REPATRIATION MEDICAL AUTHORITY

INSTRUMENT NO. 67 OF 2012

VETERANS’ ENTITLEMENTS ACT 1986

MILITARY REHABILITATION AND COMPENSATION ACT 2004

EXPLANATORY NOTES FOR TABLING

1. The Repatriation Medical Authority (the Authority) has determined, under subsection 196B(3) & (8) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (the VEA) Statement of Principles Instrument No. 67 of 2012.

2.             This Instrument amends Statement of Principles Instrument No. 36 of 2009, as amended by Instrument No. 60 of 2010 and Instrument No. 80 of 2011, concerning fibrosing interstitial lung disease, by:

• Inserting new factors 6(sa) & 6(lla) concerning 'smoking'; and
• Inserting new factor 6(llb) concerning 'gastro-oesophageal reflux disease' for clinical worsening of fibrosing interstitial lung disease.

3.             This Instrument also specifies a date of effect for the amendment in accordance with subsection 12(1)(a) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

4.             Prior to determining this Instrument, the Authority advertised its intention to undertake two focussed investigations in relation to fibrosing interstitial lung disease in the Government Notices Gazettes of 18 May 2011 and 2 November 2011, and circulated a copy of the notices of intention to investigate to a wide range of organisations representing veterans, service personnel and their dependants. The Authority invited submissions from the Repatriation Commission, organisations and persons referred to in section 196E of the VEA, and any person having expertise in the field.  Three submissions were received for consideration by the Authority during the investigation.

5.             This instrument is compatible with the Human Rights and Freedoms recognised or declared in the International Instruments listed in Section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny Act 2011). A Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights follows.

6.             The determining of this Instrument finalises the investigations in relation to fibrosing interstitial lung disease as advertised in the Government Notices Gazettes of 18 May 2011 and 2 November 2011.

7.             A list of references relating to the above condition is available to any person or organisation referred to in subsection 196E(1)(a) to (c) of the VEA.  Any such request must be made in writing to the Repatriation Medical Authority at the following address:

The Registrar

Repatriation Medical Authority

GPO Box 1014

BRISBANE    QLD    4001

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

(Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011)

Instrument No.:   Statement of Principles No. 67 of 2012

Kind of Injury, Disease or Death: Fibrosing interstitial lung disease

This Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview of the Legislative Instrument

1. This Legislative Instrument is determined pursuant to subsection 196B(8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (the VEA) for the purposes of the VEA and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (the MRCA).

2. This Legislative Instrument:-

• facilitates claimants in making, and the Repatriation Commission in assessing, claims under the VEA and the MRCA respectively, by specifying the circumstances in which medical treatment and compensation can be extended to eligible persons who have fibrosing interstitial lung disease;
• facilitates the review of such decisions by the Veterans' Review Board and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal;
• includes new factors which the current sound medical-scientific evidence indicates must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, fibrosing interstitial lung disease is connected with the circumstances of eligible service rendered by a person;
• amends Instrument No. 36 of 2009, as amended by Instrument No. 60 of 2010 and Instrument No. 80 of 2011; and
• reflects developments in the available sound medical-scientific evidence concerning fibrosing interstitial lung disease which have occurred since those earlier instruments were determined. 

3. The Instrument is assessed as being a technical instrument which improves the medico-scientific quality of outcomes under the VEA and the MRCA. 

Human Rights Implications

4. This Legislative Instrument does not derogate from any human rights. It promotes the human rights of veterans, current and former Defence Force members as well as other persons such as their dependents, including:

• the right to social security (Art 9, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Art 26, Convention on the Rights of the Child and Art 28, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) by helping to ensure that the qualifying conditions for the benefit are 'reasonable, proportionate and transparent'[1];
• the right to an adequate standard of living (Art 11, ICSECR; Art 27, CRC and Art 28, CRPD) by facilitating the assessment and determination of social security benefits;
• the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (Art 12, ICSECR and Art 25, CRPD), by facilitating the assessment and determination of compensation and benefits in relation to the treatment and rehabilitation of veterans and Defence Force members; and
• the rights of persons with disabilities by facilitating the determination of claims relating to treatment and rehabilitation (Art 26, CRPD).

Conclusion

This Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not derogate from and promotes a number of human rights.

Repatriation Medical Authority

[1] In General Comment No. 19 (The right to social security), the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights said (at paragraph 24) this to be one of the elements of ensuring accessibility to social security.