Fed: Govt will look after families of Sea King crash

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2005
Fed: Govt will look after families of Sea King crash

The federal government says the families of the nine Australian Defence Force personnel
killed in the Sea King helicopter crash will get better treatment than families of victims
in previous military accidents.

Veterans Affairs' Minister DE-ANNE KELLY has promised to look after the dependents
of the nine navy and airforce personnel who died when their helicopter crashed on the
Indonesian island of Nias on Saturday.

Ms KELLY'S comments follow criticism the government failed to provide for the families
of 18 servicemen who died in the Black Hawk helicopter tragedy in June 1996.

She has acknowledged the widows didn't receive adequate payouts, blaming it on a legacy
of the previous Labor government that has since been rectified.

But Ms KELLY says the government can't help the widows of the Black Hawk crash -- some
of whom receive only $13,000 a year -- because the scheme isn't retrospective.

AAP RTV tr/wf/jjs

KEYWORD: CHOPPER KELLY (SYDNEY)

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