Graham Edwards (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and Veterans' Affairs)) Share this | Hansard source

I certainly support this motion. I must say that I appreciate Kevin Rudd coming into this House and moving this motion. It is the first time in nine years that I have seen a leader come into this House and move such a motion, let alone speak on it in the way that he has. I have had the opportunity to speak to Kevin on a number of occasions about veterans issues. He has a deep commitment to veterans and a genuine interest, and I suspect that is in part because his brother is a Vietnam veteran.

I also just want to quickly recognise Alan Griffin and say how much I appreciate the job that he has done since he has come in as ALP spokesperson on veterans issues. He is without doubt the best spokesperson on veterans issues on either side of the House that I have seen in my time here—no disrespect to you, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott. Alan Griffin has come in with a great degree of interest and sympathy. He is very energetic; he has been out there talking to veterans groups; he has travelled right around Australia; he has listened to them and he has consulted with them—and that is one of the reasons why, since Kevin Rudd has been leader of the ALP and Alan Griffin has been shadow spokesperson, Labor has announced a number of initiatives. We have others which we will announce leading up to the next election.

The previous speaker started by saying that he agrees with what the leader of the ALP had to say and then totally contradicted himself as he spent his whole time rubbishing what the leader of the ALP had to say. The previous speaker also said that veterans affairs policy is a world-class service. So, might I say, is the service that veterans have given over generations to freedom and this country. That too is a world-class service, and it is damn time that governments stopped looking for simple photo opportunities with veterans and started to do something deeper and meaningful to address the issues that they confront.

The former speaker who got up and spoke on this motion said he was an officer in the Australian Defence Force. He turned his back on some of the diggers who have served under him—diggers who are battling out there and are in need of support. What the previous speaker did not say is that this government, since it has been in power, has added very little in real terms to the veterans affairs budget. Let me say that the figures might sound impressive, but do not listen to what members of the government say; look at the figures. Firstly, more than 80 per cent, or $3.7 billion worth of the increase over the past 10 years, has overwhelmingly related to natural cost increases and not to changes in services or benefits for the veterans community. It is an increase that would have occurred had there been no Minister for Veterans’ Affairs over the past 10 years.

The area of income support and compensation is the topic of the opposition leader’s motion today. Apart from this year’s catch-up payment for TPI intermediate rate pensions that addresses erosion caused by inappropriate indexation, the totality of government initiatives over the past 10 years has led to practically no increase in the amount of income paid by the department. I would challenge government members to outline exactly how many of their policies have been about new measures rather than focusing on catch-up payments or the restoration of services that the veterans community are entitled to. Unfortunately, just as we have a clever Prime Minister, a tricky Prime Minister, so too we have a clever and tricky Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. The way he presents figures does not stand up to scrutiny. He might be able to trick his backbench but, let me tell you, he cannot trick members of the veterans community and their families who are out there battling to make ends meet.

We have had strong support from the TPI Association. I note that the National President, ‘Blue’ Ryan, is in the gallery today. We have had strong support from the Vietnam Veterans Federation and the RSL over the initiatives that we have taken. Those initiatives are a direct result and reflection of the commitment that the ALP has to veterans issues under Kevin Rudd. (Time expired)

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