Sick or not,Those who would like to hear from Fellow ADGies.
Alan Atherton...........02-66875920
Paul Tuck....................02-49911964
Mick Brodie................ 02-99404340
Paul Pannowitz...........02-49500306
Bushy Bill Trevethan..02-68290177
Trevor Nye...................07 41256279
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VA112 Thursday 29 August
2002
WAR WIDOWS BETTER OFF AS BILL PASSES PARLIAMENT
Some 81,000 war widows will be better off from late September, following
Parliament's approval of Federal Government legislation to remove Labor's
unfair freeze on the war widow's income support supplement.
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Danna Vale, welcomed the passage of the
Federal Budget initiative, saying it implemented a key election commitment
to the veteran community.
"This means that this important financial support for war widows will be
indexed, so that recipients benefit from improvements in Australian living
standards," Minister Vale said.
"Like the Federal Government's initiative to reinstate the war widow's
pension to those who remarried before 1984, the passage of today's
legislation removes another Labor anomaly which discriminated against
Australia's war widows."
From 20 September, the ceiling rate of the income support supplement will
rise in September and March by the same percentage as the service pension,
reflecting increases in the Consumer Price Index and Male Total Average
Weekly Earnings.
"The 97 per cent of war widows who receive the ceiling rate will not have to
do anything to benefit from this initiative, as the indexation will be
applied automatically by the Department of Veterans' Affairs," the Minister
said.
"The initiative also benefits war widows who are also veterans in their own
right. These veterans receive a frozen rate of service pension and this
payment will be subject to the same indexation arrangements."
War widows who receive less than the ceiling rate will continue to benefit
from increases in their payment, as a result of regular indexation of the
income-free threshold for the DVA income and assets tests that occurs on 1
July each year.
A small number of war widow pension recipients receive the supplement at a
higher rate which was set before the rate freeze was introduced in 1986.
These payments will remain at their current level until the ceiling rate
catches up, at which point the indexation arrangements will apply.
"While the majority of war widows receiving income support do so through
DVA, there remains a small number who continue to receive their payments
through Centrelink," the Minister said.
"Their payments are not covered by this initiative and I would encourage
them to transfer to the DVA income support supplement, in order to benefit
from the removal of the ceiling rate freeze. Those war widows who wish to
transfer to DVA should contact 133 254."
More information about the war widow's income support supplement is
available from the Veterans' Affairs website at www.dva.gov.au
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VA111 Wednesday 28 August 2002
$45,000 TO HONOUR KOKODA DIGGERS
The Federal Government will provide a grant of $45,000 to help stage a
Kokoda Memorial Game in honour of the Australians who fought and died on the
Kokoda Track 60 years ago.
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Danna Vale, said the match between the
Sydney Swans and Richmond Tigers at Telstra Stadium on 31 August, would
feature a commemorative ceremony with the guests of honour including 60
Kokoda veterans brought to Sydney from around Australia.
"I am pleased to be able to provide this support under the Federal
Government's new commemorations program, Saluting Their Service, to help
meet the costs of the pre-match ceremony," the Minister said.
"In recent years, the Sydney Swans have taken an active interest in
honouring the heroes of Kokoda, with 12 players from the club walking the
Track during 2000 and 2001.
"The Kokoda Memorial Game will be an opportunity for the thousands of sports
fans - and the whole community - to remember and honour the service and
sacrifice of those who served on the Kokoda Track. It will also be a unique
opportunity to teach young Australians about this crucial campaign in
defence of Australia."
"Veterans of all conflicts will be able to attend the game free of charge by
wearing their service medals."
Minister Vale said the pre-match ceremony of the Kokoda Memorial Game would
include a parade by the Australian Defence Force and a cavalcade featuring
the 60 Kokoda veterans accompanied by serving Australian Defence Force
members, including peacekeepers from East Timor and Bougainville.
There would also be parachute jumps by the Army's Red Berets, a display of
Papua New Guinea culture, the Asaro Mud Men and a PNG under 16s v NSW game.
"Those who are attending the game will also be able to be part of a
spectacular exhibition prior to the game, with Kokoda photo exhibitions,
military displays, traditional Papua New Guinea face painting and PNG music,
dance and cultural performances in Overflow Park at Sydney Olympic Park,"
the Minister said.
Minister Vale said that the battle along the Kokoda Track against invading
Japanese forces in 1942 was one of the most significant in Australia's
history.
"Never before, or since, have the land forces of a determined enemy come so
close to our shores.
"I congratulate the Sydney Swans and the AFL for their commitment to marking
the 60th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign, and saluting the service and
sacrifice of those who fought in the defence of Australia," Minister Vale
said.
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VA110 Wednesday 28
August 2002
VIETNAM VETERAN MORTALITY STUDY CONTINUES VITAL HEALTH RESEARCH
The Federal Government is conducting a mortality study of Australia's
Vietnam veterans, as part of continuing research efforts into the health of
the Vietnam veteran community.
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Danna Vale, said the study was the third
to be conducted into rates and causes of death among Australians who served
during the Vietnam War.
"The last study, released in 1997, recommended that further research be
undertaken after the year 2000, to ensure that Government and policy-makers
continued to closely monitor the mortality rates of Vietnam veterans.
"The Federal Government has a strong commitment to the health of the Vietnam
veteran community, implementing a $32.3 million package of measures to
assist Vietnam veterans and their families, including preventative action to
address heart disease and alcohol abuse, mental health programs and
education assistance for children of Vietnam veterans.
"This study will provide valuable new information about the Vietnam veteran
community, to assist the Government in the implementation of its veterans'
health programs in coming years," the Minister said.
Minister Vale said the study was being guided by a consultative forum with
representatives of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, the
Vietnam Veterans' Federation of Australia, the Returned & Services League of
Australia, the Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council and the
Department of Veterans' Affairs.
"The consultative forum represents the interests of the veteran community,
to ensure the study is conducted in a way that best meets the needs of
Vietnam veterans," she said.
"An expert Scientific Advisory Committee has also been appointed to oversee
the study, chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
at the University of Auckland, Professor Peter Smith."
The Minister said the mortality study involved matching the Nominal Roll of
Vietnam Veterans against national death and cancer registries, the electoral
roll and passport records to identify the number of deaths, causes of death
and the incidence of cancer.
"This will be compared with the Australian population, as well as national
servicemen who did not serve in Vietnam, to determine any increase in
mortality or cancer rates among Vietnam veterans.
"This study will include the first cancer incidence study on Royal
Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force veterans of Vietnam and the
first to include examination of mortality on a ship-by-ship basis.
"Meeting the needs of the Vietnam veteran community is a continuing priority
for the Government and the mortality study will assist us in providing
Vietnam veterans with the care they need and to which they are entitled,"
Minister Vale said.
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Thanks to Mick Bergin for this weeks pictures.