Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Whenever we have new piece of legislation come to us that we need to review and scrutinise, the first question I always ask myself—the first question any minister or any parliamentarian should ask themselves—is a very basic one, but it's a very important question. That question is: what is the problem we are trying to solve? Every piece of legislation that we bring to this House should be solving a problem for the Australian people. It is disappointing that I have to stand and give this speech today on the Defence Amendment (Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal) Bill 2025, because, despite looking at this in great detail and listening to the minister's speech, I cannot see a problem that we need to solve. I'm very lucky in Casey to have many strong RSLs and strong veterans that advocate on a lot of issues. They are very determined to make sure I know where they stand. I've not had one veteran come and raise this concern with me. I know none of our veterans were consulted. Many haven't raised it because they're not aware this legislation is happening, which I'll get to. But there is no problem here that needs to be solved. We are creating a challenge. We are sending a terrible message to our veterans with the introduction of this legislation to make it harder for those veterans to be recognised and for family members of veterans to have their service recognised.

Just recently I had the opportunity to speak at Vietnam Veterans' Day in my community. This is how important recognition is to our veterans. In the previous term of parliament, I was able to help a veteran receive recognition that they deserved. That veteran came up to me at that service—he's a Vietnam veteran—gave me a hug and said thank you. He had tears in his eyes; he was overcome with emotion that our nation had recognised his service. Our nation had said to him, 'The sacrifice that you made, both physically and mentally, for our country, to keep us safe, matters.' He was so overwhelmed with emotion. Some might think it's a small thing, but it's a huge thing. So why this government would deem it necessary or advantageous to make it harder for our veterans and their families to get the recognition that they deserve is something that I cannot comprehend.

We should always remember as parliamentarians that we ask our veterans, we ask our serving personnel, to pay a significant cost to ensure that we have the freedoms today and into the future. We ask them to pay a physical cost. We ask them to pay a mental health cost. We ask them to sacrifice time with their families, time with their loved ones and time with their communities. They willingly do that. They willingly make the sacrifice to keep us safe. One of the things they would like in return is recognition from this nation for their service.

Let's be very clear. This legislation, if passed, makes it harder for our veterans and the families of veterans that gave so much to receive recognition for their service. Why any government would want to put forward legislation that makes that harder is incomprehensible. It is disappointing that, today of all days, as we celebrate National Flag Day, this government want to debate and pass this legislation. National Flag Day is a day in which we are meant to celebrate the things that make us proud to be Australian, a day to celebrate the foundations of modern Australia, of our freedom, our opportunity, our tolerance and our egalitarian sense of fairness, foundations upon which Australian men and women have served in our defence to protect and strengthen this nation.

Instead of supporting the rights of men and women who served in uniform and generations of personnel who have gone before them, the Albanese Labor government have decided to debate this legislation, which removes the right of review for veterans who served in World War II, Vietnam, Iraq, Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor and the earlier years of the Afghanistan campaign. Today, instead of recognising those who have gone above and beyond for the peace we are privileged to enjoy today, this Labor government is showing a lack of respect to our veterans and their right to recognition.

Medallic recognition of service and, in particular, for acts of gallantry, is an integral part of the Australian Defence Force. It is our way of recognising those who have gone above and beyond for the peace we are privileged to enjoy today. In my community, I have the honour and privilege to recognise our local veterans who have served our country. These veterans have gone on to do so much and give so much back to our community through our local RSLs. In Casey, my community, and also across the nation, we recognise these veterans in many different ways and areas. Anzac Day, in particular, is an important day in our nation's calendar to recognise those veterans. I start Anzac Day every year at the Lilydale RSL.

As I deliver some words to the veterans, their families and those there, I look out on thousands and thousands of locals in my community paying tribute to those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice. They understand how important it is to recognise our veterans. I have no doubt every person in my community who attends the ceremonies on Anzac Day would be outraged to learn that we are making it harder to recognise our veterans. I want to pay credit to the RSLs of Casey: the Mt Evelyn RSL, the Lilydale RSL, the Upwey Belgrave RSL, the Healesville RSL, the Dandenong Ranges RSL, Yarra Glen RSL, Warburton RSL, the Upper Yarra RSL and the Monbulk RSL, who do so much to make sure that our veterans are supported today and that we recognise those who served. They have not had the opportunity to be consulted about this change in legislation. I've spoken to some of the presidents, who had no idea this was coming. You would think they would. I know many other RSLs have not been consulted, but they deserve the respect to be given the opportunity to engage in this process and not be blindsided. Our RSL presidents come to me time and time again to make sure that our veterans get the recognition they deserve.

