Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023. In my electorate of Paterson, I have RAAF Base Williamtown. I'm very proud of the fact, and I take the opportunity to thank the men and women who currently serve on this base as well as acknowledge the men and women who, after service, have remained in the beautiful Port Stephens or the more broad Hunter-Newcastle area. It is a remarkable place to live, and I know that many people who have served return to our area post service, whether it's working in defence industry or working in other civilian capacities—or, indeed, for a well-earned retirement.

In the 2021 census there were over 7,000 veterans in my electorate, which is why I was so proud to commit to a veterans hub at the last election, which will have its home in my seat of Paterson but also serve other people across our region. I acknowledge the defence families and their contribution to our local community, and I sincerely acknowledge the devastating effect of war, conflict and peacekeeping on our veterans and their family and friends long after their active service is over.

I recently attended the local Christian school in Medowie, and I wasn't surprised when one of the teachers conducting an assembly asked the audience to stand if they were defence children or serving members or past serving members. Around 70 per cent of the people in the hall stood up. Some children, when they went through the exercise of saying how many different schools they had been to, sat down at two or three or four. One child in particular had been to seven schools; she looked like she was in about year 9 to me. That just goes to show the amount of moving that happens, and how service can impact on those children and their mums and dads as well.

The defence department and local defence industry is also growing around my seat, around the base, and it is creating really well paid and quite diverse careers. I'm so pleased to think that AUKUS, particularly pillar 2, will contribute to defence industry in and around Williamtown, not to mention how much it is going to uplift our Defence Force in and of itself. This growth in not only the Defence Force but defence industry around the base is also providing opportunities for the defence department to work with local developers, defence industry and business to find a solution for residents in my electorate that have been so devastatingly impacted by PFAS, the firefighting foam, and ensure we can safely repurpose properties and assist residents to relocate where appropriate. I want to take a moment to commend the defence minister and the assistant defence minister for the very swift action they took to settle the Shine class action just last week rather than dragging people through months of uncertainty and cruelty; some of that cruelty was imposed on my community by the former government. But I'm pleased to say that we dealt with it swiftly.

When we think about a veteran, we envisage potentially a World War I or World War II sepia coloured photo with someone wearing a slouch hat. Now whilst they are indeed our veterans and we should think very proudly of them, we also have to realise that veterans come in all shapes and sizes these days—whether they're men or women. It's just such an incredibly diverse group. In fact, I think about this, and I think: 'The people who went to Vietnam are in their 70s now. The people who went to Afghanistan—that was 20 years ago.' We have to understand that our veteran community is a changing, dynamic thing.

I also want to give a big shout out to Legacy, who I know are in their 100th year. They have done such a magnificent job of assisting families on that great promise of looking after a digger's children should he not return home from war.

But we have failed to recognise that veterans need a great diversity of assistance, and their families deserve that assistance as well. We've failed to keep abreast of the everchanging needs and demography of veterans, and I'm sad to say the previous government didn't keep ahead of the game when it came to simple amendments that could make an incredible difference to those that have served us so well. That's why these amendments, whilst not controversial, are critical. They may not be controversial, but they're very important to get into legislation so that we can have the best hand to deal with veterans.

In my work as the member for Paterson I've been privileged to meet an impressive young man by the name of Adrian Sutter. When Adrian was losing his sister to cancer, he left the military to support his family. He was acutely aware that the transition to civilian life was affecting his health, including his mental health, his relationships and his friendships. He watched many of his own friends and colleagues suffer the same issues that he was going through, and sadly many took their own lives. He said to me, 'As a soldier, your purpose is to be a protector.' It requires focus and dedication, and it's assumed that it is a commitment to service for your life or your working career. You have a plan. You have a target. You're organised. You have clear direction. Every aspect of your life works around your career. That makes so much sense, when you really think about it. If you are in uniform, it is your entire life.

The transition to civilian life can actually be so brutal in its dysfunction when that order is taken away, when that target is no longer there. It doesn't matter who you are, anyone can fall victim to that. And after a few years in the wilderness, Adrian really did take the bull by the horns and dedicated to recommit himself and dedicate himself to a new career—that is, to work to ensure that the transition to civilian life for veterans would not be as challenging, would not be as life-changing and dangerous as it was for him. It would be one filled with purpose and dedication, so rather than life-challenging it would be life-changing.

He has shared with me his vision and he's shown me the results. I was honoured to be hosted by my friend and colleague Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, in his electorate of Kingsford Smith. He showed me the work that Adrian and his team are doing with the veterans in his electorate and the extraordinary results that it's achieving. There's a sense of comradeship and purpose within the veteran community, as well as growing interactions and relationships with the 'outside' or civilian world. He's focused on excellence and discipline, and this is something that resonates through all walks of life. It is something that can be easily lost without support, without adequate boundaries, without having that purpose.

There are so many opportunities and so many things that can improve the lives of veterans and their families, and these legislative changes are long overdue. Minor legislative changes, such as the ones in these amendments, are the beginning of ensuring that the Department of Veterans' Affairs can do their job and support our veterans by providing secure options and effective actions. They're the beginning of recognising that things need to change; rules need to be adjusted and terms need to be amenable to providing good outcomes and results.

Previous ministers for Veterans' Affairs have often been restricted in providing delivery of legislative change. This has been unfortunate and, as we know, sometimes devastating. We need our veterans to be looked after because, in many ways, they need to be the best advertisement for being in the Defence that we can have. We are desperate to recruit more people to the forces, whether it be the Army, whether it be the Navy, including submariners, or whether it be the Air Force, and a good experience that's shared by a veteran with our young people just speaks volumes about what it means to pull on the uniform of your country. We want those vets to be walking advertisements, as people who have done their duty and are so proud and have been well looked after, because in that way we will grab hearts and minds, mostly of these terrific young people who we need to defend our country—young people who we need to be inspired, to hear the call to service and to step up to give their best, knowing that, when their best has been given, we in turn will give them the best in their veteran years.

So this is much bigger than just some schedules and some legislative tinkering. This really sets up the foundation so that we can absolutely deliver the best to our veterans and, I believe, thereby provide the best to our Defence Force. I'm proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which understands that things need to change and that change is what creates results. Good government cannot stand still. Good government delivers. I'm proud to speak on these amendments, and I thank my colleague the Hon. Matt Keogh for getting this legislation into parliament, getting this done and delivering. Good government doesn't leave anyone behind, and this legislation is a step in the right direction to ensure that veterans are supported, recognised and respected. Lest we forget.

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