Abbott pledges compo for terror victims

Australian victims of past terrorism attacks will receive compensation if the coalition wins the election.

Tony Abbott during a visit to the Cadbury factory in Hobart

Tony Abbott has pledged $16 million towards a redevelopment of Hobart's Cadbury chocolate factory. (AAP)

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has made a "solemn pledge" to extend compensation to Australian victims of overseas terrorist attacks dating back to September 2001.

Mr Abbott says a coalition government will move in its first 100 days to compensate Australians who were victims of attacks in New York, Bali, Jakarta, Mumbai and London.

His plan will extend the scheme Labor introduced in 2012 - which offers victims $75,000 - by making it retrospective.

"To it's discredit (Labor) never made the retrospective declarations necessary to ensure that victims of these terrible atrocities overseas would receive that modest compensation," Mr Abbott told reporters in Newcastle.

"An incoming coalition government will finally provide a measure of justice to the Australian victims of overseas terrorism."

Mr Abbott, who was in Bali after the 2005 bombings and helped at Sanglah Hospital, said the matter was personal not political for him.

Newcastle lawyer Paul Anicich who was injured in the second Bali bombing said he appreciated Mr Abbott's pledge.

"Your role in all this has been extraordinary," he told Mr Abbott at the event.

Mr Abbott helped arrange for Mr Anicich to be airlifted out of Bali for urgent medical treatment in Singapore.

"You can imagine the gratitude that I have for you," Mr Anicich said.

Labor frontbencher Brendan O'Connor said Labor would look at Mr Abbott's policy.

"I think it's right to compensate victims of terrorism," he told Sky News.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world