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Vietnam Veterans

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About this Item
Subjects -  Ex-Servicemen; War: Vietnam; Diseases: Cancer
Speakers - Andrews Ms Marie; Pringle Mr Steven; Gadiel Ms Tanya
Business - Matter of Public Importance


    VIETNAM VETERANS
Page: 22000


    Matter of Public Importance

    Ms MARIE ANDREWS (Peats) [4.35 p.m.]: I am honoured to address the House on such an important issue as the wellbeing of our Vietnam veterans. Many members would have personal stories to tell of friends or family who served during the Vietnam War. I am sure all members will join me in expressing their admiration and respect for our veterans. This debate is timely, given the ANZAC Day commemorations which will take place in a few weeks. When the Last Post is played across the country, we will remember the brave men who gave their lives on the steep shores of Gallipoli, as well as the many nurses and support staff who endured the horrific conditions. But we should also take a minute to reflect on all our veterans, including those who served in Vietnam.

    No issue is more deserving of the Parliament's attention than the ongoing health issues that continue to affect the daily lives of the men and women who returned from the Vietnam conflict. This difficult and distressing issue has been the subject of much debate in recent decades, by the media, politicians and the community. The matter reaches right to the heart of our society, as a modern, civilised and compassionate community. We must be even more involved, and more aware, if we are to give these veterans the dignity and support they deserve. It is not a matter for the younger generation, or something to be delayed for another day. It is a matter of such importance that we must never allow it to be ignored. I draw members' attention to a report in the Australian newspaper of 22 March 2006. The headline states "Vietnam cancers linked to water", and the article highlights some startling new links between Vietnam service and health problems for veterans. The article claims:

    Sailors who served on naval ships during the Vietnam War have been told their ships' drinking water, which was contaminated with Agent Orange, could be causing their cancers.

    According to the report, the Commonwealth Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating a link between the number of cancers among sailors and the water they were given to drink onboard some ships. The water allegedly contained dioxins from Agent Orange, which members would recall was one of the most destructive weapons used in Vietnam. The herbicide was designed to destroy enemy cover by stripping trees and shrubs of their foliage. The product was mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel and sprayed from the air, from land, or by hand. Its seemingly innocuous name was derived from the orange band marking the drums in which it was stored. Agent Orange was effective at helping to prevent ambush. An estimated 19 million gallons were used in South Vietnam during the war.

    But the deadly impact of Agent Orange extended much further than the foliage. Tragically, it also had a devastating effect on local civilians and service men and women over the decade during which it was used. As this latest report from the Australian shows, the full long-term impact of this sinister product is only just being realised. According to the article by Simon Kearney, the ships in question took on water in Vung Tau harbour between 1965 and 1972. The concerns relate particularly to HMAS Sydney and her escort ships. According to the Royal Australian Navy, the Sydney, a converted aircraft carrier, carried about 16,000 Australian troops to and from Vietnam. It was affectionately nicknamed the "Vung Tau Ferry" by the troops, in typical Australian fashion, and was the first aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy.

    It is understood the carrier was sold for scrap to a South Korean company in 1975. HMAS Sydney lives on only in the memories of those who served aboard. If these reports are accurate, her tragic legacy is only too real for those veterans. The Australian report claims that as many as 170 navy personnel died from cancers between 1980 and 1994, and those deaths could potentially be related to the water on the ships. The report states that the connection was first identified several years ago by the National Research Centre for Toxicology, which is based at the University of Queensland. The Commonwealth Government has confirmed it is investigating the issue through the Repatriation Medical Authority [RMA]. For the benefit of members, the authority is an independent statutory body that is responsible to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Its web site includes a long list of current investigations including looking at malignant neoplasm of the lung and throat, soft tissue sarcoma and acute myeloid leukaemia. According to Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary Mark Sullivan, as quoted in the Australian, the Repatriation Medical Authority is considering evidence of a link between all those conditions and potable water.

