Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My electorate, the electorate of Herbert, has one of the highest veteran population percentages in Australia, and is home to the largest army base in the country. I am proud to support this bill.

I believe the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, said it best when he stated: 'As a nation, we are better at honouring the memory of our dead than looking after our living.' The honourable Jeff Kennett was very passionate in his address on the 11th of the 11th, 2016, at the War Memorial where he clearly stated the devastating reality of mental ill-health in the veteran and ex-service personnel in our communities. We have a long way to go to adequately look after and support our veterans and ex-service personnel, but some of the amendments mentioned here today start to rectify this situation.

As a result of Townville being home to the largest Defence presence in our country and also due to our glorious weather and relaxed lifestyle, many personnel choose to retire in our community. We have approximately 6,500 ADF personnel. Add to that a further 3,500 to 10,000 family members. There are approximately 5,000 DVA clients as well as 4,000 to 9,000 family members. These figures do not include the potentially thousands of veterans who are not registered with DVA who also reside in Townsville with their families.

In recognising that our veteran, ex-service personnel and Defence community plays a vital role to the greater Townsville community, I established the Townsville Defence Community Reference Group. This high-level and committed group has been established to ensure that federal government policy reflects the needs of our Defence community, and these amendments do just that. Supporting veterans and their families should not be embroiled in politics, especially considering that we are talking about the people who have given courageously and selflessly of their lives to ensure that we enjoy the freedom that Australia offers to our citizens.

The Leader of the Opposition was in Townsville on Tuesday last week where he hosted an open town hall forum. At that forum Bill Shorten was asked by a veteran if he would 'fight for veterans'. The Leader of the Opposition did not hesitate to declare his support, and that is exactly what Labor is doing here today. Labor will always encourage and support measures designed to ensure that existing programs take account of mental health requirements for veterans and ex-service personnel.

Before commencing my career in parliament, I was the CEO of a community-managed mental health organisation. I have worked in the mental health sector for approximately 14 years. During that time, I have given evidence to a number of Senate committees about the improvements that could occur for contemporary mental health services.

Mental Health affects one in five people in any 12-month period, and no-one is exempt. It is positive that this issue has come to the surface, as it also further highlights the need for a strong stigma reduction campaign. Veterans and ex-service personnel living with mental ill-health and distress are not the only ones bearing the dreadful impact. This also impacts on their families and friends. As a result of mental ill-health, these people are also not engaged in work. Our veterans and ex-service personnel are often homeless, living in poverty and experiencing sever family breakdown. This is simply unacceptable when we consider that these people have put their lives on hold to serve our country. Our veterans, ex-service personnel and their families deserve nothing less than world-class contemporary care and support.

Veterans' mental health continues to be an issue of significant concern, and an area in which Labor is committed to identifying where more support can be provided. This bill seeks to make three specific adjustments. The amendments to schedule 1 provide for payments of interim compensation to incapacitated current or former ADF members while the actual amount of compensation is being determined. Current applicants are paid at the national minimum wage amount while their claims are being processed, which can be less than they were earning at the time of the injury. When suffering from an injury, this adds a lot of stress and mental anguish for our current or former Defence personnel.

We do not need to add to this anguish and stress by adding financial hardship as well. The strain of financial hardship often creates a significant downward spiralling effects, and that is one additional stress that our veterans and ex-service personnel simply do not need. These amendments will at the very least ensure that we do not add financial stress on top of what is already a difficult and stressful situation. I have said, and I will always say, that where possible early intervention and prevention is prudent and can result in better outcomes for people.

Prior to these amendments, ADF members were required to have had either three years of continuous full-time service or operational service, have lodged an application with the Veterans' Entitlements Act and have a diagnosis. In my electorate, this would be probably one of the highest complaints that I receive from veterans and ex-service personnel. When a person is living with mental ill-health, things that would normally be taken for granted can become incredibly hard and overwhelming. Stigma is definitely one of the most significant issues that people living with mental ill health face, and the perceived shame often prevents people from reaching out for help. Our veterans, ex-service personnel and serving personnel experience things that a lot of us cannot even begin to comprehend. Often their mental health conditions are quite complex and cannot be diagnosed simply by ticking boxes. Under these changes, people will be able to access NLHC immediately and only need to have served one full-time day. These amendments will change the lives of an estimated 67,000 current and former permanent personnel. These members will now become eligible to receive NLHC. This includes victims of abuse in the ADF who may have previously been excluded from NLHC coverage due to the period in which they served or the length of their service. Although these extensions are limited to post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder, this is a first step in the right direction. Further changes align the incapacity payment cut-off age with that of aged pension eligibility. This schedule ensures veterans are not left without income support prior to being able to access the aged pension and will benefit approximately 120 veterans per annum.

Defence, veterans and ex-service personnel issues are a high priority for me as the member for Herbert and remain a high-priority area for Labor. We will continue to work collaboratively with the government over this term of parliament to explore what more can be done to support those who have served and fought for our country. Just as our veterans and ex-service personnel stood up and fought for us, it is now my turn to stand up and fight for them. I am proud to support my veteran and ex-service personnel community in speaking to and supporting these amendments.

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