That veteran I mentioned at the start of my speech—when I first engaged with his case, it was through the Lilydale RSL president, Bill Dobson. Not only do RSLs make sure that our veterans are supported and recognised; they open the doors to local students to teach them about the history of the brave Australians who served our country. They teach them not to glorify war but to provide an opportunity to learn about the sacrifice that so many Australians made and to pay our respects to all those who served, those who lost their lives serving and those who are currently serving. I can't help but think about the message that this legislation sends to those RSLs and also to the young people all across Casey and across the community. It's so important that we make sure the next generation are educated and that we help our young people understand these sacrifices.

I want to thank and recognise Bill Dobson and the Lilydale RSL, who have initiated the Don Parsons Memorial ANZAC Creative Writing Prize. Don Parsons was a former Lilydale RSL president, who passed away in 2021 while president. Bill wanted to make sure that his legacy continued. The reason Bill wanted to continue this was multifaceted, but, importantly, Don Parsons campaigned, raised awareness and raised money to make sure that the cenotaph in the main street of Lilydale was rebuilt so that our veterans could be recognised. I was lucky enough to know Don Parsons well before he passed. What I can say with confidence is that, if Don Parsons were aware of this legislation, his feedback to the government could not be repeated in this House, because it would be considered unparliamentary. But Don Parsons was legend of our local community, and he'd be heartbroken to know that it is harder for veterans today that it has been in the past. Those medals on Anzac Day that we see the veterans and their families wear, particularly the young schoolchildren who wear the medals of their grandparents—this will make it harder for them to wear those medals, because there will be less to be recognised.

This legislation will also goes to the heart of the hypocrisy of the Albanese Labor government and the complete hypocrisy of this prime minister. Previous speakers spoken about this, and it's important we continue to highlight this. This is a prime minister that stands for nothing. Under this legislation, Teddy Sheean would never have received his Victoria Cross. If this legislation were implemented a decade ago, Teddy Sheean would not have received the Victoria Cross. In 2020, our prime minister was very happy to ride on the coattails of the courage of Teddy Sheean, and he coauthored an op-ed in the Daily Telegraph on 24 May 2020, talking about Sheean's immense bravery and how it ought to have been recognised without hesitation. The Prime Minister said:

If ever there is an image that captures the definition of courage as grace under pressure… surely there was a deed worthy of the highest military honour… Teddy Sheean deserves the Victoria Cross.

In 2020, we had the then opposition leader—who was just short of becoming prime minister—happy to write an op-ed talking about how great Teddy Sheean was and how important it was that his honour was recognised. He's now the Prime Minister of this country and has made a decision to bring in legislation that wouldn't recognise this honour. What absolute hypocrisy, what a disgrace to all veterans to that would happen. On 18 June 2020, he also said in a speech to parliament:

The point of having an independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal is to ensure that the only considerations are the evidence and merit.

The tribunal unanimously supported Tasmanian hero Teddy Sheean getting a VC.

It is beyond belief that this prime minister would say that and is now actively bringing legislation to ensure a similar circumstance could not happen again.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to mark Vietnam Veterans' Day in my community. It's important that we talk about Vietnam Veterans' Day because we know the challenges that our Vietnam veterans suffered when they returned to Australia. It links to this in terms of not paying respect to our veterans. It was a day that we paid tribute to more than 60,000 Australians who served in the Vietnam War. Their courage, resilience and unwavering dedication forged a legacy that is an integral part of our national story. It was wonderful to join the community to pay tribute to those Vietnam veterans. I want to thank the Yarra Valley Vietnam Veterans Day Committee, the Vietnam Veterans Outer Eastern Melbourne and all of our local RSLs that put so much in to make sure that day was a special day.

As I said at the start, there is no problem here to solve. There is no need for this legislation. In fact, it completely contradicts the statements of the Prime Minister in 2020. It is disappointing and it is heartbreaking that the veterans of our country now have to go through this change when it is not needed, it is not required, it is going to cause damage to our veterans and it serves no purpose for the Australian people.

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