Mr. C Pearce MHR
Federal Member for Aston
Unit Seven, 426 Burwood Highway
Wantirna South VIC 3152

Monday 06th February 2006

Dear Mr. Pearce

I thank you for your letter post-dated 21st December 2005 with reference to the ongoing issue of Lieutenant EG Kennell RAN and Lt. Commander KA Ferguson RANR. As there has been a change of Minister, should I make fresh submissions or will past submissions suffice?

I have written to the Minister direct welcoming him to the portfolio and in doing so have stated that: “my method of communicating with the Minister(s) concerned has always been via the good offices of your colleague, Mr. Chris Pearce. Anything of major concern to the membership of this Association will have come to you via him. By doing things this way gives him an insight to Veterans problems within his constituency, which may well be reflected in yours and elsewhere in Australia.” I hope this method meets with your approval.

Recent correspondence from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) via Dr. Eileen Wilson, a departmental epidemiologist (received 06^th December 2005), indicates that the current Vietnam Veterans Health Studies, which has been undertaken by the DVA since 2002, are very near completion. These studies also include an analysis of cancer incidence of RAN Personnel by their time in Vietnam waters and the ships on which they served. It was anticipated that these reports would be forwarded to the Minister early in the New Year (2006) by the DVA. Could you please enquire on behalf of the Association as to when the Minister will release these reports and the procedure I would need to follow to obtain a copy.

Regards

Dr. John R Carroll PhD EdD MAPsS
Hon. Secretary
HMAS Sydney & VLSV Assoc. (VIC)