A GRIFFITH mother who lost her son in an avoidable workplace accident under the Rudd Government's botched insulation scheme said she is pleased with Prime Minister Tony Abbott's promise to compensate families.
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But Wendy Sweeney, mother of Mitchell Sweeney who was killed in Far North Queensland in 2010 at the age of 22, said while the compensation could help her other sons' in the future, "no money in the world" could ease the family's heartache over the death of their loved one.
"Nobody has mentioned an amount yet for the compensation," Mrs Sweeney said. "But how do you put a price on a life? No amount can ever replace our child."
The mother-of-three said after Tony Abbott's compo announcement in parliament earlier this week, the "waiting game" has begun.
"The lawyers of all the families who lost their sons (under the insulation scheme) will have to sit down with the relevant government officials and decide what they want to do (in regards to compensation payments)," Mrs Sweeney said.
"To pay compensation is a good decision but it's a hard one too," she said.
"It might help set Mitchell's brothers up, but I would rather be broke and have Mitchell back.
"They could give us billions of dollars I would give it all away if I could turn back the clock and bring back our son."
On Tuesday Tony Abbott announced several interim measures in the House of Representatives to help the families who lost loved-ones under the home insulation program.
He said Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann had been asked to develop options for the compensation for the next of kin of the four men who died under the scheme: Mitchell Sweeney, Rueben Barnes, Matthew Fuller and Marcus Wilson.
Mr Abbott signalled that businesses "adversely affected" by the scheme would also be considered for compensation.
"Although nothing can bring them back, the Barnes, Fuller, Sweeney and Wilson families should know that government won't walk away, that government accepts responsibility and will do its best to make amends," he said.
"And while nothing can compare to the pain of losing a child, there were other families who also suffered in serious ways, pre-existing home insulation businesses, large and small, have suffered significant losses as a result of this program, they trusted the government and were let down."