Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is working to ensure that we provide more support for veterans. Those who have served our nation deserve our utmost respect and the support of government. Unfortunately, in recent years many veterans have had a difficult time when dealing with the Department of Veterans' Affairs because the previous government put a staffing cap on the number of people who were working to process claims in that department. That led to the deterioration of the mental health of many veterans, which resulted in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which has made some recommendations. No. 1 among those recommendations is the removal of that staffing cap and the employment of more people to process claims in the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing. We are getting on with the job of making sure there is more support for veterans, with more funding in the budget to support those who served our nation.

This legislation, the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023, is another element of our support for the veteran community. The bill introduces a series of technical amendments within the portfolio. Specifically, it aids ADF firefighters who served before 2004 by addressing the fact that they faced the same or greater threats as their civilian counterparts. This bill modifies the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act, or DRCA as it's more commonly known, to match provisions for ADF firefighters with those of their civilian colleagues. It cuts the qualifying period for a firefighter's employment to be considered a significant factor in the development of oesophageal cancer from 25 years to 15 years, aligning it with their counterparts in the civilian firefighting force. The wording of the act will change to not require that firefighting form a substantial part of the person's duties. Instead the new criteria will consider it as a 'not insubstantial part' for the presumption of the contribution to be valid. These amendments will simplify the process for ADF firefighters to seek acknowledgement and support for those conditions.

We're also changing a number of employment programs. The second schedule of the legislation aligns the Veterans' Entitlements Act with existing provisions under the Social Security Act. This ensures that any income that veterans and their partners earn from certain employment programs won't count towards the income test for support means-testing. As a result, veterans and their partners can benefit from those employment programs without it affecting their eligibility for financial support under the Veterans' Entitlements Act. The third schedule of the bill aligns the Veterans' Entitlements Act with existing provisions under the social security legislation. As a result, veterans and their partners who are stuck overseas temporarily, due to unforeseen circumstances, will be able to receive rent assistance for more than 26 weeks. This change eliminates the existing discrepancy, ensuring that veterans and their partners can receive the same rent assistance as civilians in similar situations.

We're also expanding acute support package eligibility. We're extending the Defence, Veterans And Families Acute Support Package to aid more families in the veteran community. This initiative offers robust support in times of crisis. With services such as child care, counselling for adults and children, household assistance and wellbeing support, we aim to bolster family units and support them. Since its inception in October 2022, the package has been available to families of working-age veterans and widowed partners. We're clarifying the eligibility criteria to include grandparents who provide full-time care for children of deceased veterans. Our aim remains to provide unwavering support to service personnel and veterans and their families, ensuring those in a crisis can maintain that continuity of support. Quite often we hear, and we understand and we know, the challenges that serving ADF personnel and veterans face, but we often don't hear and comprehend the challenges that their families face as well. This government is keen to work with organisations like Defence Families Australia to ensure that service personnel's families and veterans' families are heard when it comes to policies of support, and this policy is one step towards achieving that goal.

In the budget, we committed an additional $328.1 million to building on the previously invested $537½ million to bolster the services available to the 340,000 veterans and dependants who use the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This investment aims to decrease the veteran compensation claims backlog, a problem that, as I said at the beginning, has been there for quite some time. We're allocating $64.1 million over 2023-24, to retain over 480 dedicated DVA staff who will work on delivering frontline services, and $254 million over four years to modernise the outdated and ageing IT services. It's hoped that that investment in new IT capability will help with the processing of those DVA claims and the speeding up of those claims approvals, which is vitally important to the wellbeing of veterans into the future. It will ensure timely payments and more accessible services for veterans and families.

We're also expanding the acute support package, as I mentioned, to include grandparents and carers. This package recognises the unique challenges faced by these families and provides them with support. Furthermore, we're funding essential support programs, including $2 million for mental health awareness and suicide intervention training for volunteers working with veterans.

These measures accompany our ongoing reforms aimed at simplifying the complex century-old veteran compensation system. I and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs have been conducting consultations with veterans and veterans advocacy groups across the country, and we've covered all of the capital cities and all of the garrison towns throughout Australia, asking veterans and their advocacy groups and family members what their view of the legislation is and how it can be improved. It's been rewarding to hear the feedback from veterans about the government implementing that recommendation from the royal commission to simplify and rationalise veterans' entitlement legislation. In all of the consultations where I've asked veterans whether or not the government is on the right track with this proposal, the feedback has been positive, and people have said that they believe that the government is on the right track and that the system is too complicated. Veterans having to pay advocates to lodge claims on their behalf for injuries that they sustained in the service of our nation is something that should not happen. With this reform simplifying and rationalising that legislation, we hope that the need for veterans to employ advocates will be removed and that they will be able to apply for the support that they deserve by themselves and get timely processing of claims and, more importantly that they understand how the system works and what they are and are not entitled to.

Our Defence Force personnel and veterans and their families give so much in the service of our nation, and we believe that it's time that they got the support that they deserve. That is why we're investing more in the Department of Veterans' Affairs, employing more people to support veterans, reducing the backlog of claims, modernising the IT system, rationalising veterans affairs legislation and supporting veterans through important initiatives such as this.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It took the Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs just 20 seconds to start criticising the previous government, but I'm going to do something a little bit different. I'm going to do something positive. I'm going to actually thank him. I thank him for coming to Wagga Wagga recently—on Wednesday 12 April—to hear from the residents who live in and around the Kapooka Army base and the Royal Australian Air Force base at Forest Hill about the PFAS, the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, contamination issues there. I appreciate very much that in recent days an agreement was reached for a class action in relation to PFAS. I appreciate that those issues are ongoing. I am a former veterans' affairs minister. In fact, I was the 43rd of 46. There have been a lot of veterans' affairs ministers.

