The Napthine Government is shamefully ignoring Victorian firefighters in their time of need by refusing to even meet to discuss the need for legislation to recognise occupational cancer.
The UFU wrote to the Minister for Emergency Services formally requesting an opportunity to meet to discuss the need for presumptive legislation, to enable firefighters with cancer to be able to access medical assistance and entitlements as they can for any other work-related injury.
Minister Wells has refused to meet with the UFU and has attempted to wipe his hands of the issue by passing the buck to the Assistant Treasurer. His letter received today is included below.
In particular, the UFU wants to educate Minister Wells about the wealth of international research which is accepted by Canadian and US Governments and his own colleagues in the Australian Federal Parliament which had proven the link between firefighting and the contraction of specific cancers.
Minister Wells seems to have plenty of time to make inaccurate and outrageous statements in the media about the lack of research and misconstruing the purpose of Monash study, but has no time to talk to firefighters or the UFU.
