Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Every Australian who puts on a uniform of our nation makes a promise—a promise to serve, to protect and to sacrifice. In return, our nation makes a promise to them that their service will be honoured, their family supported and their wellbeing safeguarded for life. This promise is a responsibility this government takes with unwavering commitment.

For too long, too many veterans and their families have been left struggling within a system that was meant to support them, a system that was complicated, confusing and slow and that too often added to their distress instead of easing it. We have heard their stories, we have listened to their frustrations and we have acted. Today, we are continuing that work.

We continue this significant reform to how our nation supports veterans, reform that puts veterans and their families back at the centre of the system built for them. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025 continues the Albanese Labor government's response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. It demonstrates, once again, our government's deep and enduring commitment to implementing a better and simpler veterans' entitlement system, one that ensures veterans and their families can access the support they need and deserve faster.

For too long, the complexity of the veterans' entitlement system has been a source of frustration, confusion and delay for veterans and their loved ones. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide interim report found that this complexity has been a contributing factor to distress and suicidality among our veteran community. That finding is heartbreaking, but it's also a call to action.

When a person puts on the uniform of our nation, we make them a promise that their country will stand by them. That includes making the system designed to help them simple to navigate. That's why, in February this year, the Albanese Labor government passed the VETS Act. The VETS Act represents the most significant reform in how Australia supports veterans in more than a century. This act was a response to recommendations from the interim report that the royal commission released in August 2022.

Under the old, outdated system, veterans' entitlements were determined under one or more of three primary compensation acts. Which acts applied depended on when the veteran served and which period of service caused or contributed to the condition they were claiming for. It was a complicated patchwork of laws that left too many veterans waiting, too many families confused and too many claims stuck in bureaucratic limbo.

We heard directly from veterans and their advocates that navigating three overlapping acts was exhausting. We heard from multiple stakeholders that the system was inefficient and unnecessarily complex. We heard from the royal commission that the confusion, frustration and sense of being lost in the system were real contributors to the distress that too many veterans experience.

The VETS Act fixes this. It reduces the number of acts the Department of Veterans' Affairs administers from three to one. That means, from 1 July 2026, all veteran claims will be assessed under a single, harmonised piece of legislation. This single act will be simpler to use, easier to understand and faster to process. It will ensure that veterans and families receive consistent, fair decisions, no matter when or where they served.

By simplifying and harmonising the system, we remove unnecessary administrative barriers and free up resources to focus on what matters most: supporting the wellbeing and recovery of veterans and their families. But this reform is not just about efficiency; it is about dignity. It's about ensuring that, when a veteran reaches out for help, they are met with a system that says 'yes', not a maze of forms and confusions that say 'wait'.

Since passing the VETS Act earlier this year, our government has been working to prepare for this transformation. We've been making veterans aware of the changes coming in 2026, upskilling departmental delegates so that they're ready to implement the new system effectively, providing additional training for advocates and ex-service organisations, and updating computer systems and modernising processes to ensure a smooth transition. We know that change on this scale requires careful management and clear communication. That's why the commencement date of 1 July 2026 gives veterans, their families, advocates and the department the time needed to prepare. We are determined to get this right because veterans deserve nothing less.

This bill is about making sure that the transition is a simpler, fairer system and as smooth as possible. The bill makes four technical amendments to ensure the successful implementation of the VETS Act and the continuity of support for veterans. While these amendments are administrative in nature, they are critical to ensuring that the reforms we passed earlier this year can be delivered efficiently and without disruption.

The first is about supporting continuity and transition. The first amendment provides the new Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission with the powers it needs to make and preserve instruments before the commencement of the new act. This will ensure a seamless transition from the old framework to the new one. It allows the existing commission to put in place the rules, regulations and administrative instruments needed to make the new system work smoothly from day one. These instruments will include things like presumptive liability rules, which enable the government and the department to respond quickly to emerging medical evidence about conditions linked to military service. This is about being responsive to veterans needs, not rigid bureaucracy. It ensures that, if new conditions are recognised as service related, we can act fast to provide support without waiting for lengthy legislative processes.

