Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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Under the old, outdated system, veterans' entitlements were determined under one or more of three primary compensation acts.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.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say at the outset that the coalition will be supporting the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill. I would like to acknowledge the presence of the minister in the chamber today as well and make this simple point: wherever possible, the coalition will follow a principle of bipartisanship on issues impacting our veterans and their families. That's a longstanding principle, I think, on both sides of the chamber, in fact, that, where possible, the major parties in this place have worked together to try to improve the system of support for veterans and their families. I encourage the government to continue to work with the opposition in that regard and in that spirit going forward.

Like the Labor Party, as the previous speaker indicated, we believe, on this side of the House, that we have a proud record in terms of working to reform the system of support for veterans and their families. While in office, the coalition parties worked diligently with the Department of Veterans' Affairs on a wide range of reforms to improve the system and make it fit for purpose for the modern-day veterans.

One of the challenges in this portfolio, in this space, is acknowledging that the needs of different generations of veterans are very different. It's very tempting, when you see our men and women in uniform, to think that they're all the same. They kind of look the same in their different uniforms of Navy, Army and Air Force, but beating beneath the surface of the uniform is a heart and a soul of an individual person who may have different needs when they leave the Defence Force. Making sure that our system of support is fit for purpose for all generations of veterans is one of the critical challenges facing this chamber and this government and that has faced previous governments. I want to commend the minister for his endeavours in that regard.

We recognise, on this side of the House—as the minister himself has recognised on many occasions—that more needs to be done to make the system fit for purpose for our modern veterans in particular. During our time in government, the coalition released what was known as the veterans covenant. There is an important line in the veterans covenants that says:

For what they have done, this we will do.

That goes beyond just saying, 'Thank you for your service,' on Anzac Day or Remembrance Day. 'For what they have done, this we will do,' is a commitment that we make to the men and women of Australia who haven't served in uniform. It's a commitment that we make that we will support them in and after their service. It's timely that we have this conversation and debate today because, more and more, there is a narrative in the community that military service inevitably results in a person being broken or busted, and it's simply not true.

Just this week in parliament, the Prime Minister's National Veteran Employment Awards were hosted in the Great Hall. It was a celebration of veterans who have served our nation with distinction, transitioned well and then brought their skills to bear in the civilian environment. It's so critical that we challenge this narrative that military service inherently results in a person having long-term problems for life.

There is no doubt that the unique nature of military service exposes people to risk every day—during training or deployment. But, equally, we have an obligation under this covenant—'For what they have done, this we will do'—to make sure that we recruit well, train them well and give them the equipment they need to do their job well and to make sure that, when they deploy, they are properly supported and that, when they transition, they transition in the best possible shape to go on and lead fulfilling lives in the civilian environment.

What the veteran employment awards do is celebrate those successes and recognise that, on transition, so many of our veterans go on to make an enormous contribution to our wider community. This is a critical point because the skills are transferable. The skills that our men and women in uniform learn in leadership, teamwork and problem solving are transferable to civilian life. Our message to Australian employers in the private sector is: Why wouldn't you want to employ a veteran? Why wouldn't you want those skills in your business? That message has to be reinforced as much as it possibly can.

In the presence of the minister, it's good to reflect on the role he and I have shared. Being the Minister for Veterans' Affairs has been, without doubt, the highlight of my time in this place. While I served in more senior roles in cabinet with the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport role, the role in veterans' affairs is deeply personal. It is a role where you get to make a difference in people's lives with the decisions you make. It gets to the point where you're actually dealing with individuals and working with the secretary of your department and senior DVA staff to achieve outcomes which make a real difference in people's lives.

I was very fortunate during my time in the role to work with Liz Cosson, who has since retired. Liz worked tirelessly as the secretary of the department to reform the Department of Veterans' Affairs by making some steps forward in reducing the complexity of issues, particularly around claims, but also in ensuring that the benefits available to veterans were well advertised so that veterans knew support was available if and when they needed it.

I say to the minister that I recognise that, when it comes to reform, all the easy stuff has probably been done. Everything now is hard. Everything in politics today around reform and making changes is difficult. But the goal of having a system which is easier to navigate and doesn't disenfranchise veterans and their families is a goal well worth pursuing, and I encourage him and the government in those endeavours.

