MEDIA RELEASE: Thursday November 6 2014 FIREFIGHTERS CAUTIOUS ON PRESUMPTIVE Firefighters say they cautiously welcome a Coalition announcement to introduce legislation to support firefighters with work-related cancer. Presumptive legislation reverses the onus of proof, and assumes that firefighters who contract a range of 12 cancers after years of service are victims of occupational exposure. United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall says he is yet to see the detail on the Coalitions plan. It is a surprising turnaround after the Liberals voted down a Greens bid to implement similar legislation last year. At that time they refused to follow Canberra, Tasmania, SA and WA because they wanted more evidence. That claim came despite long-term international studies on the health of more than 120,000 firefighters, and despite calls by Monash University researchers not to delay presumptive legislation. The Monash researchers insisted last year that the science was already proven but the government wouldnt listen, placing intolerarable strain on the families of ill firefighters. And we remain wary of the Napthine Government when, on the eve of the legislaiton being introduced last year, they announced assessment panels for firefighters with work-related cancers. These have been a complete failure and have blocked fireighters getting support at a critical stage of their life, as they face life-threatening illness. For more information Peter Marshall, Secretary, United Firefighters Union 0419 127 004
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 23:52:39 +0000
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