I call on the current Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the member for Burt, to do everything he can to continue the help for our veterans. I acknowledge the member for Braddon behind me for his service—seven years at Kapooka in a 20-year career with the Australian Army. I thank other members too for what they have done for our nation. We should always remember what our veterans have done and what those currently serving in uniform do for our country—not just on 25 April or on 11 November, the special days. I appreciate they're commemorative days—Anzac Day and Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. We should remember our veterans every single day because they put their lives on the line in many instances and they do need every bit of support they can get. That's why this bill—the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023—is important. Whilst it might be seen as being noncontroversial, it is otherwise essential because of the various measures outlined therein.

There are four particular and pertinent points that I will go through. Before I do that I note that the Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the member for Kingsford Smith, talked about the fact that the claim queue has gone down. I hope he's right. I earnestly hope that that is the case. I know that more staff have been placed in the Department of Veterans' Affairs to make sure that DVA has the resources and, indeed, the personnel it requires to address the backlog of claims. I earnestly hope that what he is telling the House is indeed correct, because we do need to not only address the issues that ex-service men and women have placed before us but also do it in a timely manner. It is so important.

I note that the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for New England, spoke on this bill earlier today and talked about Sandakan and the commemoration that was held last weekend. Indeed, in the Wagga Wagga Victory Memorial Gardens there is a poignant memorial to the men who fell on that death march. We commemorate that, as we do commemorate many events, because Wagga Wagga is a tri-service town. We have the Army, which the member for Braddon knows all too well. We have the Air Force. We even have a Navy base, even though we're a long way from the nearest drop of seawater. Deputy Speaker Chesters, I commend your home town too for what it does and the role it plays with the Bushmaster and the manufacturing that occurs there.

I am disappointed that the recent budget did not include Wagga Wagga, to have a wellness and wellbeing centre. I commend community-driven efforts to get Pro Patria up and off the ground. The coalition government made a promise, a pledge, that we would give $5 million for a wellbeing centre, and there were around 10 to a dozen of these wellbeing centres. Unfortunately, that pledge has not been honoured by this government and that is a pity, particularly for Wagga Wagga, which is a tri-service town.

It has many veterans who, seeing the great attractions of our city, choose to retire there after their service is completed. The Riverina electorate—that includes the Central West as well—has 3,837 veterans, including 1,576, at last count, in the Wagga Wagga local government area. That is a lot veterans. The Pro Patria people are doing what they can to make sure that that wellbeing centre will serve the needs of our veterans, going forward. The RSL too, through LifeCare, through Charlotte Webb and others, is really making considerable ground in establishing a veterans advocacy place for Wagga Wagga. So I commend those two.

Recently I was in Cootamundra where Jacqui Vincent OAM, the secretary, treasurer, trustee—a person you just don't say no to. They opened a Cootamundra RSL sub-branch veterans drop-in centre in Parker Street, the main street in Cootamundra. Jacqui and her colleagues have that wonderful advocacy drop-in centre and provide the sorts of services and advice and support for veterans that you'd expect of a New South Wales RSL. President Ray James and his indefatigable wife, Pauline—both Order of Australia medallists—were at that particular event, back on 4 March and, let me tell you, it is a very good centre and was well supported on that day.

This bill aligns the entitlements of firefighters employed by the Australian Defence Force with civil firefighters in relation to oesophageal cancer, which includes reducing the qualifying period of employment for an ADF firefighter from 25 to 15 years. We know that firefighters have health complications both during and, in often cases, after their service. Indeed, the whole PFAS situation is around the use of particular substances that were used in good faith. Those people who were both using that particular substance, the firefighting foam, and, in some instances, were saved by it were unaware at the time of just how dangerous this material, substance, could be for their health in the future.

That is why Defence moved—and, I know, when I was the assistant defence minister and the veterans affairs minister, the work that I did, along with others, of course—to ensure that those people who were affected by this were being listened to. In fact, the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Veteran-centric Reforms No. 1) Bill 2018 I put into this parliament because it was necessary and because it was going to provide better outcomes for those people who had donned a uniform. Whether it's the khaki, the white or the Navy blue or Air Force blue, that veterancentric reform continues to help them today.

The second point of this particular amendment allows for payments from specified Commonwealth state territory employment programs to be exempt from veterans income means testing. This is important, and I commend the work by former coalition Prime Ministers Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison on the efforts they went to personally, and rightly and unjustifiably, to make sure that veterans had employment opportunities after their service was complete. Not everybody can be like the member for Braddon and get a parliamentary career after their service is done. I'm pleased that the member for Braddon is an earthy person who tells it like it is. We need those sorts of people in our parliament. It's based a lot on his military experience. We've got others, and I thank each and every one of them, including the member for Solomon, for bringing that good-natured but very down-to-earth practical experience they have gained from wearing the uniform and mixing with our uniformed soldiers, the best and the bravest, and bringing it into parliament to give a veteran-centric perspective on legislation. Even the shadow Minister for Defence—I know that what he brings to our joint party room is second to none. So I do thank them for that.

These employment programs, Schedule 2, ensures parity between eligible recipients under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 with those under the updated Social Security Act 1991. The provisions ensure that when the employment secretary determines that payments of benefits from Commonwealth or state/territory employment programs are exempt from income assessment for social security purposes, that the determination also applies to recipients under the EEA and does not affect income support payments. We want those veterans to receive as much as they can receive without being impinged upon by various Treasury laws and potential amendments since their service was up. They qualified under other provisions previously.

