Australian government continues to cover up radiation damage to veterans
successive governments continued to cover up the atomic test issue.
Rudd Government refuses to help Maralinga veterans sue Britain: The Courier-Mail Ian McPhedran January 20, 2010
THE Rudd Government has refused to help Australian veterans who are suing the British Government over radiation exposure during atomic bomb tests in the 1950s and 60s.
A group of survivors and their families are joining a class action after 800 British nuclear veterans were granted permission to sue their own Ministry of Defence.
Many of the soldiers were covered in radioactive fallout wearing just a hat, shorts and boots and were later treated for radiation sickness.
They were never told of the risks involved and many were used as human guinea pigs to test deadly chemicals, including mustard gas.
In 1993 the Keating Labor government accepted a pound20 million ex-gratia compensation payment from Britain to settle all future Maralinga claims.
That is about $109 million in today’s money.
A condition of that settlement was that any future compensation won by Australian veterans would be paid by the Australian Government.
Not one dollar of the money has gone to the 8000 Australian soldiers who were ordered into the desert, although since 2006 many have had cancer treatments paid for by the Government.
National President of the Australian Nuclear Veterans Association Ric Johnstone said he could not understand why successive governments continued to cover up the atomic test issue.
The 76-year-old ex-RAAF airman, who spent 12 months at Maralinga in 1956 and was involved in four atomic tests, says he is alive thanks only to medical science.
His closest 25 mates from Maralinga are all dead.
Rudd Government refuses to help Maralinga veterans sue Britain | The Courier-Mail
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