Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The rate of veteran suicide is a national tragedy, and that is why, in opposition, we called for a royal commission. Since 2021, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has been investigating the factors that have contributed to such an appalling loss of life. The very first recommendation made by the royal commission in its interim report was to simplify and harmonise veteran compensation and rehabilitation legislation—a three-act headache of a system. Anyone who has engaged with the veteran compensation system will tell you it is complicated and difficult to understand. This is the result of piecemeal changes of veterans entitlements legislation for over a century.

The royal commission's recommendation to simplify and harmonise veterans compensation legislation was agreed to by the Albanese government, and this legislation implements that commitment. We want to get this once-in-a-generation reform right to make sure those who need it can get the support they need and deserve sooner. This is without a doubt the biggest improvement to the veterans compensation and rehabilitation laws and system in more than a century. We've been consulting widely with the veteran community and making the necessary changes to the drafts of this legislation. After all, it is vital that our veterans and their families have helped guide the decisions that ultimately impact them.

The legislation will see all claims considered under a single act, transforming the veterans entitlements scheme to one solid foundation instead of three separate systems. Moving to a single ongoing act, an improved Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, the MRCA, will make it easier for veterans and families to understand their entitlements and easier for advocates to support veterans with DVA claims, and it will contribute to streamlining and speeding up claims processing within the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This all means veterans and families will be able to access the benefits and supports that they need and deserve in a more timely way.

The MRCA is a modern 21st century compensation system that recognises both the economic and the non-economic loss components of compensation. It incorporates elements from the repatriation system that recognised the unique nature of military service. It also focuses on wellbeing and building the capacity of veterans to return to employment and participate fully in society.

This bill will ensure that equitable entitlements are available to all veterans, regardless of the timing and the nature of their service. Importantly, this bill recognises the enormous sacrifices and contributions made by the families of veterans. It provides increased access to services such as education schemes, healthcare cards and other financial benefits for the families of veterans who have suffered severe impairment as a result of their service related injuries and conditions. This bill will open up gold card eligibility for some veterans for the very first time. Not only have we expanded the eligibility of many supports, but in doing so we're also safeguarding the entitlements currently being received by veterans. With this bill, I look forward to creating a system that delivers a better future for Australia's veterans and their families and recognises the tremendous sacrifices they have made in the interests of our nation. As a government, we promised to act, and we have.

I note and thank the opposition for their recognition of the importance of this bill and their support of its intent. In particular, I thank the shadow minister for veterans' affairs for his heartfelt speech to this House in August. I want to acknowledge each member of this place who has spoken on this legislation for their consideration of the current three-act compensation system and their acknowledgement that this is simply not fit for purpose. I especially acknowledge the positive contributions of all the former ministers for veterans' affairs who are still in this House.

Thank you, as well, to everyone who has acknowledged the families of veterans in their remarks. They support our personnel and veterans and make sacrifices too. Thank you not only to those of you who have acknowledged that support is available for veterans and families now but also those who highlighted the opportunities this legislation presents to better support those families.

I just want to particularly acknowledge the member for Braddon, who himself is subject to all three acts currently. He knows how rough and complex the current system is. Thank you for sharing your story, and that of the other veterans in your community, with all of us. I hope this legislation will make the lives of veterans like the member for Braddon just a little bit easier in the future. I acknowledge his comments about having a wellness focus through this legislation, and I note that these matters are also the subject of a number of the recommendations of the final report of the royal commission. I see this legislation as an opportunity to simplify the system for veterans so they can focus on their own wellbeing and that of their families rather than getting stuck in the current bureaucratic nightmare of a system. With that in mind, I say to the member for Braddon: thanks for your passion in supporting the hub in Burnie. Now and into the future, I know that, with your guidance, they will have every success.

I note also that the member for Ryan foreshadowed potential amendments from the Greens political party, but, unfortunately, they have not identified these amendments to the government or sought to move them in the House, I make the procedural observation that any amendments made in the Senate may preclude passage of this legislation through the parliament before the end of this year. In any event, to the extent that such foreshadowed amendments may relate to the issue of the peacekeeping nature of service, raised in the additional comments made by the Greens political party to the report of the Senate committee inquiring into this bill, I note that, due to the power of the minister under section 8 of the MRCA to make a determination as to nature of service for veteran benefits purposes, no such amendment to legislation is actually required.

I also thank crossbench members for their detailed engagement with me on this bill and their support for seeing the bill pass the parliament promptly. Thank you to each of you who contributed to the debate highlighting the important work of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Thank you for taking the time to reflect on their years of work, their reports and the testimony that they were presented with.

I also make mention of the hard work of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee and their thorough inquiry, and I thank them for the unanimous recommendation to pass this bill. I would also like to thank Senators Shoebridge and Lambie for their additional comments. The government has now provided a considered formal response regarding these matters.

While the government is currently developing our response to the royal commission's final report, I note that we have agreed to the establishment of an independent oversight body. This body is recommended to monitor the implementation of the royal commission's recommendations by the end of September 2025, including the recommendations that led to this bill, and may undertake a review of the new arrangements at the appropriate juncture. However, the main provisions of this bill will not commence until 2026. We will respond to the royal commission's final report before the year is out.

Passage of this bill will be a huge step forward for Australia's veteran community and one that will benefit our current and former serving personnel for generations to come. I'd like to thank all of the ex-service organisations and advocates that work so tirelessly in supporting our veterans and family community, as well as for their detailed engagement in arriving at this bill coming before the parliament right now. I thank the House for its support of the bill and recognition of the sacrifices made by the veteran community on all of our behalves. I look forward to all of your support in passing this bill here and to the support of senators so that we can get on with the job of delivering a better future for defence personnel, veterans and families. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.

See this speech in context