Schedule 3 entrenches discretion to provide rent assistance beyond 26 weeks for veterans overseas unable to return due to unforeseen circumstances such as war or, indeed, something that we probably wouldn't have even thought of prior to 2020, health pandemics. It aligns the measure with the Social Security Act 1991. We want to make sure that veterans who might find themselves overseas and might be unable to return are still qualifying for all the benefits that they would otherwise qualify for. This is important because we just don't know what we don't know. We hope that the worst of COVID-19 is behind us, but there are still people dying every day, and people still should exercise all their best behaviours to make sure that they don't expose themselves to potential hazards of COVID-19. Get your jabs, do all that, particularly our veterans, some of whom have health that has perhaps not been the best. They should be getting those immunisations to protect themselves at every turn.

Schedule 4 extends assistance to grandparents caring for children of a deceased veteran.

We have more than 102,000 names etched into the rolls of honour at the War Memorial just down the road from here. It's no coincidence that the front door of the War Memorial and the front door of the Australian Parliament face each other. We owe our veterans our gratitude because they went and served, many of them as volunteers. Some of them perhaps did not want to go, but they went. They served and fought, and many of them did not return. They are buried in foreign fields. Many of them did return and were worse from the effects of it. In World War I—not that there are any World War I veterans left—we lost 60,000 of our best and brightest. What a difference they could have made to our country. In the 10 years after the war we lost another 62,000 from the effects of the Great War. No war is great. The war of 1914 to 1918 was not great, though it is referred to as the Great War. Of course we want to make sure, whether it's World War II, Vietnam, Malaya, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, whatever conflicts we have engaged in, both in decades past and in more recent times, that we provide that assistance and support to our veterans and continue to do so.

These four schedules in the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023, whilst uncontroversial, are important because our veterans are important. I know that; I come from a tri-service town, I come from a garrison city, and I respect what our city does to commemorate our veterans. Moreover, I commemorate the future we are going to provide them. This legislation assists that, and I urge the government to do everything it can to at all times protect our veterans and give them the futures they deserve.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023. In my electorate of Paterson, I have RAAF Base Williamtown. I'm very proud of the fact, and I take the opportunity to thank the men and women who currently serve on this base as well as acknowledge the men and women who, after service, have remained in the beautiful Port Stephens or the more broad Hunter-Newcastle area. It is a remarkable place to live, and I know that many people who have served return to our area post service, whether it's working in defence industry or working in other civilian capacities—or, indeed, for a well-earned retirement.

In the 2021 census there were over 7,000 veterans in my electorate, which is why I was so proud to commit to a veterans hub at the last election, which will have its home in my seat of Paterson but also serve other people across our region. I acknowledge the defence families and their contribution to our local community, and I sincerely acknowledge the devastating effect of war, conflict and peacekeeping on our veterans and their family and friends long after their active service is over.

I recently attended the local Christian school in Medowie, and I wasn't surprised when one of the teachers conducting an assembly asked the audience to stand if they were defence children or serving members or past serving members. Around 70 per cent of the people in the hall stood up. Some children, when they went through the exercise of saying how many different schools they had been to, sat down at two or three or four. One child in particular had been to seven schools; she looked like she was in about year 9 to me. That just goes to show the amount of moving that happens, and how service can impact on those children and their mums and dads as well.

The defence department and local defence industry is also growing around my seat, around the base, and it is creating really well paid and quite diverse careers. I'm so pleased to think that AUKUS, particularly pillar 2, will contribute to defence industry in and around Williamtown, not to mention how much it is going to uplift our Defence Force in and of itself. This growth in not only the Defence Force but defence industry around the base is also providing opportunities for the defence department to work with local developers, defence industry and business to find a solution for residents in my electorate that have been so devastatingly impacted by PFAS, the firefighting foam, and ensure we can safely repurpose properties and assist residents to relocate where appropriate. I want to take a moment to commend the defence minister and the assistant defence minister for the very swift action they took to settle the Shine class action just last week rather than dragging people through months of uncertainty and cruelty; some of that cruelty was imposed on my community by the former government. But I'm pleased to say that we dealt with it swiftly.

When we think about a veteran, we envisage potentially a World War I or World War II sepia coloured photo with someone wearing a slouch hat. Now whilst they are indeed our veterans and we should think very proudly of them, we also have to realise that veterans come in all shapes and sizes these days—whether they're men or women. It's just such an incredibly diverse group. In fact, I think about this, and I think: 'The people who went to Vietnam are in their 70s now. The people who went to Afghanistan—that was 20 years ago.' We have to understand that our veteran community is a changing, dynamic thing.

I also want to give a big shout out to Legacy, who I know are in their 100th year. They have done such a magnificent job of assisting families on that great promise of looking after a digger's children should he not return home from war.

But we have failed to recognise that veterans need a great diversity of assistance, and their families deserve that assistance as well. We've failed to keep abreast of the everchanging needs and demography of veterans, and I'm sad to say the previous government didn't keep ahead of the game when it came to simple amendments that could make an incredible difference to those that have served us so well. That's why these amendments, whilst not controversial, are critical. They may not be controversial, but they're very important to get into legislation so that we can have the best hand to deal with veterans.

In my work as the member for Paterson I've been privileged to meet an impressive young man by the name of Adrian Sutter. When Adrian was losing his sister to cancer, he left the military to support his family. He was acutely aware that the transition to civilian life was affecting his health, including his mental health, his relationships and his friendships. He watched many of his own friends and colleagues suffer the same issues that he was going through, and sadly many took their own lives. He said to me, 'As a soldier, your purpose is to be a protector.' It requires focus and dedication, and it's assumed that it is a commitment to service for your life or your working career. You have a plan. You have a target. You're organised. You have clear direction. Every aspect of your life works around your career. That makes so much sense, when you really think about it. If you are in uniform, it is your entire life.