Equally, I encourage the volunteers—the ex-service organisations, the people who care enough about our veteran community to be bothered to join their RSL or other ex-service organisation—to get involved in advocacy and support through practical programs. The work you're doing is deeply appreciated by the members in this place. I commit myself and the opposition to work as much as we possibly can in a collaborative way to address the challenges that we know still exist, particularly as the minister and the government seek to implement the findings of the royal commission.

So, again, we do need to challenge the narrative that our veterans are all broken and busted. If we feed them a diet of helplessness and hopelessness, it reduces our capacity to tackle the big issue in this place—the issue of suicide. There is no acceptable level of suicide in our community and there is certainly no acceptable level of suicide when it comes to our veteran community. We know that too many veterans are taking their own lives, and there are complex reasons for that. There are a range of factors which play into that horrible decision, that lack of hope, which results in a person taking their own life. But there is more we can do in this place and in the community on a daily basis, and the coalition certainly commits itself to working with the minister as we strive to reduce the level of suicide in our veteran community to zero.

This bill makes the technical and administrative updates needed to prepare for the start of the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025, or the VETS Act, as it is colloquially referred to. The coalition supported the VETS Act when it passed parliament earlier this year because it delivers on what we hope will be a simplification of the veterans' compensation and rehabilitation system, which was recommended by the royal commission. Over a period of a few years, we worked to try to simplify and harmonise the three existing acts. I've never been engaged in any other area of public policy where a person seeking a benefit from the government is required to have an advocate to navigate their way through the system. The system is too complex, and the complexity came about, I think, for very well-meaning reasons. I think every generation of minister who took on this role wanted to do something more to support our veterans, and we ended up having three very complex acts to the point where one veteran could have injuries to different parts of their body eligible for a benefit under different acts if they'd served over a longer period of time. So it is quite a cumbersome system. It causes frustration. It causes delays. I think harmonisation is a goal well worth pursuing, and I commend the government and the department for working towards having, from 1 July 2026, a single piece of legislation for all new claims for compensation and rehabilitation. It will—and I say this touching wood!—hopefully make the system easier for our veterans and reduce the need for advocates to try and navigate the system that we have today. We don't want to see any veterans losing any entitlements in the process.

The legislation today is not a new policy proposal; it's building on the existing work that the government did earlier this year with the VETS Act. It provides the guarantee—and this is important—that veterans with existing claims under VEA or DRCA will keep every right-of-review option they currently have. We are reassured by the briefing we received from the minister's office that nothing will be taken away from veterans in that regard. It also gives the department and the Repatriation Commission the powers they need to continue making decisions during the transition so veterans aren't left in limbo while the new system is put in place. So this is, by any definition, a non-controversial piece of legislation, as it doesn't cut or alter a single payment or benefit. It simply makes sure that what parliament already passed in the VETS Act can operate as intended in the future.

In relation to the broader challenges facing our veteran community, I commend this legislation because I actually believe it builds on the coalition's record in government and the direction we were seeking to take under the previous secretary. I think there is an evolution here, rather than a revolution, and we are seeing constant improvement in trying to reduce the time taken to process claims and also in ensuring that veterans know where to go for help if they need it and getting that help to flow as quickly as possible.

During our time in government, the coalition delivered on average more than $11 billion per year in support for veterans and their families. We need to keep working to dispel the myth amongst some people that help is not available, because help is available. Help is available for our veterans and their families if they know where to seek it, so we encourage people to seek help in that regard. We also established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, recognising the urgent need for transparency, accountability and reform in the system.

In government, the coalition introduced and passed the Australian Veterans' Recognition (Putting Veterans and their Families First) Act of 2019 and the accompanying veterans' covenant, veteran card and lapel pin, ensuring national recognition for service and sacrifice. That may seem like a small change, but the lapel pin has given many of our veterans a capacity to wear proudly on a daily basis the same sorts of pins that members of the House of Representatives wear when they come to work. I've seen that lapel pin worn in offices across Australia over the last five years. We have people in our country who are fortunate enough and have worked hard enough to receive an Order of Australia or some other recognition. The veteran lapel pin is just one way to recognise that a person has contributed something to our nation while wearing the uniform. So I encourage veterans to wear the pin if they're comfortable doing so.

