I first appealed for help to Senator Don Farrell on the 24th of March 2022. It was a waste of effort. Farrell had no interest in doing the job he was supposed to do – help the people of South Australia.
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Margaret on our wedding day on the 30th of July 2009.
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Margaret and I on our wedding day, 30th of July 2009. I LOVED marrying Margaret.
When she gave a video eulogy at Margaret’s funeral, Maeve O’Byrne (on Margaret’s left) “forgot” she had been our marriage celebrant.
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Appeal to Senator Don Farrell - 24 March 2022
Senator Don Farrell became Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism after the May 2022 elections. Even before the elections, Farrell was a very powerful Labor Party politician.
I telephoned Farrell’s Electoral Office at 2:22 pm on Thursday 24th of March 2022 and spoke to Peter Zed, Farrell’s Senior Adviser, for 30 minutes and 11 seconds. I had known Farrell in a work capacity when Farrell had run the Shop Assistants’ Union. Farrell was elected to the Senate in 2008 and re-elected in 2016. Farrell was not yet a Minister when I spoke to Peter Zed on 24 March.
Zed was sympathetic when I told him Margaret’s cancer history and the marathon I had endured with HCF. Zed said he would try and help.
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On 25 March, I received a call from Bonnie Pederson who said she worked for Farrell. I spoke to
Peterson for 30 minutes 25 seconds. Pederson was also sympathetic and asked many questions.
Like Zed, Pederson promised to get back to me; she asked me to email documents to her.
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I never heard from Farrell’s office ever again.
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This summarises my useless communications with Farrell’s office.
Communication Details | Length of Correspondence | How Sent | Date of Response | Length of Response | What Did Response Say? |
Phone call to Peter Zed, Don Farrell’s Office at 2:22 pm 24 March 2022 | 30 minutes 11 seconds | I rang Zed | Zed answered the phone | 30 minutes 11 seconds | Sympathetic and would try and help |
Phone call from Bonnie Pederson at 10:35 am 25 March 2022 | 30 minutes 25 seconds | Bonnie Pederson rang me on a “Private Number” | I answered Peterson’s call | 30 minutes 25 seconds | Sympathetic and would try and help. At her request, I emailed documents |
Email 25 March 2022 to Bonnie Pederson | 1 page | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11:26 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Copy of my Notes of Visit to HCF Marion | 3 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11:26 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Table I - HCF Claims History Details as at 10 March 2022 contrasted with actual Lift claims | 13 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11:26 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Table II: HCF Written Advice of Lift Claims Acceptance and Rejection | 10 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11:26 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Copy of 22 March 2022 letter to ACCC | 12 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11:26 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
My Summary of legal requirements | 4 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11:26 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Copy of email to Senator Griff for Health Minister | 2 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au 11:30 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Copy of the HCF fraudulent claims history mailed to me by HCF | 8 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 12:50 am Friday 25 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Pederson email 26 March 2022 | 1 page | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 10:43 am 26 March 2022 | No reply ever received | Zero length | No reply ever received |
Copy of email received from anonymised Lift patient received at 7:06 pm on Friday 25 March 2022 | 1 page | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au sent at 10:43 am on Saturday 26 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Copy of notes made by Lift patient about trying to persuade NIB to pay Lift claims | 6 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 10:43 am 26 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Email dated 29 March 2022 addressed to Bonnie Pederson, Staff Officer, Senator Farrell | 1 page | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au sent at 3:44 pm on Tuesday 29 March 2022 | No reply ever received | Zero length | No reply ever received |
Copy of Ombudsman “Cease and Desist” 29 March 2022 letter to Lift | 2 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au sent at 3:44 pm on Tuesday 29 March 2022 | No reply ever received | Zero length | No reply ever received |
John Hankin 21 February 2022 letter to Ombudsman | 16 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 3:44 pm 29 March 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
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I wrote to Farrell on the 8th of July 2022 after he was appointed Minister for Trade and Tourism. This summarises my attempts to get help from Farrell. I have heard zero from Farrell.
Communication Details | Length of Correspondence | How Sent | Date of Response | Length of Response | What Did Response Say? |
8 July 2022 letter to Farrell* | 5 pages | Email to dfarrell@aph.gov.au at 4.57 pm 8 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No content and no reply |
8 July letter to Farrell dated 8 July 2022 | 7 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11.07 am on Saturday 9 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
“How the Health Insurance Funds’ Scams Work” ** | 5 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11.07 am 9 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
Copy of letter dated 7 July 2022 to Mark Johnson, Chairman of HCF | 13 pages | Email sent to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11.07 am on Saturday 9 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
8 July 2022 letter to Jim Chalmers | 7 pages | Email to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11.07 am 9 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
8 July letter to Senator Penny Wong | 8 pages | Email sent to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11.07 am 9 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
8 July 2022 letter to Steve Georganas MP | 6 pages | Email sent to bonnie.pederson@aph.gov.au at 11.07 am 9 July 2022 | No reply | Zero | No reply |
* The letter to Farrell is available via the Blog link.
** “How the Health Insurance Funds’ Scams Work” is also available via the Blog link
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I had believed Farrell would be so outraged at the way the health insurers treated cancer patients that he would use his immense influence to stop this appalling behaviour. I was completely wrong.
I sent the Farrell letter to Farrell’s Parliament House email address, with a copy to Bonnie Pederson. Pederson had told me to contact Farrell through her.
It is now February 2025, Margaret is now dead and I am still waiting for a reply.
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