The transition to civilian life can actually be so brutal in its dysfunction when that order is taken away, when that target is no longer there. It doesn't matter who you are, anyone can fall victim to that. And after a few years in the wilderness, Adrian really did take the bull by the horns and dedicated to recommit himself and dedicate himself to a new career—that is, to work to ensure that the transition to civilian life for veterans would not be as challenging, would not be as life-changing and dangerous as it was for him. It would be one filled with purpose and dedication, so rather than life-challenging it would be life-changing.

He has shared with me his vision and he's shown me the results. I was honoured to be hosted by my friend and colleague Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, in his electorate of Kingsford Smith. He showed me the work that Adrian and his team are doing with the veterans in his electorate and the extraordinary results that it's achieving. There's a sense of comradeship and purpose within the veteran community, as well as growing interactions and relationships with the 'outside' or civilian world. He's focused on excellence and discipline, and this is something that resonates through all walks of life. It is something that can be easily lost without support, without adequate boundaries, without having that purpose.

There are so many opportunities and so many things that can improve the lives of veterans and their families, and these legislative changes are long overdue. Minor legislative changes, such as the ones in these amendments, are the beginning of ensuring that the Department of Veterans' Affairs can do their job and support our veterans by providing secure options and effective actions. They're the beginning of recognising that things need to change; rules need to be adjusted and terms need to be amenable to providing good outcomes and results.

Previous ministers for Veterans' Affairs have often been restricted in providing delivery of legislative change. This has been unfortunate and, as we know, sometimes devastating. We need our veterans to be looked after because, in many ways, they need to be the best advertisement for being in the Defence that we can have. We are desperate to recruit more people to the forces, whether it be the Army, whether it be the Navy, including submariners, or whether it be the Air Force, and a good experience that's shared by a veteran with our young people just speaks volumes about what it means to pull on the uniform of your country. We want those vets to be walking advertisements, as people who have done their duty and are so proud and have been well looked after, because in that way we will grab hearts and minds, mostly of these terrific young people who we need to defend our country—young people who we need to be inspired, to hear the call to service and to step up to give their best, knowing that, when their best has been given, we in turn will give them the best in their veteran years.

So this is much bigger than just some schedules and some legislative tinkering. This really sets up the foundation so that we can absolutely deliver the best to our veterans and, I believe, thereby provide the best to our Defence Force. I'm proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which understands that things need to change and that change is what creates results. Good government cannot stand still. Good government delivers. I'm proud to speak on these amendments, and I thank my colleague the Hon. Matt Keogh for getting this legislation into parliament, getting this done and delivering. Good government doesn't leave anyone behind, and this legislation is a step in the right direction to ensure that veterans are supported, recognised and respected. Lest we forget.

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

The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023 proposes uncontroversial amendments across the various acts governing veterans' entitlements and compensation, but they're very important amendments. I must say that it is nice to be talking on a bill that has bipartisan support. It's important that we always support good policies, particularly when it comes to veterans and making sure that we do everything we can to make their lives a little bit easier after the service that they have given to our nation.

This bill aligns the entitlements of firefighters employed by the ADF with those of civil firefighters in relation to cancer of the oesophagus, including reducing the qualifying period for employment for an ADF firefighter from 25 years to 15 years. This is very important because we know that our emergency services, including our firefighters, sacrifice a lot, and cancer, unfortunately, is one of the long-term consequences not just for veterans but also for volunteer firefighters and paid firefighters. So it's important that we recognise that in this legislation. I want to take a second to acknowledge a friend of mine, Bryan McCarthy, a former firefighter—a volunteer and a paid professional—who passed away from cancer due to his service. Many people know and have been touched by this, so I want to pay tribute to Bryan and Maria.

This legislation also allows for payments from specified Commonwealth, state and territory employment programs to be exempt from a veteran's income means testing, and it will entrench discretion to provide rent assistance beyond 26 weeks for veterans overseas unable to return due to unforeseen circumstances, such as war and health pandemics. It aligns the measures with the Social Security Act 1991. Very importantly, it extends assistance to grandparents caring for the children of a deceased veteran. This bill also makes minor amendments to the three acts governing veterans' entitlements, including the Veterans' Entitlements Act, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

This legislation is a good step forward. It's important legislation and is part of the acknowledgement and assistance that we owe our veterans. As I've said, the coalition supports this bill, and I'm proud to be here supporting this bill and speaking on it today. However, there is always more that we can do, and it's important that we remember that the work's not done.

How we honour our veterans really is a mark of our nation. The crowds that gathered on Anzac Day in my electorate of Casey reaffirmed how important veterans are in our community and the respect which they are given. It was amazing to attend six ceremonies on the day, and many others before and after Anzac Day. There were tens of thousands of people there, paying tribute to our veterans—not just those that served in World War I and World War II, but those that served in Korea and Vietnam, and those new veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts. It's really great to see that we do that. I was speaking to Anthony McAleer, who is a well-known RSL historian in the electorate of Casey, a man respected by many. We were talking at one of the events about the Anzac Day ceremonies from the eighties, and he was talking about how they would have been lucky to get a couple of hundred people turning up to honour our veterans at that time. He had seen through the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s to today how much it has grown and how many communities come out to honour our veterans.

