In January, I wrote to the Health Minister, Mark Butler, seeking his advice about how I could support people who’d written to me about their vaccine injuries.
Earlier this week I received a response from Minister Butler. It is disappointing, disrespectful and has no regard for those who have suffered and are still suffering.
This is my response to him.
Dear Minister
On 18 January 2023 I wrote to you, as the Minister for Health, to seek advice about how to support people who had contacted me regarding their vaccine injuries. Your Chief of Staff’s response dated 20 February 2023 shows disrespect and contempt for the 23 people whose emails I included, as well as other Australians whose health and livelihoods have been ruined by the Covid-19 vaccines.
Not only have you failed to sign the letter yourself, but the response leaves thousands, if not tens of thousands of Australians without hope.
As a long serving parliamentarian, it defies my understanding that you would not personally address the serious issues I raised. There is no acknowledgement of the suffering and despair outlined in each of the 23 emails. In fact, it does the opposite. Referring to their horrific injuries as ‘suspected adverse events’ is beyond disgraceful.
Your Chief of Staff’s comment that he ‘is sorry to hear of their poor health’ is devoid of consideration for their anguish and shows a reckless disregard for the severity of their injuries. Indeed, he fails to acknowledge the many Australians with adverse reactions that have been confirmed by medical professionals – they just don’t fit the TGA’s current list of ‘eligible’ reactions. I can only assume their stories were not read.
The compensation scheme set up by the Morrison government is manifestly inadequate. It is cumbersome, bureaucratic, and in no way fit for purpose given the broad range of injuries that have resulted from the vaccines. This is an insult to the vaccine-injured who trusted government, who did the right thing and got vaccinated, and who now suffer terrible consequences. Their distress has been further exacerbated by the deafening silence from medical professionals and bureaucrats and media censorship.
This is a national crisis which must be addressed.
Yours sincerely
Russell Broadbent
I will continue to stand up and be a voice for the vaccine-injured. These are our people, and they are suffering very real damage at our government’s hands. The buck stops with us, their elected representatives in this nation.
I’m mindful that many people who have suffered a vaccine injury may find the Minister’s response distressing. Support can be found through vaccine injury support organisations such as COVERSE, and crisis support services like Lifeline by calling 13 11 14. I also encourage you to engage with your doctor or specialist.
The more voices that cry out, the more difficult it will be for government to ignore their policy failure and its terrible impact on so many Australians. For in unity, there is strength.
We will not be silenced.