In government, we provided free, non-liability mental health care for any veteran who had completed at least one day of full-time service, which removed the barriers to early support and recovery. We also sought to expand and modernise Open Arms, the veterans and families counselling service, and ensure it remained fit for purpose and accessible to all those who needed it. One of the key features it performed was to provide people with lived experience to work with our veterans. Open Arms having staff members with lived experience has made it far more effective in recent years.

One program which I'm particularly proud of and somewhat obsessed with—the minister probably thinks—is the Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program, which was an initiative that took a bit of convincing through the finance department. One day, if I ever bother to write a book, I will cover that chapter with some degree of glee—how we may have pulled the wool over the eyes of finance for once in our lives. The program provided Australians who were eligible with tailored, life-changing therapy dogs. The program, from the feedback I've received from veterans, has probably been in my time in this place one of the most personally rewarding.

I have received messages and cards, sometimes from veterans but often from their partners, that explain how having a therapy dog has changed their lives, how having a therapy dog has meant that their veteran partner was now able to take the kids out for a walk to the playground, and how having a therapy dog has meant that their veteran partner now goes shopping or to a restaurant with them. These are things that we take for granted when we have good mental health. We have found life-changing therapy through the Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program, which has also meant there is less dependence on pharmaceuticals and a reduction in alcohol consumption. These are anecdotes; I acknowledge that. I'd like to see more work done in that regard to have the evidence based research to see exactly how this program is working going forward, and whether we can commit more funding to it and whether we need to do more work in that area.

How these dogs are changing lives, I think, is something that we need to perhaps understand, because there are other therapies that came forward during my time in the role where I couldn't convince the bureaucrats to commit money to, but I think they would inevitably do so in the future. There are other emerging therapies in areas like equine therapy, art therapy, music therapy and surf therapy. There are a whole range of things in this space which work for individuals beyond the Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program. So I think there's some more work we can do in terms of research but also understanding what works for individual veterans and being willing to run trials and pilot programs to ensure that we can help more veterans into the future—particularly our younger veterans, who may well respond to different treatments or therapies in comparison to the older cohorts.

Also in government, we started the Veteran Wellbeing Centre Program. The first six veteran wellbeing centres were initiated by the coalition, and I know the minister has built on the wellbeing centres across the country since his time in the role. We established the Prime Minister's National Veteran Employment Awards, which I spoke about previously, and it's good to see it continue to celebrate the successes of our veterans on transition. Interestingly, we created a role which, I think, was the brainchild of Secretary Cosson, which was the veterans family advocate role. Ensuring that the voices of families were heard in every major policy decision was a deliberate act of the previous government. Our first veterans family advocate was a lady by the name of Gwen Cherne. Gwen has just retired from her role and has moved on to other duties. Gwen did an outstanding job as the veterans family advocate. She had experience as a military partner but also as the mother of a serving member. Her lived experience was crucial to her being accepted by the veteran community and the families. She provided some unique insights for the secretary and me during her time in the role.

I'm pleased to see the new veteran family advocate, Annabelle Wilson, start in the role. I've had the chance to meet with Annabelle on two occasions. She's an impressive young lady, who I think will build on the legacy of Gwen Cherne. I think that Annabelle, again, has the capacity to help the government, help the department and help the minister. She has insights there that I think will be very useful. One of the strongest features of both Gwen and Annabelle is they recognise that parts of DVA are still broken. But, rather than get angry and throw bombs from outside the tent, they've been prepared to get inside the tent and try and fix it. So I commend not only Gwen for her work in the past but also Annabelle for taking on what is a challenging role. It's a high-profile, challenging role, and I wish her every success in taking it on.

The previous government also committed $500 million to the Australian War Memorial redevelopment, which will ensure the stories of contemporary veterans are told with the respect and visibility they deserve. That was also somewhat contentious at the time, but, I must say, the director, Matt Anderson, carrying on the work of Brendan Nelson, has continued to ensure that the War Memorial is not a place where we glorify war; it is a place where we respectfully recognise and commemorate the men and women who have given their lives to allow us to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today.