It's really important that we honour them, but we also need to make sure that we do more than just honour our veterans. We need to support them. We need to remember that many veterans sacrifice both physically and mentally to protect our freedom. We should never forget that when we talk about veterans we sometimes have this notion of older men from—well, obviously not World War I anymore—World War II. We've got that image of the older veterans. Our Vietnam veterans are now in their 70s. But we've got lots of new veterans from conflicts, and we are getting veterans every day. While it's not my story to tell, and it's not something for me to share, my family has seen firsthand the challenges of a veteran returning from Afghanistan and trying to assimilate back into society. There is no doubt that it's a challenging journey that they go on, and it's a challenging journey their partners and their families go on. Many relationships do not survive the trauma of those that have served, and it's important that we always remember and acknowledge the families and the loved ones. In many ways, even though people are not together, the love doesn't die, because they know it was circumstances outside their control.

So it's important that we continue to support our veterans. That's why I'll always make sure I am a voice for veterans and back organisations like Bowls Gr8 for Brains. I had the honour of attending their first event in my electorate of Casey, at Chirnside Park. They're using sport and bowls as a way to support veterans to allow them to re-engage with the community and transition into civilian life, as well as also supporting emergency service workers who go through a very similar trauma. It's great to see that they're doing that work. I want to acknowledge all the RSLs in Casey and across the nation who do amazing work supporting our veterans.

The coalition, when in government, invested a record amount in our veterans. We made it easier for veterans to make claims by establishing online digital access, and we funded additional staff to help with the backlog of claims. But, as I said, there is obviously more we can do, and nothing is ever perfect. But I would note with disappointment that Labor's budget axed the eight proposed veteran wellbeing centres that had been fully funded by the previous coalition government. Whilst there wasn't one in my electorate, I know there are many members who are frustrated with that decision. It was disappointing because we know veterans sometimes don't feel heard, and it's hard for them to get their case put forward. I know many veterans were disappointed with Prime Minister Albanese's decision to remove veteran's affairs from the cabinet, because they felt that that send a signal to them that they weren't being listened to and being heard. So I hope that something the government will reconsider, because it's important that veterans' voices are always heard.

One of the great honours and opportunities we have in this House when we stand up to speak is to be the voice for our community. Chris, a local man that I know well, recently emailed me to share his experience of being conscripted as a Vietnam War serviceman. He didn't serve in Vietnam, but he shared a story with me, and I just want to share his words. It's so important to be able to share Chris's words, and I thank him for reaching out to me. He wrote:

Dear Aaron

I recently heard the Prime minister address parliament, apologising and thanking Vietnam Veterans, especially those national servicemen conscripted into service during the Vietnam War. It was a touching and very deserved gesture to a group of men who have suffered terribly.

On behalf of the survivors of the 48,000 men whose lives were changed forever, the 31,000 of us who were conscripted, but did not serve in Vietnam, I can only say we are disappointed that, once again, we are "The Men Australia Forgot"—our motto.

Apart from a few lines in a Minister Keogh Press Release, which was never published in any mainstream media, we have never been thanked or rewarded. Unlike the Vietnam Vet Nashos, who have received a DVA Gold Card, a welcome home parade and your parliamentary thanks, we have received nothing for two years of our youth, taken from us by our conscription.

Many of our cohort served in hostile areas, Malaya and Borneo, which have never been recognised as war zones. More served in PNG and remote areas of northern Australia, sometimes not getting home in over twelve months. 20% are depressed, 21% suffer from anxiety and 70% attribute a physical or mental ailment to their national service. 48% of all their claims to DVA have been denied.

For many of us the worst part of our conscription was not our time in the army, but when we tried to assimilate back into civilian society. Vietnam Vets were not the only people who suffered from hostility on our return home. Ignorance and bigotry don't stop to do a lot of research before they erupt.

A bit later on he mentions, and I think it's important:

Unfortunately, we can't afford to sit around and wait that out. Statistics suggest our members have an average of only 10.25 years to live. We are all aged between 72 & 79. Our cohort is dying at the rate of three per day.

I want to thank Chris for sharing his letter.

In my family again, a different family member, my stepdad, Gordon, was also conscripted. He didn't serve. He didn't go to Vietnam. He was fortunate in that regard. He was actually a cook, of all things, in Healesville in my electorate. We've talked often about his time out as Healesville as a cook. He said he felt very fortunate. He actually felt a level of guilt that he didn't go over and serve with others. It still had a significant impact on him. It took two years out of his life. He was away from his family, loved ones and social networks. His career opportunities were also hampered. Becoming a cook and a chef wasn't something he aspired to, so he didn't see that as a long-term career opportunity. He was impacted in many ways from his service as well.

To Chris; to my stepdad, Gordon; to all those vets who were conscripted; and to all Vietnam veterans: I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for your service and for your sacrifice. I want you to know that you are heard. While we can't change the past and how you were treated when you returned from Vietnam or when you came back into society from your conscription, I do know and I say with confidence that every member of this House supports you, hears you and wants to continue to do everything we can to make your life as easy as possible. We acknowledge the sacrifice that you made physically, mentally and socially. We understand that you didn't have a choice in what you had to go through at that time. We thank you, we hear you and we will continue to support you. I'll always be your voice in this House to make sure your concerns are heard.

I also want to thank the families of all those veterans. I've had the opportunity to attend some Vietnam veterans' services. At one last year, the wife of a Vietnam veteran shared her journey, her story and the challenges she went through as a wife and as a mother supporting her husband as he went through his mental demons. Sometimes we forget about the families that have sacrificed so much so their loved ones can serve our country. I want to say thank you to all those families as well. I finish by saying thank you to the men Australia forgot. We may have forgotten you then, but we will not forget you now.

Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in favour of the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023. That's quite a mouthful and quite a misdemeanour as far as short titles go, but it's still an important piece of legislation to require passage through this place. I've made a number of contributions in this place regarding veterans. I turn back to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs' speech on this bill and recognise a home truth in this policy space. Policy regarding veterans and Defence personnel in my year as the member for Spence has been a largely bipartisan affair, though I believe a better word would be tripartite, given the number of members and senators from the cross bench who weigh into this area of policy constructively. I thank them all for that.

I particularly would like to thank those of us who have made a contribution in the Federation Chamber this afternoon, including the Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I would also like to give honourable mentions to the contributions made by the member for Casey and the member for Paterson, the contribution to come from the member for Hughes, and last but not least the member for Riverina. As a former minister for veterans' affairs himself, I will never be surprised to see the member for Riverina on the same side of the debate as myself in this particular area. Not only does it provide a brief respite from some of the rough and tumble we experience in other areas of policy—examples as recent as today comes to mind—it is heartening that we can set all of that aside, either long-standing or contemporary differences, for a brief moment and place at the forefront of our minds that when it comes to those who have served our country we work together as one.

We have managed to do so in my time throughout the big ticket items, such as when we took note of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs' response of the interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This is important for so many reasons, one of many being the 6,086 veterans that were living in Spence at the time of the last census, not to mention their families and children, and the many ADF servicemen and women who live and serve in my electorate of Spence too, a large portion doing so out of RAAF base Edinburgh. As the veterans of tomorrow, it is important that we keep improving the state of play for their sake too. We will no doubt continue to engage across partisan divides in a collegiate fashion with this bill.

The bill puts forward a raft of miscellaneous measures by amending a number of pre-existing laws common amongst those of us who are familiar with veterans policies. This bill looks to amend the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988, and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. In terms of legislation concerning veterans' affairs, they are the big three. The amendments to these laws that we are discussing today are quite minor in nature, but they can be quite meaningful in an incremental sense.

Firstly, this bill aims to align military compensation provisions under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 where ADF firefighters would come under similar arrangements to civilian firefighters. This is of course presently the case for civilian firefighters through provisions in the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 after the passage of the Albanese Labor government's Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs Better Pay) Act 2022. By reducing the qualifying period of employment for ADF firefighters in order to have a presumptive impact on a diagnosis of esophageal cancer from 25 years to 15 years it will provide a degree of certainty for many if they were afflicted by such an insidious condition, as many have been in the line of their duty. Many first responders, in this instance firefighters, whether they be civilian or ADF, will go into a scene to render safe and to ensure everyone else at the scene is safe, often putting themselves in harm's way. They put themselves in harm 's way either in a direct and immediate sense or, as is often the case, in an indirect sense, where the danger exhibits itself by an acute exposure to a carcinogen or by prolonged exposures over a lengthy period of time.

This change is coupled with changing the requirements that firefighting duties only be 'not insubstantial' as opposed to a 'substantial' part of a person's duties during their service. This can be cold comfort to someone and their family going through the process of receiving a life-shattering diagnosis. But lessening the administrative burden and hurdles that the Department of Veterans' Affairs would have otherwise placed in front of someone going through this tragic circumstance can only be a good thing.

This amendment to the act doesn't just bring ADF firefighters in parity with civilian firefighters, in terms of this. More importantly, it's frankly the right and decent thing to do. It is the least we can do, for putting service men and women in harm's way, where many did not fully appreciate the risks they would be taking but, in any case, they served honourably, to their ultimate detriment. I note that the Minister for Veterans' Affairs mentioned that through regulations under DRCA eight additional cancers will be covered under similar arrangements, including malignant mesothelioma. Bills like this may not seem flashy, at the outset, but they often have a provision or two that enable common sense and a law to get closer to being in sync with one another.

The second aspect of this legislation touches on employment programs. This part of the bill amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act to allow for a degree of alignment between existing provisions contained within the Social Security Act 1991—namely, those provisions under the act that allow amounts received from employment programs not to be considered as income for the purpose of income support means testing. This will mean that veterans and their partners who receive any money through employment programs prescribed by the Social Security Act are considered exempt from an income test under the Veterans' Entitlements Act. I'm happy to see DSS and DVA working together on this. The disparity has long been confusing for many, especially for those well versed in social security law rather than veterans entitlements, and vice versa.

Disparity has also been a factor that has discouraged veterans from making additional positive steps towards transitioning into civilian life and finding a new calling or defence adjacent calling, as I know many have and continue to do so. I have been a big fan of programs out there that encourage veterans to explore those possibilities and career paths outside of a branch of the ADF they formerly served in. Many of these programs are led and supported by veterans themselves who want to see nothing other than veterans thrive, build a new sense of purpose, foster self-esteem and have a new sense of self. Participation in employment programs has, for many veterans, acted as a catalyst for an overall positive difference for both themselves and their families.

This bill also amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act to include the discretion to provide Commonwealth rent assistance beyond 26 weeks, for those who are eligible claimants that find themselves temporarily outside of Australia and are unable to return for a number of prescribed reasons. These are reasons such as being involved in a serious accident, a natural disaster or a public health crisis. I only wish these amendments had been set in stone during the prior public health crisis that began a few years ago. These amendments do not just make sense, they are commonsense changes to veterans entitlements law, and, once again, bring it closer to parity with the civilian equivalent. I have always found it a bit perverse when veterans and their families seeking income support or any number of other supports are found to be worse off for being a veteran rather than a civilian.

