Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to raise a number of issues in my shadow portfolio area of veterans affairs. It has been my absolute privilege and pleasure since taking over this portfolio in July to have met with many ex-service organisations as well as individual veterans to discuss the issues that are important to them. A number of common themes have been raised with me, which I will speak about tonight.

Firstly, I would like to raise the issue of transitioning from the ADF into civilian life. This is an issue where I think it is clear that we can do better. It has been described to me that, once serving personnel reach the gate, they do feel that they are alone. Civilian life is very different from life in the ADF, and for some service personnel the ADF is the only life they know. It is not uncommon for an individual to have joined the ADF at 17 years of age, straight out of school. They serve their country, with operational and/or non-operational service, are equipped with a broad range of skills and can be exposed to situations and events which can change them for life. A time may come when they may want to leave or, for medical reasons, have no choice but to leave the ADF. When that time comes they will leave with a wealth of experience, but they may need support in transitioning to areas of civilian life. Things that we take for granted they may never have had support in doing, whether that is obtaining private housing, finding their own GP or putting in place, most importantly, a plan for employment.

The face of our veterans is changing. They are not necessarily leaving the ADF after a lifelong career, looking to settle down or retire. It has been reported that the average length of service is less than 10 years. So, for men and women leaving the ADF, one of the most important parts of their transition is finding meaningful employment. They have many more years in front of them to participate in the workforce; however, the skills they have, while highly desirable, may not be obviously recognised by the wider business community.

Our ex-service personnel have a lot to offer but may lack the skills in applying for work or, indeed, selling themselves to prospective employers or identifying opportunities in the wider labour market. Support for them to find employment is an area in which I think we can work in a bipartisan way to improve. As we know, the intrinsic value of participating in the workforce has many flow-on effects for individuals and their families. However, it is not just about preparing the veterans or ex-ADF members but about encouraging employers to recognise and appreciate the skills and abilities that these individuals bring. I recognise Minister Tehan at the table. Both of us were at a Soldier On and ServiceNow launch of their employment program, which is about working with business.

See this speech in context