Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Anzac Day, Labor politicians will run to any veteran wearing medals, or any Defence Force member in uniform, to get a photo to place on their social media and say things like, 'Lest we forget,' and, 'We'll be there to help you in your time of need.'

Well, when it comes to action, this Labor government has failed. They have failed the people of Townsville with our veterans' hub, the Oasis. The Oasis supports thousands of veterans throughout Townsville. It was one of the first hubs that was established and, for the last several months, John Caligari has been writing to Minister Matt Keogh, asking for support. Yet this has fallen on deaf ears. Now, the Oasis has said they may have to close, or they will be closing, at the end of the year. That's going to put veterans and veterans' families who work there out of a job. It's also going to create a hole and a gap in services for veterans and those that serve and their families in their time of need. This simply isn't good enough.

The Labor government can find money for anything and everything, but when it comes to Defence and our veterans, they are missing in action. First it was the Sallyman; that now no longer exists. Now it's going to be the Oasis Townsville. The Oasis has saved lives. We need the service to be sustainable for our veterans. The Oasis should be working closely with this government to make sure that there a sustainability model, not for my generation but for many to come.