We should not be worse off for having served our country, and I very much look forward to voting on this bill to make further corrections to imbalances that exist. While I know that the Albanese Labor government and, indeed, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs have not lost sight of the bigger picture, as far as reforming veterans legislation is concerned, correcting these issues in the interim will go a long way to improving the quality of life of many veterans and their families.

The last of the changes that this bill seeks to introduce to veterans entitlements law is to amend the Veterans' Entitlements Act, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act to expand the net of eligibility to access the defence, veterans' and families' acute support package. The proposed expansion would include grandparents who are caring full-time for the children of a veteran. Family dynamics differ in so many varied ways. This is not confined to the families of veterans or civilians. This is true of Australian families in general. Grandparents often fulfil a primary caregiving role to children, and this is no different when it comes to the family of a veteran. The reasons can be as broad and varied, but they are providing them with full-time care just the same.

The acute support package is currently available to working-aged veteran families, widowed partners of veterans and their kids. The package makes a number of support services available for families of working-aged veterans who need a bit of extra assistance when it's needed the most. These supports come in the form of child care, counselling for adults or children, general household assistance and transport assistance. The supports range from general wellbeing to academic and extracurricular support for children. Some of these supports can really make a difference for a family struggling and reaching the verge of breaking point. The grandparents of the children of veterans under their full-time care also able to access support such as counselling, wellbeing, transportation and a raft of additional supports.

I'm looking forward to seeing in the months and years to come the many developments that will be introduced in this place concerning veterans, but in the meantime I—and I hope all members in this place will too with this bill—will be front and centre supporting meaningful changes that aim to improve the circumstances and quality of life of veterans and families. As I always say, it's the very least we can do for those who have served our country with honour and distinction. It is precisely the message I want us as parliamentarians to send to our veterans, to our currently serving defence personnel and to anyone thinking of enlisting in the ADF in the future.

I'm proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government that is committed to supporting veterans and their families and children. I'm proud to be part of a parliament and a government that is looking to make many more positive steps towards improving the outcomes for veterans.

Lastly before I conclude my remarks, I encourage all members present who have not done so to contact my office and join the Parliamentary Friends of Veterans, a group I co-chair with the member for Menzies. It's a forum outside of the chamber where we meet to discuss matters relating to our veteran community and meet across the aisle.

I commend this bill to the House. I encourage all members to support it. Finally, I extend to all current and former serving personnel in this country my thanks for their service.

Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023. At the outset I acknowledge that the coalition is supporting this bill. I commend the work of the member for New England on this bill, together with the speakers I've heard in this place today—the member for Spence, the member for Paterson and the member for Casey. This bill has bipartisan support. It largely proposes miscellaneous and uncontroversial amendments across various acts that govern veterans entitlements and compensation.

At the outset I acknowledge the many veterans who live in my electorate of Hughes, those at the Holsworthy Barracks and the veterans' families. As I travel around my electorate, especially with my mobile office, it has been a privilege and a pleasure to meet veterans of many of our wars—from the Vietnam War through to more the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also been a great privilege to present many of them with certificates of appreciation. I acknowledge the work that the current government and the minister in particular are doing in that space.

Before I turn to the bill itself, I also acknowledge the Woronora River RSL Sub-branch. I was very happy to attend there on Anzac Day and lay a wreath. Over 1,500 other people were present that morning. It's a beautiful service down there, and it was a real privilege to be there. The president down there is Barry Grant OAM. He has been president of the Woronora River RSL sub-branch from 2011, and he was state president of the Australian Commando Association for 18 years. In 2020 he was awarded an OAM for services to veterans and their families, and I've seen firsthand the work that he does down there at Woronora.

He has worked particularly hard with another one of my constituents, Bree Till. Bree was married to a veteran, Brett, who was killed in Afghanistan in March 2009. At the time, Bree was pregnant, so, tragically, her son never met his father. Barry then reached out to Bree Till, and Bree, who was formerly a teacher, has now dedicated her life to serving and to assisting veterans and veterans' families. Particularly, she is a community and peer advisor for Open Arms, which is the veterans and families counselling service. She has recently retrained in art therapy, counselling and psychotherapy and is currently researching the benefits that art therapy can bring to the broader veteran community. Bree is from Woronora. She lives in my electorate. She's also a good friend of mine, and I commend the work that she has done not only for her own family but for many children of veterans, as well as their broader families.

I turn now to the bill itself. The bill comes, essentially, in four schedules. There are minor amendments to three acts that govern veterans entitlements. Those three acts are the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986, Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. In most cases the amendments are designed to ensure consistency between the acts and to ensure veterans entitlements align with amendments made to the Social Security Act 1991.

The first schedule, schedule 1, relates to firefighters' alignment. It ensures ADF firefighters, who are currently covered by the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act, have identical arrangements to their civilian counterparts, particularly in relation to claims for oesophageal cancer, whereas civilian firefighters are covered by the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988. Firefighters are at significantly greater risk of oesophageal cancer, primarily resulting from fire effluent particles that can be trapped within their body. This bill proposes to deal with the minor process that those amendments made to the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 apply from the commencement of that other legislation and to bring that in line.

The second schedule is concerned with employment programs and seeks to ensure parity between eligible recipients under the Veterans' Entitlements Act with those eligible under the updated Social Security Act 1991. The provisions ensure that when the employment secretary determines that payments and benefits from Commonwealth, state or territory employment programs are exempt from income assessment for social security purposes, this determination also applies to recipients under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and does not affect income support payments. Again, that is a proposition that is supported.

