http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s2042964.htm

After reading this I am appalled that this man has gotten so much money for being a coward! Sure it may have been tough doing what he did but what did he expect to do when he joined the navy?

It did not occur to him that he may have to pick up survivors from a sunk or sinking ship? Its part of the job! He would have trained for it! Did he think in the navy they just sail around all day playing silly buggers!

He should get all the medical care and the pension which he deserves for serving in the Australian navy but not a penny more!

Lawyers got his ear somewhere. I think the navy should help with medical for a season (help him on his feet) but the compo is extreme and sets a precedent for other claims not all that worthy. Sadly courage is passing. Military people are becoming weaker like the rest of society. If the invader I believe is coming (mentioned in many visions and prophecies to the christians since the mid-1970's) we will need stronger men and women than we have. National service is going to be imperative soon. Islam and the PLA never sleep. More guns in the defence cupboard, decentralisation for rural home guard defence force...all are viable and will one day be needed. War is coming to the region, maybe not this year or next, but we can see whats going to happen.

I don't know about his two million, but to call him a coward is unpleasant. Until you walk in his soul a well as his shoes; don't judge him.

I would not have liked to be in his position. Those that were are certainly not cowards!

Easy times

The only coward here is you.

One needs to serve to even be able to call another that but since you have it seems you have called all who hav e been injured within defence a coward.

The real coward is labor policy that made this happen.
Labor destroyed vet affairs so they could lease their building from the labor party when they were in government.

It would be good next time you call someone a coward which by your statement includes me put your name to it or to gutless.

Stuartulrich
Independent Candidate for Charlton
swulrich@bigpond.net.au

Stu this time we agree 100% agree, on what grounds do you say coward?
That night was one of horror and death, the defense people tried for years not to pay and many died before the money for a ruined life came.
Not just in this case but other things like long term exposure to boiler lagging that bought death .
And fiery death after poor workmanship .
How can you know he was a coward?
Do you hold your self responsible for those words? understand you would not Begin to know what that night put him through?
Melbourne went on to cut another ship in half , its crew suffer today, no doubt the survivors of that American ship do too.
Coward? I think you do your self no service in the post.

Tapp just notice the post in full was your injury upper body? Liberals ruled Australia on that sad night.
The award was under a conservative government and much earned.
No government sank that ship, you must please Stu take responsibility for your disjointed posts.
In no way will that change the insulting fact our threads author has no idea of the impact of that night on 100,s of lives.
Last or second last in your federal seat ,far less than 1000 votes, you soon will take responsibility for not understanding electoral issues
regards

What people seem to forget is that this man VOLUNTERED to serve in the navy and as far as I can tell (someone correct me if I am wrong) all he did was pick up survivors.
Its part of the job being in the navy! It’s the equivalent of an ambulance driver complaining that he had to help someone in a car crash. Its part of the job!

No one denies that it would have been stressful doing the work but if you are the type of person who faints at the sight of red paint you should not be in the military!

This man deserves his military pension and what ever medical/counseling he requires but he does not deserve the two million he got from Australian tax payers for doing what would be a fundamental part of his job.

Lets hope he does not set a precedent and make a mockery of the Australian military

Easy Times I do not see the need to debate with you, I am proud to disagree.
I however broke a promise I made to myself, I let Stu get to me.
As a kid on a beach south of Wollongong I found a life vest from Voyager.
Aware of that dreadful night, air craft carrier Melbourne cut her in two.
The loss of life the acts of bravery some survivors did, the life long fight some of those who lost mates and a job they wanted to be forever.
Even health was forever lost that night, also aware other service personnel Have to fight for lost health, even mental EVERY INCH OF THE WAY.
I was offended by the thread, and by Stu, head of The Australian Peoples Party.
Stu you are free to hate my party, my union, Me, but not one drop of evidence exists to blame us for that dreadful night.
I have no doubt you contaminate threads to insult , the thread is about the right or wrongs in serving personnel asking for what amounts to workers compensation.
As much money and more has been granted for lessor workplace injury.
I am aware Stu from your posts you suffer still as a result of such, I believe while serving your country.
I stand at your side offended by the inference cowardice took place but will forever shake my head in wonder at a candidate for office as you are diverting such a debate.
Some of the people who went through that dreadful night are now dead, never to see justice or money ,some never had the Chance to live the life they wanted cowards? I think not.