    I am not here to cast aspersions on the work of the Repatriation Medical Authority. I am sure scientists and staff involved work very hard to research these issues. However, I would like to highlight some concerns about the Commonwealth Government's response. I acknowledge that the Department of Veteran Affairs continues to urge veterans to lodge claims for compensation if they believe they have service-related conditions or disease. I note concerns that the Commonwealth criteria for lodging these claims are too limited. According to Ron Coxon from the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, as quoted in the article, veterans must prove they spent at least 30 days drinking the water. But Mr Coxon points out:

    We don't know how much of the dioxin actually settled in the tank because they never cleaned them.
    That is a very valid point and one I urge the Commonwealth to consider more closely. If there were ever to be a time to abandon the normal limitations of fiscal management and policy setting, this is it. This debate is not about pointing the finger at one level of government or another, it is simply about ensuring that the issues affecting the day-to-day lives of our veterans remain a high priority for all governments.

    We want these issues to remain on the agenda for all to see. The first step is to recognise that Vietnam veterans have unique health problems. The second step is to use the best possible science to address these health problems. It is expected that an updated mortality study on Vietnam veterans will be released this year. I hope this study will provide extra clues to help our scientists continue their cutting-edge research for the benefit of all veterans and their families. The first comprehensive study was released in early 1998 following a survey of more than 40,000 veterans. The study confirms statistically what we already knew: the health of Vietnam veterans is generally worse than that of Australians of comparable age.

    The report found that Vietnam veterans were three times more likely to report their health as poor and three times less likely to report their health as excellent. Specifically, the results for male veterans showed that 30 per cent reported experiencing panic attacks and 45 per cent suffer depression. More than 400 veterans said they had cancer of the colon, which is more than three times higher than expected, and more than 50 veterans had male breast cancer—more than 17 times the average. The results for women also suggested above-average rates of conditions such as asthma, depression, breast cancer, panic attacks, stillbirths, hearing and ear problems, and more.

    Decades ago these veterans went to fight a terrible war, but their battle has not ended. They are now required to fight these appalling health problems for the rest of their lives. Sadly, the research also shows that many of their children will face increased rates of cancer. Specifically, the study found that the prevalence of adrenal gland cancer among veterans' children is higher than expected. Clearly this will be an issue that will require a long-term national approach from future State and Commonwealth governments, regardless of whether those governments are Labor or Coalition. I assure the House that the Iemma Labor Government is committed to supporting our veterans and their families as part of that national approach.

    There are more than 13,000 Vietnam veterans in New South Wales from a total of 48,000 Vietnam veterans nationally. In my electorate of Peats is the Gosford City sub-branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia. There are a large number of Vietnam veterans not only in the electorate of Peats but right throughout the Central Coast, and many of them have significant health problems. We will continue to lobby the Commonwealth to listen to veterans and investigate whether the criteria for compensation could be expanded. I will be very interested in the results of the latest morbidity study of Vietnam veterans when it is released. I thank the House for focusing its attention on national efforts to research and address this critical issue.

    Mr STEVEN PRINGLE (Hawkesbury) [4.44 p.m.]: The Opposition very strongly supports our veterans. Recognition of our Vietnam veterans is well and truly long overdue. Unlike other conflicts—the Boer War, the Sudan War, World War I and World War II—after the Vietnam conflict unfortunately our service personnel more often than not did not come home to that universal praise or those constant tickertape parades that their predecessors had. Probably all of us in this Chamber remember the anti-Vietnam War protests—the infamous moratoriums both here and in America. Unfortunately, we saw the burning of flags and we saw the harassment of many of our military personnel. These protests certainly contributed to the ending of the war, but—and this is perhaps the most important point—they left deep psychological and physical scars on many of our veterans.

    It is hard to imagine some of the conditions that our troops had to put up with: the booby-traps; Agent Orange—which has been spoken about previously; the overwhelming size of the enemy forces; the oppressive heat; the mud; the difficulty of knowing who the real enemy was, and so on. As usual, our forces performed extremely well. In perhaps the most famous battle of all, Long Tan, 18 Australians were killed holding off thousands of Viet Cong, killing about 245. All arms of our forces were included in the Vietnam War. Our forces included many conscripts—the famous Nashos, who did their duty both overseas and in Australia. I acknowledge how important the national service groups are. I specifically mention my own Hawkesbury Nasho group and its president, Vince Burke, its vice-presidents, Ted Books and Leon Walker.