The third schedule deals primarily with rental assistance, again to ensure parity between the Social Security Act 1991 and eligible veterans under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986, those being veterans who receive rental assistance while temporarily absent from Australia. The amendment will allow for an extension of the 26 weeks if the eligible person is unable to return to Australia due to unforeseen circumstances. These may include things such as war, hospitalisation, the death of a family member, a natural disaster, political unrest or a public health crisis overseas. The provisions will apply from the commencement of the making of the legislation, or where a person was overseas immediately before the commencement within the 26-day period. Again, providing rental assistance to eligible veterans is again something that we support.

The fourth schedule relates to an acute support package. The amendment extends assistance for an acute support package already provided under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to eligible grandparents caring for the children of a deceased veteran. This is particularly important. Grandparents across Australia, my own parents included, play a very big role in caring for our children when they're younger, and especially in cases where a veteran may have died. The assistance that grandparents provide and the role they play already in caring for their grandchildren cannot be underestimated.

The provisions provide that the deceased parent's death must be related to service, or a suicide relating to service, and must have occurred within two years of their eligibility. And the definition of 'child' is they must be under the age of 18 at the time of determination and deemed to be experiencing or at risk of experiencing a crisis. The definition of 'crisis' has, in my view, been properly considered. It includes attributes such as mental health, substance abuse, homelessness, loss of employment or a child who may be at risk of criminal activity and things along those lines. So, again, this is a very important measure to assist the children, the grandchildren and the grandparents of our veterans.

I support this bill. The coalition rightly supports this. It is completely appropriate that at all times where we can reach bipartisan support in relation to veterans—in relation to those men and women who put their own lives at risk to serve us and to ensure we can continue to enjoy many of the benefits that we have in this country, as a democracy with the rule of law and various other institutions that we enjoy—that we should. To conclude, I commend this bill to the House.

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

I'd like to recognise all the members who have contributed to the debate on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023 and acknowledge the continued tradition of bipartisan support for Australia's veterans. In particular, I'd like to note the support from the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for New England, and I thank him for his regular support of my role in his various press releases.

I note the contribution from my Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the member for Kingsford Smith, who has been a great support across the portfolio—speaking on this bill, but also in particular the work we've been doing together in consultation around legislative reform for veterans entitlements compensation and rehabilitation. I would also like to give him a shout-out, as many of the other speakers did, for the great work he has been doing in supporting communities affected by PFAS.

The member for Riverina, a person who represents the triservice town of Wagga, has also made a great contribution supporting this legislation. He is also a former minister in this space and I thank him for his continued support for the legislation we've been bringing forward to support veterans.

The member for Paterson—a great advocate for the veterans and serving personnel in her community—spoke about the veterans and families hub that will be coming to her community shortly, and the people who serve at RAAF Base Williamtown in her community. She shared a really telling story of a local school assembly she attended where she asked all the children who were in Defence families if they could stand up. Nearly three-quarters of the children at that assembly stood up, recognising that in our defence towns, where we have substantial aggregations of defence community, it is not just about those who serve; it's about their families, and their children, and supporting them as well. It's particularly important we recognise that in the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Legacy. This government has been proud to financially support the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Legacy, and it's been great to see so many members of parliament joining in the torch relay, acknowledging the great work Legacy does in supporting our defence and veteran families.

The member for Casey spoke of his personal experience as a veteran and the task of reintegrating into society post service. That's exactly what the work of DVA and our veterans and families hubs that we're rolling out is all about. When it comes to our veterans hubs, they are fully funded. Unlike a number of commitments made at the last election by the previous government, who had not funded their election commitments in the budget, ours are funded, and we're rolling those out this year as we speak. It is a great achievement to see that benefiting the veteran communities and defence personnel communities around Australia. I was very proud to be part of opening the Darwin Mates4Mates veterans and families wellbeing centre, part of our veterans and families hub network, just yesterday with the member for Solomon, up in Darwin. It will service the entire north end and Northern Territory community. In Darwin and Palmerston we have some 7½ thousand veterans and defence personnel, and across the NT we have 10,000 defence personnel and veterans. It will benefit from the services and service coordination that will occur at that hub, as we'll be seeing at the hubs we are rolling out across the country.

The member for Spence, also a veteran, spoke of his experience and the need to support our veterans as well, and I thank him for his contribution. He always makes excellent contributions to these debates on legislation to support our veterans and families. I thank the member for Hughes as well for speaking about her local RSL and the local services that are available in her community to support veterans, particularly the services and individuals working to support the families and the children of our defence personnel and veterans. That's exactly what this legislation is all about.

This legislation, the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023, will enhance the support and services available to veterans and their families. Supporting veterans and families is one of our key priorities, and that's why the recent budget had such a significant focus on rebuilding the Department of Veterans' Affairs in order to ensure the foundations are laid to improve access to services and supports for veterans and families.

This bill enhances support for ADF firefighters who served prior to 2004. It also extends the treatment of certain income from specified employment programs as exempt income for income support means testing, and it extends the availability of rent assistance for veterans and their partners who are overseas but unable to return to Australia due to exceptional circumstances such as those experienced over recent years with COVID-19.

Additionally, this bill expands eligibility for access to services under the Defence, Veterans and Families Acute Support Package, available for families of veterans in crisis. In particular, it expands this package, which we expanded through legislation last year to apply to a much wider cohort of veterans and families, to now also pick up grandcarer families—a gap we identified, and we are very pleased that, in the budget handed down just a few weeks ago, we have funded the expansion of this program. That's what this bill provides.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to establishing the strongest foundations to support our service personnel veterans and their families. This is a stronger foundation for a better future. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.