The military is also plagued by our legal system. If a trainee cuts his finger during training does he return to barracks to find a bus-load of lawyers waiting for him? As I have often said CLOSE THE LAW SCHOOLS AND PUT THE RESOURCES INTO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WHERE IT WILL BENEFIT US ALL AND WE WILL NOT HAVE OUR WEALTH SYPHONED OFF BY THE LEGAL SYSTEM.

On that night in 1964 that man was on the voyager as it was cut in half.
Over 80 of his crew mates died, personal friends included, our thread starter overlooked that fact.
Highlighting only ,he had to pick up body's, in fact the body's of his crew mates.
Having as a road rescue member and a road patrol man worked at the scene of many more fatal trauma events on this once highway of death, I know a bit about trauma.
Police have been forced out of work ,,,,forever,,,,,,, by such trauma.
Men left jobs in my road crew after a lifetime of fearing the phone ringing at night.
Most got some compensation.
None ever had to recover the body's of close friends.
Ex service men will understand how hard it is to get our federal government any color politics, to recompense our service men.
I am appalled at the uninformed uncaring remarks we read here.
This bloke will get far less than half that money, he like almost every trauma related injury I ever knew would swap it all just to have his life as it was the day before that event.

Agreed, Belly.

Armchair Judges are....,unbelievable.

If the bloke can cop 2mill out of a government through its weak as p#$s laws then I say good on him deserves every zack.

Morally however I dont know how he lies straight in bed at night, suppose that money would be a great comfort.

Could have told you the bleeding heart brigade would be on his team, Ginx your so predictable by now, what have you not had enough fuzzy feelings today?

By his account every digger from world wars 1,2 and Vietnam should all get a couple of million each.

SCOTTY get of your high horse! do you understand that night?
Have you heard about the long fight for justice?
Do you remember the Vietnam vets fight for justice after exposure to agent orange?
Have you any doubt it was used?
Have you seen a compensation payment handed down for hundreds of thousands of dollars for sexual discrimination?
SCOTTY do you understand the Voyager was cut in half that night?
A night of death and blood?
Have you served your country?
Been full of fear yet done your duty?
This thread calls one who did a COWARD!
On what grounds?
This country owes much to many and my party as much as conservatives is to blame.

Yeh Ive served my country, RAInf.

Im saying that if this guy gets $2m why dont other Vets get the same?

Accidents happen, this is a slap in the face for every guy who has been medically discharged.

Fair go he should have been given a gold card and compensation but to say a 24 hr period is worth $2m is ludicrous.

I dont begrudge him compo, I do however baulk at this payment over what is a tragic but domestic accident.

Everyone is in it for what they can get out of it and I find that a sad indictment on the the Australian way.

Seems that going Jack is the way now. I put it all on the leftist agenda, well get stuffed.

Where is my $2 million dollars Belly and wheres the $2mil for that bloke down the RSL without any legs surely for giving up his legs thats gotta be worth $10mil Belly. And what about my mate whos 15yr son has downs syndrome from agent orange and whom cant sleep in the same bed as his wife because of the nightmares what $20 mil.

These blokes have somthing you or this bloke will never have and thats a sense of honour.

The bleeding hearts like to rant on but at the end of the day. They have no substance, no guts. Get back to bringing more muslims here thats what your good at.

My my, SCOTTY, you do get in a tizz don't you?

If you had mastered the capacity to read you would have noticed that I object to this man being referred to as a coward....

Or as a former military man perhaps you think with the Pattonesque mindset. ANY military man/woman who suffers trauma as a result of a combat situation is a coward?