    Australia's involvement in Vietnam began in 1962, with 30 military advisers, and ended in 1972. At the height of the war some 8,500 troops were involved in Vietnam. All nine battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment rotated into Vietnam. The regiment's contribution to the war and how much it sacrificed is acknowledged along the New England Highway in the Hunter Valley with individual memorials to each of those groups. The Royal Australian Navy provided transport in HMAS Sydney, a converted aircraft carrier, and lots of other transport vessels. It provided the specialised naval gunfire support that was so important to the army and the air force. The navy also contributed the famous clearance diving teams that were involved in covert operations, demolitions and the dangerous clearing and protection of ships' hulls.

    The air force's Caribou transports were also some of the first into Vietnam. Canberra bomber crews maintained their support throughout much of the war, and we can all be proud of the eight Hercules aircraft—aircraft that today are still represented in my electorate, or nearby, at RAAF Richmond—which, under fire, evacuated orphans from Saigon, thanks to the selflessness of various local nuns and nurses. These aircraft also evacuated the Australian Embassy in Saigon on Anzac Day, now some 31 years ago. I remember some of my navy mates telling me how they had been spat upon and booed for just doing their duty in the Vietnam War. This was clearly a shameful period in our history and one I hope will never be repeated.

    Over the years some people suffering from the effects of the Vietnam War have become patients at the St John of God Hospital at Grose Vale in the Hawkesbury electorate. I thank all the doctors, nurses, psychologists and other staff from that institution for their magnificent service in looking after our precious Vietnam veterans. The Opposition commends very strongly all our Vietnam veterans. Of the 50,000 or more who served in the Vietnam War, 520 were killed, 2,400 were wounded, and, as we have heard again today, many have suffered from long-term ill effects on their health. Indeed, one of my colleagues, Lieutenant Commander Ken Stone, will be buried on Friday as a result of mesothelioma. I know many others members in this Chamber also have friends and relatives who, as a result of the Vietnam War, have suffered very badly.

    I turn now to the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and some of the details it has identified from its mortality study. It is worth reiterating that the death rate for Vietnam veteran males is some 7 per cent higher than that of the general male population: death from cancer is a staggering 21 per cent higher than the general population; prostate cancer is even worse at 53 per cent higher, lung cancer is 29 per cent higher, heart disease is 10 per cent higher and the suicide rate is much higher than the average. We need to do everything we can to assist our Vietnam veterans throughout their lives, to protect them and the lives of their children.

    The other day while I was listening to the radio I heard about some studies, which showed that trauma from the Vietnam War continues from the veterans through to their children and grandchildren. State governments have a major responsibility to contribute towards the rehabilitation and successful involvement in society of all Vietnam veterans. The End of War List has finally been compiled. This will give support to many veterans who have not been awarded medals, and will recognise their great efforts on behalf of Australia. I conclude by quoting from the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, which stated:

    Over the years there has been a persistent media presentation of Vietnam veterans as "victims". The Association believes that this is counter-productive. This is not an image that the VVAA wishes to perpetuate either for itself or for its members. Rather, it sees Vietnam veterans as achievers.

    All honourable members would agree with that. The Association continued:

    Vietnam veterans have reached the highest level of business, professional and political ranks within Australia, and every one of them who has overcome psychological or health problems in order to raise a family and live a relatively normal life has overcome adversity in order to achieve. Vietnam veterans aren't victims, they are achievers.

    So say all of us on this side of the House.

    Ms TANYA GADIEL (Parramatta) [4.52 p.m.]: I am pleased to speak on this matter of public importance. As previous speakers have acknowledged, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that this issue remains a high priority for all levels of government. This includes the Commonwealth Government, which manages claims from veterans who suffer from service-related diseases or conditions, but it also includes the State Government in a broader sense, because we are heavily committed to cutting-edge cancer research.

