When it was announced that full health coverage would be extended to persons who were in the area of nuclear testing, it is clear those servicemen on HMAS Murchison believed they were within the eligible areas and would be covered.  

 

It is incumbent on the Minister to investigate the circumstances which surround those servicemen on HMAS Murchison and their eligibility to full health coverage as a matter of urgency.