Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister said to the Legacy clubs of Australia late last year:

… it’s not enough simply to care for those who come back; we must also care for the loved ones of those who don’t come back; for the widows and the orphans of those who have paid the highest possible price in the service of our country.

Will the Prime Minister now reverse his callous decision to cut the payments to the children of Australian veterans of war?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to reassure the Legacy organisation, and everyone who has benefited from Legacy, that the Veterans' Children Education Scheme is not ending. The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme is not ending. These schemes are absolutely supported by the coalition. What is ending—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker I rise on a point of order. A matter of relevance. The question asked about a cut which has been confirmed by the Prime Minister. To simply say that there are other good things that he wants to point to, is not relevant.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The question was wide ranging and dealing with statements made to the RSL. The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every scheme that is directed toward veterans and their families is being supported. Not only that but this government is about to properly index the DFRDB and DFRB pensions—a promise that members opposite made and then reneged on between 2007 and 2013.

What is ending is an income support bonus, because it was funded by the mining tax—which is not raising any money. We were absolutely up-front and clear about this before the election, and what we said we would do before an election we will do after an election. What we are not going to do is what members opposite did repeatedly for six years. That is, try to be generous with money they do not have; try to be compassionate with other people's money—that is not our style. We will do the right thing by everyone in this country, including veterans of this country, and we start doing the right thing by the people of this country by repairing the budget—

because, if you do not repair the budget, you cannot repair our economy.