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

I thank the member for his very important question about our Veterans' and Families' Hubs, which are a very important initiative to support our veterans, defence personnel and their families as they transition out of defence. As we've seen so clearly through the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, it is vitally important that we, as a government—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fisher is warned.

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

on behalf of our nation, are able to provide in a coordinated way the services that our veterans and their families deserve to receive and provide that accessibility, especially in areas where we're seeing high concentrations of veterans in the community. Part of the process that we are undertaking in rolling out these Veterans' and Families' Hubs is engaging with those veterans communities to make sure that—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper will cease interjecting.

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

those hubs meet the needs of those communities of veterans and families that they will be servicing. It's not a cookie-cutter approach that we are taking. But we were very clear in the commitment—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper is warned.

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

We were very clear in the commitment that we took to the election.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a). Continual yelling is not acceptable.

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

Those opposite draw attention to something that I think they have had a great misunderstanding about: the incompetence of their own government over the last nine years, wherein the government previously never made any specific funding commitments to any location about new hubs to be delivered. They might have identified—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause, and I will hear from the Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yet again we have a minister who can't stop himself from going on to the record of the previous government—it's relevance—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat. The Manager of Opposition Business doesn't have the call. I gave him the call so he could rise to his feet and say what point of order he is taking. If he doesn't do, that I can't make a ruling. I call the minister back to the question.

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

As I was trying to point out—given the clear interest in this issue from those opposite—the previous government did not fund any specific locations for new hubs. We were very clear in the commitment that we took forward at the election, which we have a mandate to deliver on, about the locations of the 10 hubs that we would be moving forward with, which included two hubs that the previous government had discussed but not delivered on. We were always clear about that. There was no great secret unveiled last night.

What we have been clear about, we have now gone to market. After the delivery of the fantastic budget by the Treasurer only a few weeks ago, we are now going to communities and consulting with them, calling for their feedback and input so that they can engage with us about what they would like to see in the hubs in their communities and how they would like to see that support for veterans and families to meet their needs, because the needs of veterans in community are different from place to place. We recognise that and we want to engage with those communities so we can make sure that they get the services that they deserve.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for New England has asked his question.

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

As this government has made very clear in its response to the interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, we are committed to delivering a better future for defence personnel, veterans and families.