As to the rest of your barely legible ranting; I'll let that stand for itself.

Do your knuckles drag on the floor by any chance?

SCOTTY that rant belittles you not me, me a leftist, gee mate you do not have to have feathers to be a goose.
Domestic? at sea on an exercise no domestic incident.
The fact the fight took from 1964 till now inflated the legal bill, no doubt at all this inflated the bill.
So your service mates are hero's but this bloke is a COWARD?
I have lost respect for you.

Belly and others a coward is somebody who lacks courage. If he is such a brave hero why is a suing the Australian tax payers for 2 million dollars! It might be harsh what I am saying but it is true!

I am sure if any of the ANZACS who fought for months in applying conditions were around today they would not hesitate to label him a coward! All he did was pick up survivors… lucky he did not have to bayonet charge a machine gun!

'all he did was pick up survivors'...Easytimes.

You are lucky; easy times are clearly all you have known.

I promised myself not to return, it is likely I debate with some one who understands nothing of a ship at sea cut in half.
Or the dreadful night, the near half century fighting for compensation.
It seems I debate with one who lays the charge of COWARDICE without understanding the man was a victim.
And another poster ,full of indignation tells me I am one of my lifetime opponents the very left.
And in some way responsible for Muslim migration.
Can you see a thread of miss understanding here?
Australian service men and women are not tourists on holiday.
At any second they could be at war, this event took place 80 plus died, a night of horror.
Some here, must not know the details of that night, some of the acts of bravery are such that we should be proud.
It takes bravery to say I was wrong, those who claim this sailor was a coward should do that , and re read the thread and ask did I know enough to say that?
If you do not understand the times you get it wrong you can never improve, and while some never see faults in their thinking ,it is clear to the world, coward? sorry you have no enedence for that statement.

When I served at the Iron curtain, before becoming a regular, in the NATO, people were being shot, we were under the aim of East Germans, etc, etc, and this was an obvious strain. I did not volunteer for this but nevertheless served. I was trained to kill or be killed, this while ordinary I oppose the killing of a human being, even a death sentence by the judiciary.
I was no coward for serving. And I was no coward to try to make money out of it either. I never even considered such a scheme! And this is what I perceive EasyTimes is about. He does not seek to slander those serving not just in the armed services, hospitals, ambulance services, etc, but rather criticise what he deems, as I understand it to be, is the cowardly use of compensation.
Let the man have some compensation but lets keep it reasonable.
Why should this kind of traumatic event, be awarded while many who served lost a limb or more and didn’t get a penny?
When you serve in jobs dealing with trauma, you know that you could be attending to your colleagues, one day.
Soldiers in, WWI and WWII (to mention some) had to deal with their dead mates, being perhaps killed along side of them. How many of them perhaps abused the compensation system to claim compensation for this? I doubt anyone would have done so.
Police at times attend to a scene of an accident involving their colleague, this can be traumatic but something that can be expected as can be for doctors, nurses, etc.
Compensation must be considered as to what can be expected in that regard and also consider the alternatives available. Perhaps we just lack proper screening to get people serving who are suitable for the job?
Perhaps I should sue the federal government for being married to my at times nagging wife? Or let be clear about it, we are heading the USA way to go crazy to sue and in the process those who really deserve compensation are likely missing out.

VERY well put Mr GH. S-H. I agree.

My objection was and is however, that this gentleman was called a coward.

He is not. He was not.

Come justify the use of the word COWARD here.
Tell me the threads author understood the man was a victim.
Count the court costs from an event that took place in 1964.
Ask how much did the legal costs amount to?
And was that a reason for the large sum?
How much will he get?
Will it be half or less?
Say half, divide by all those years.
41 of them how much per year?
Service personnel do get the TPI pension, after a battle as hard as you think it will be then more.
Sometimes they die while waiting for COMPENSATION,
justify the use of the word COWARD.
I can not express my contempt for its use enough on what evidence is he a COWARD?