House debates

Monday, 26 March 2018

Statements by Members

Defence Facilities: Chemical Contamination

4:24 pm

Photo of Meryl SwansonMeryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

While considering the ethical dilemmas brought to the fore by the former Deputy Prime Minister's recent personal turmoil, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull revealed that he had sought the counsel of his wife. This news prompted Ann Clout, who resides in the PFAS contamination red zone within my electorate, to pen a letter to the Prime Minister and his wife. I will endeavour to deliver it. Even so, Ann fears it may never be read. On her behalf, I read it here for the parliamentary record.

Dear Prime Minister,

I invite you, Malcolm, and I invite your wife, Lucy, as you have stated you seek her counsel and turn to her, your "life partner", for advice.

I hope Lucy will see first-hand the human side; the impact and toll this contamination is having on our communities.

I invite you to hear the full and correct facts; information which you have not received from the Department of Defence or PFAS Taskforce advisors.

I invite you, for you to understand the full impact this contamination has had on our health, lives and the devaluation, to zero, of our properties, and therefore the inability for us to be able to leave.

I am asking you and Mrs Turnbull to please visit us, hear us and put an end to our plight of nearly three years.

Yours sincerely,

Ann Clout