I think that the procrastination of successive governments to pay proper conmpensation to the victims of the Voyager disaster is unforgivable. Is the government hoping that they can delay matters until all victims are dead?

And what about the dependants of the RAAF personnel whose 707 hit the waves off Jervis Bay, if I recall rightly?

It is a wonder that anyone in their right mind would sign up for service in our ADF knowing the miserable treatment that they and their dependants will get if killed or injured in the course of duty.

This taxpayer demands that these injustices be rectified now.

Dear KEVO, how right you are - and there is so much unfinished business in this field. Thank you for reminding us of some of them.

Bravo Tess, passionate pages of the truth...the truth which is at last being unveiled. When my father, a WW1 and WW2 soldier, came home in his troop ship in 1919 all troops were given a letter saying they should not speak to their families about what they had lived through. He never did, and I imagine most others also remained silent. How many families had a good and silent father like mine, who never recovered mental health after three years on the Western Front? The Korean soldiers you cited are an incredible example of our governments' cruelty and miserable parsimony! Wives, husbands and babies are again being told the same old story..."it's noble to fight and die for one's country...we honour you on your return, and don't whine about the pittance we give you, after all, you get cheered on ANZAC Day and we do go to the funeral's of those who die, sitting solemnly in the front row."
You speak of returned soldiers' uniting to change this...bravo to them also. Another bright ray of hope is Soldier On [easily found on google]. Please join and support this vision of aid for returned men and women.

Dear CAROL183, like many, your family has direct knowledge of the ongoing battles and demons that plague our defence personnel upon their return.

So thank you so much for putting this online. What damage those ridiculous suppression orders did - to the human beings involved and their families - and the wider community. It has a direct bearing on today, for sure.

I just don't get it Carol. The overall amount of money it would take to redress this injustice is piddling in comparison with other fundings.

Thanks for the heads up about SOLDIER ON, too.

Hi there TESS...

I'm a Veteran, on a 100% War Pension, and by and large I'm quite happy about the way DVA has treated most of us. Of course, I'm from the Vietnam era and on our return, many blokes were treated very badly by both the media as well as some members of the public.

However, as the years go by, I believe Veterans from my time, have received a great deal more respect and attention from DVA, than perhaps at any time previously.

I do agree however, that some Vets. do have legitimate reasons to complain. But if we were to compare ourselves to that of the British Vets. for example, we're way out in front, I reckon.

There are some US Veterans, who actually live on the street. I don't believe there would be too many eligable Aussie Vets. forced to live similar impoverished existences.

Anyway, it's just my opinion.

Dear O SUNG WU, I am so glad to read of your happy experience. Sadly, I know that has not been the case for thousands of your Veteran Brethren.

Here's a link to a story on Independent Australia entitled DIGGERS VERSUS THE GILLARD GOVERNMENT. You will find more than 2000 comments that represent ongoing dialogue between the Veterans and wider community. You will read for yourself, how many of them are in distress.

Among the last few comments posted, is one by KBHUSSELL. I encourage you to read it - and to go through as many of the other comments as you can.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/exclusive-breaking-news-diggers-versus-the-gillard-government/

The graph is interesting, but fundamentally flawed, given, none of the lines actually share the same starting point, with regard to male weekly averages?
I mean, Military TPI pensions are still significantly higher than their civilian comparative?
Even so, I believe the argument has much merit! The problem being, the actual funding mechanisms of public service pensions; and their lack of linking to the CPI?
A much better measure than GDP?
The problem for successive govts, has been the quite deliberately constructed structural deficit, created by conservative rationalists, [an oxymoron if there ever was one,] handing over increased windfall mining boom tax increases, as reduced taxes or welfare for the rich. You know, those with enough power and influence, to largely avoid military service altogether?
We really do need quite vast tax reform with genuine win/win outcomes, which will more than address the structural deficit inherited by Labour! Once we have done that, we need to set aside anything surplus to needs in sovereign funds, that in turn will earn exponentially growing returns for the public purse, which in turn, will at long last be able to independently review/ raise public service pension/compensation packages. Least we forget, many servicemen and women handed over the bulk of their wartime earnings as gratuities, which underwrote the lump sum compensation packages handed over to, the nominated grieving relative along with a lifelong generous pension, which arguably ought to be far more generous than aged pensions; for example, given those folk have had a lifetime to plan for retirement; and no longer have things like mortgage payments or child support/education expenses etc, to also fund or consider?
If the wives and widows of the fallen and the brave, or unsung heroes, could be guaranteed just half of what far less deserving politicians award themselves, as their pension/compensation entitlements, there'd likely be no grumbling in the ranks? Rhrosty.

Dear RHROSTY, thanks for what you've writtem. Those who drafted the graph know their stuff inside out and have updated and clarified an earlier one prepared for another article. Have put a link to the
' parent ' article at the end of this comment where you can find the first graph - and several thousand comments too.

I'm beginning to think it would be a good thing to publish in brackets their annual income and superannuation payout, whenever we mention the names of politicians!

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/exclusive-breaking-news-diggers-versus-the-gillard-government/

‘… weary batallions of ghosts of wars past and present’
‘… the gentle tears of angels, anoints us’
‘… widows cast onto the pyres of bureaucratic indifference’
‘… dead lips lovingly fingered and kissed’
‘… this sacred day’
‘… basking in the going down of the sun’

Ms Lawrence, if you are outraged by the duplicitous behaviour of successive Australian governments ‘exhorting heroic deeds and payment of the “ultimate” sacrifice’, why do you play same game of emotional manipulation?

Like so much of the rhetoric surrounding Australia’s overblown Anzac reverence, this article was heavy on emotive string pulling and extremely light on substance. It said nothing to me – a lowly, ungrateful civilian – of the facts and figures to support any of the veterans’ claims. The one graph you provided was so ill-explained as to be a joke, especially when civilian aged and other pensions remain on the same footing as service pensions. For example, both the civilian and service aged pensions are the same: Singles $695.30, Supplement $60.20; Couples (each) $524.10, Supplement (each) $45.40.

So what exactly is the factual basis for the argument that veterans have been tossed on the scrap heap? I’m not saying there isn’t one. I’d just like it better explained to me, and without all the ‘blood and sacrifice’ distracting.

Dear KILLARNEY, the graph is excellent. You are entitled to your opining and your opinion. They are certainly welcomed by me.

Here is a link to Independent Australia and an article I wrote entitled
DIGGERS VERSUS THE GILLARD GOVERNMENT.

There are more than 2000 comments attached to the article. You will
find an earlier graph in the article and a number of facts and figures
in the comments, that I hope will be of great help and clarification.

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/exclusive-breaking-news-diggers-versus-the-gillard-government/#comment-66973