George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie yesterday asked me if the government's proposal extending the gold card to atomic veterans covers their children. I can advise Senator Lambie that these arrangements do not extend to the children or dependants of an eligible British nuclear test participant or British Commonwealth occupying force veterans. The government has allocated $133.1 million in the budget over the forward estimates to provide a gold card from 1 July 2017 to veterans and civilians involved in the British nuclear test program in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as veterans who took part in the occupation of Japan immediately after World War II as part of the British Commonwealth occupying force.

The gold card will be provided under the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006 and will effectively extend non-liability treatment eligibility already available to British nuclear test participants under this act for cancer treatment to cover for all conditions. The gold card for British Commonwealth occupying forces veterans will also be provided under the BNT Act, which will be renamed to recognise its expanded coverage. The measure will provide the approximately 1,800 surviving British nuclear test participants and the approximately 1,100 surviving British Commonwealth occupying forces veterans with access to treatment for any condition under the DVA gold card arrangements as and from 1 July 2017.