    Science is essential if we are to fight this insidious condition. All the political goodwill in the world cannot substitute for the work of our leading scientists in fighting cancer. This research has implications for all those in the community who have been touched by cancer, either directly or indirectly. More specifically, it could lead to breakthroughs, which will benefit Vietnam veterans or their children who are battling cancer. On behalf of the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer), the Hon. Frank Sartor, I would like to elaborate on some heartening progress in New South Wales cancer research.

    As the Minister announced in January this year, cancer mortality rates in New South Wales are now the lowest in 30 years. Since 1994 death rates have fallen by 17 per cent in men and 12 per cent in women. This is reflected in good survival rates for people suffering from cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. In fact, honourable members will be pleased to note that 75 per cent of patients diagnosed with these cancers are still alive five years after diagnosis, and by 2011 it is estimated that two-thirds of new cancer patients in New South Wales will survive. The number of new cancer cases will continue to rise as the population ages and we continue to improve early detection programs.

    As we can all appreciate, diagnosis as early as possible can literally make the difference between life and death. These results are a testament to the talent of the men and women in laboratories across the State whose work brings relief and hope for so many. It is also proof that the Iemma Labor Government's plan for tackling cancer is working. By investing in cancer research, prevention and treatment, we are improving survival rates. For example, this year the Minister announced almost $3.5 million in funding for new cancer doctors in New South Wales through a unique fellowship program. This announcement coincided with World Cancer Day on Saturday 4 February.

    There can be no doubt that New South Wales is playing its part on the world stage when it comes to fighting cancer. These fellowships show that we are serious about cancer research. The $3.5 million will fund one year of in-depth training and research for 30 doctors who have recently completed specialty training in cancer. It will help these brilliant young cancer doctors to become experts in their fields. I note with interest that the first eight fellowships have been awarded to Sydney-based specialists in cancer genetics, melanoma and prostate, bowel, breast and cervical cancer. There is no doubt that these youth represent one of our biggest hopes for cancer treatment in the future.

    The State Government will continue to support and encourage them. We will continue also to invest in facilities and equipment to enable them to carry out their lifesaving work. Through the New South Wales Cancer Institute, the State Government has a comprehensive program of funding grants to enhance the equipment used by our medical specialists. This will include new imaging equipment for more accurate detection, monitoring and treatment of tumours. This is expected to improve treatment of prostate cancer patients, in particular. Additionally, new equipment will target tumours more specifically, minimising the impact of radiation on surrounding healthy tissue.

    Finally, the State Government's program of investing in cancer research also gives women great hope for the future. Honourable members would be aware that breast cancer is the third most common cancer in New South Wales after prostate and bowel cancer. There are more than 4,000 new cases every year and 900 deaths. But I am pleased to remind honourable members that breast cancer death rates in New South Wales have fallen by 21 per cent since 1995. Again, this encouraging result is largely attributed to BreastScreen NSW's screening and early detection. Clearly, we have made very steady but exciting progress in tackling the many forms of cancer affecting New South Wales' families each week. The State Government will not rest on its laurels. We will continue to provide the funding and political will to meet cancer head-on. This is our commitment to all residents affected by cancer including, of course, our Vietnam veterans. [Time expired.]

    Ms MARIE ANDREWS (Peats) [4.57 p.m.], in reply: I thank the honourable member for Hawkesbury and the honourable member for Parramatta for their contributions to the debate on this matter of public importance. The overriding message is that the health problems Vietnam veterans and their families now suffer are of paramount importance to both sides of the House. I congratulate the Iemma Government on its continuing in-depth research into cancer. New South Wales was the first State in Australia to have a Minister specifically for cancer and the honourable member for Parramatta has highlighted some of the gains in that area.

    Honourable members on both sides of the House must highlight the importance of continuing research into cancer, particularly the effect that this insidious disease has on Vietnam veterans and their families. The Iemma Government will continue to make approaches to the Federal Government to consider ways to improve compensation for Vietnam veterans and their families, particularly with respect to cancer, which can be traced back to their service in Vietnam. None of us would like to see a repeat of a war of the scale of Vietnam or its disastrous health effects. I commend this matter of public importance to the House.

    Discussion concluded.


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