CATHERINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND MEDICARE
MEMBER FOR BALLARAT
LIBBY COKER
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR CORANGAMITE
LABOR WILL ESTABLISH SENATE INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE CANCER RATES ON BELLARINE PENINSULA
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a Senate Inquiry to investigate cancer rates on the Bellarine Peninsula.
The Senate Inquiry will provide the community with the confidence that concerns about a potential cluster of cancers on the Bellarine Peninsula, and historical use of a category of agricultural pesticide known as organochlorine pesticides (OCP’s), and other chemicals are being investigated.
Residents on the Bellarine Peninsula have raised concerns about the number of cancer deaths among young adults, particularly around Barwon Heads and Drysdale relating to a period of time from the late 1990’s to the early 2000’s.
A Shorten Labor Government will work with health experts, community advocates, cancer patients and their families to develop the terms of reference for the inquiry.
The Inquiry will commence by the end of 2019.
Comment attributable to Libby Coker:
“A lot of people in the community have raised concerns with me about this issue, there are a lot of questions about why many of our young people got very sick.”
“Labor will do everything we can to get answers for local families.”
Comment attributable to Catherine King:
“Labor will work with the state government, health experts to investigate this matter and to understand exactly any connection between illness and organochlorine pesticides.”
THURSDAY, 16 MAY 2019