Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm so very pleased that the Minister for Veterans' Affairs is at the table and can hear this contribution because he needs to. He needs to know that certainly the veterans component of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the budget that was handed down by the member for Rankin, the Treasurer, has been met with white hot anger in the veterans community. I'm sure he is receiving the same sort of emails that I am, and I'm sure he's having some of those discussions that I am and that the shadow minister behind me, the member for Herbert, who looks after defence materiel and other things and is a veteran himself, is having.

Let me tell you, the Department of Veterans' Affairs changes, the staff cuts and the changes to the NDIS in the budget with the veterans component attached are simply not good enough, Minister. It's not always right, when you are a minister, to just take on board what the bureaucrats ask you to do and tell you to do. It's not always right when the Expenditure Review Committee overrules what you take to them—Minister, I have respect for you. I do, and I know it's a difficult job you have. I do. I told you to look after yourself when you came to Wagga Wagga to visit Pro Patria, and I did, but you have to be strong when you're around that cabinet table and you're making commitments and input for and on behalf of veterans because there are people in this place—many of them are on your frontbench—who treat veterans like a number. They are real people. They have fought for this country, they have bled for this country and they deserve the very best from this government and this country when the time comes to hang up their uniform.

From 1 July 2027, the DVA will cap allied health spending at $5,000 per veteran per year. This replaces the current 12-session treatment cycle per provider—that is, their general practitioner can recommend seeing a psychologist, and then 12 psychology sessions will be authorised.

See this speech in context