“rendering dignity in disability”
KICKING THE DIGGER WHEN HE IS DOWN
ABBOTT-TURNBULL-MORRISON GOVERNMENTS
TREATMENT OF OUR DISABLED WAR VETERANS AND WAR WIDOWS
WITHDRAWN . DENIED . CANCELLED . DISCRIMINATED . PAID UNDER THE POVERTY LINE
DENIED the Australian Average Wage to our War Disabled Veterans (TPI) unable to continue in employment to provide for themselves and their families. Paid under the poverty line .
(The Average Wage is $1,668 per week the TPI rate defined as a replacement income is $704 per week. The OECD determine Australians in poverty to be earning less than $792 weekly)
WITHDRAWN. Concession Fares on train travel over Commonwealth Rail
(A concession in place since WW2 recognising the death of a spouse and wounding and trauma of our Diggers sustained in defence of the people of our nation and its values.)
CANCELLED. ‘Trip Fall Prevention Programme’ .
(Aged Disabled Veterans and War Widows used to be visited once a year by an Occupational Therapist to assess trip and fall hazards in the home and advise on preventive measures to reduce risk of hip fractures)
CANCELLED. Health Information/community event email newsletter.
(A monthly email from DVA State Offices that kept Disabled and War Widows up to date on medication, health advice and events to encourage participation in the community)
WITHDRAWN. ‘Restoring Disability Pension Parity’ promise.
(DVA Disability pensions lost parity with other pensions under the ALP government of Kevin Rudd. The Coalition promised to restore parity on coming to government. Six years later they are waiting for that promise to be fulfilled)
DISCRIMINATION Refusal to remove legislation from the VEA 1986 that reduces a Disabled Diggers replacement income/pension when their partner engages in paid employment.
(The majority of spouses of our nations War Disabled are female. When these wives, mothers and carers of our married Disabled have paid employment their income reduces the governments liability for the upkeep of our Disabled by two fifths of his pension compared to an unmarried Disabled. This gender discrimination prevents the Disabled from partnering thus inhibiting their fundamental human right to the company of another in a loving relationship)
The reason the ABBOTT, TURNBULL and MORRISON GOVERNMENTS (and all the others before them) give our nations Disabled Veterans and War Widows for the lack of action on these matter is “We can’t afford it”; this while these same governments dedicated over ONE BILLION DOLLARS of Australian taxpayers funds to the centenary of WW1 commemorations.
Not one Digger was brought back from the dead for this inordinate spend. However correcting the denied, withdrawn, cancelled and discrimination will allow our War Disabled, War Widows and their families to not just survive in today’s Australia but to advance and thrive along with the peoples whose values and freedoms they have given much to protect and defend.
Frank, Jock O’Neill on behalf of
Disabled Veterans of Australia Network
PO Box 698
Applecross
WA 6953
08 9364 2067
Ps . On 13th March 2013 Scott Morrison told Disabled Veterans in Melbourne that their health care was part of their compensation package. Conclusion the Coalition expects wounded and traumatised Diggers to pay for their own bandages, pills and treatment.
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