The second amendment allows certain treatment related instruments made under the VEA by the Reparation Commission to carry over and continue to have effect under the new MRCA. This is another measure to ensure continuity and fairness. It means critical treatment arrangements covering things like medical referrals, rehabilitation programs and health cards will continue uninterrupted as we move to the simplified framework. This approach avoids unnecessary administrative duplication and, most importantly, ensures that no veteran experiences a gap in care during this transition.

The third amendment confirms that all claims for funeral compensation shall be determined according to the act under which they are lodged. This ensures consistency with the date-of-claim approach established under the VETS Act and avoids any confusion and delay for grieving families. When a veteran passes away, the family should not have to worry about legal technicalities or administrative errors delaying funeral assistance. This amendment ensures that their entitlements are determined quickly, clearly and in accordance with the law.

The fourth amendment addresses the review pathway for DRCA determinations made before 21 April 2025. As of that date, a new review pathway for the Veterans' Review Board commenced but the rights of appeal for determinations made before that date were ambiguous and potentially open to jurisdictional dispute. This amendment makes clear that veterans who had their claims determined before the date will retain their former review rights and that the new simplified single review pathway applies going forward. It ensures fairness and clarity for all claimants, protecting veterans rights while reinforcing the principle of a single straightforward review process.

Taken together, these four technical amendments may appear minor, but they are foundational to delivering the government's broader reform agenda for veteran entitlements. They are about removing ambiguity, strengthening procedural fairness and ensuring that the new system, when it commences in 2026, works as intended—efficiently, reliably and compassionately. These amendments will ensure a smooth transition from the old complicated tri-act model to a single ongoing act so veterans and their families can continue to access the support they need without disruption or confusion.

This bill is not an isolated measure; it forms part of a coordinated long-term response to the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The royal commission made clear many veterans have faced unacceptable delays and barriers when seeking support. It found that administrative complexity, unclear eligibility rules and long processing times have contributed to mental distress and, tragically, suicide. Our government took those findings seriously. That's why we've acted quickly to simplify the laws through the VETS Act to streamline claims and make the system easier to navigate.

We also invested in improving mental health services, expanding open access to treatment for veterans with mental health conditions and strengthening early intervention supports. We increased staffing within the Department of Veterans' Affairs to cut through the backlogs and ensure veterans receive timely decisions. We funded digital modernisation so that DVA's system was fit for purpose for the 21st century, and we are working hand in hand with ex-service organisations and advocates to ensure veterans voices continue to shape the reforms as they roll out. This bill continues that work and is another step in turning the royal commission's recommendations into real lasting change.

The Albanese Labor government has a proud record of standing up for veterans and their families. We are investing in the Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and action plan, ensuring support for those transitioning out of service. We've expanded the Veteran Employment Program, helping more former Defence personnel find meaningful civilian work.

We're improving housing support, addressing homelessness and increasing funding for veterans' counselling and family programs. We are strengthening oversight and accountability in how support services are delivered. And, through our reforms of DVA, we are rebuilding trust and confidence in a system veterans can rely on, not one they have to fight, because our veterans have already done the hard work. They have already served our nation with courage and commitment, and it's our job to make sure the system serves them in return.

When the new single act takes effect in 2026, veterans will no longer need to navigate three different legislative regimes and wait months for answers about which act applies. They will have one clear pathway for compensation and rehabilitation. They will have faster access to treatment, simpler review processes and greater consistency in decision-making. They will have the confidence that the system is built around them, not the other way around. This is about more than administrative reform; it's about fairness, compassion and respect for those who have worn the nation's uniform. Every veteran deserves to know that, when they ask for help, they won't be told to wait. Every family deserves to know that their loved ones' service will be honoured, not just in words but in the care they receive. Every Australian should be proud that their government is delivering on that promise.

This bill makes the small but vital adjustments needed to support the largest overhaul of veterans' entitlements in a century. It ensures that the reforms we have already delivered through the VETS Act will be implemented smoothly, clearly and efficiently. It builds on the government's ongoing response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, and it reflects that unwavering commitment to ensure veterans and their families receive the support they need when they need it, because, when Australians serve, they do so with honour. When they come home, they deserve a system that serves them with that same honour. This bill is another step towards that goal.

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