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

I thank the member for his question, because it goes to the heart of one of the problems in his critique of the legislation that's being considered by the House at the moment. While we are attempting to modernise the way in which the tribunal operates, he tries to use as an example, which he did just then, (1) a matter where an application could still be brought to Defence for such honour to be bestowed, (2) a matter that an inquiry could still be conducted in relation to and, most importantly, (3) one in which he tries to imply that what the tribunal did in the case of Teddy Sheean was the thing that affected the previous government's decision.

The reason the Prime Minister put out that press release in the first place was that the previous government, despite the tribunal's recommendation, said no and set up a completely separate process because of the pressure brought by veterans and by this government when it was in opposition. Stop misleading people, shadow minister.

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