Those 102,000 names on the roll of honour are a reminder to us all that the price of our freedom has been paid with the blood of previous generations. To have that War Memorial be in a better position now to tell the stories of the modern generation of servicemen and women is so important not only for their mental wellbeing but also for our nation to understand that service, so I don't quibble for a second the $500 million that has gone into that program. I stress in making that point that not a cent of that $500 million came out of the DVA budget. That was new funding allocated by Treasury. It did not come at the expense of our veterans, but that $500 million has ensured that the War Memorial for decades and decades and decades to come will be in a better position to tell the story of the men and women who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Timor Leste, Solomon Islands—you name it.

More recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions will be properly recognised in the redeveloped Australian War Memorial. I congratulate Matt Anderson for the work his team does. I pass onto them our respect and our appreciation for the way they welcome members of parliament to attend the last post ceremony, to attend commemorative events. They are always run incredibly professionally with a sombre but respectful mood. I congratulate Matt on the work he is doing in that regard and I look forward to the finalisation of the War Memorial redevelopment.

The previous government also established the Joint Transition Authority, which is important in holding Defence to account for supporting members from their admission through to their civilian life. There is more to be done there. As I remarked earlier, all the easy stuff is done. The Joint Transition Authority and the work on transition is unfinished business. We still need to make sure our veterans, when they are leaving Defence, are in the best possible shape—physically, emotionally and financially—to take on their next posting in life in the civilian world. We are still getting it wrong on transition too many times, so I encourage the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to keep up the work in that regard. We have to ensure that if we are going to be consistent with the covenant of 'For what they have done, this we will do' then we have to ensure that transition to civilian life is as smooth as possible and that we give them every chance of success as they take up their next role in our community.

The previous government delivered provisional access to medical treatment. I think the government should ensure that program continues. It allows veterans to continue to receive health care while their claims are being assessed. We have increased the fees for health professionals treating our veterans, which helps to sustain access to quality health care under the DVA system. But again, since our time in office, the gap between the payments received for the treating of veterans compared to treating other clients has widened again. It is a challenge for our government; it is a challenge for this government. That gap becomes a disincentive for our health professionals to actually treat veterans. We have to find a way to close the gap because the giant in the room of the care economy and the NDIS is paying at a higher rate to see clients than what DVA currently offers. It is not offered as a criticism of the minister or the government because the gap was there. When we left government, we had some step-up payments to try and narrow the gap to make it more attractive to health professionals to treat our veterans but the gap is still there and it is becoming a problem again. I say to DVA: for god's sake, try to reduce the paperwork because the allied health professionals and GPs are all saying the same thing—'We are busy people. We cannot spend all day filling out your paperwork, so try and find ways to minimise the paperwork and make it more attractive for our health professionals to treat our veterans when required.'

In government, we did something in 2021 which I think will be more helpful to this minister and future ministers than it necessarily was to me at the time. We asked a question in the census about whether they had ever served in the Australian Defence Force. It came about because basically we had no idea how many veterans we had in Australia. Unless someone had served and then registered with DVA, we as a government had no idea how many veterans we really had. It turned out we had, I think, around 600,000 at the time, and that data will help the minister in terms of targeting support measures to regional hotspots, or places where we know there are a large cohorts of veterans, and will make sure that the limited resources we have can be directed in the most appropriate way.

There is more to be done. I acknowledge that this bill here today and the VETS Act are important, but there's more to be done. We are going to continue to monitor closely the government's claims around claims processing times because we are hearing different reports from our veterans on the ground in terms of whether there has been a shifting of the claims into a new basket or there has actually been a reduction in the time taken to process claims. The government must continue to act, and act faster, on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, and to the Treasurer and the Minister for Finance I say give the minister the resources he needs to implement the findings of that royal commission. It's one thing to have a royal commission, but the history of royal commissions in this country is that the royal commission is held, the recommendations come in and then they sit there and sit there and sit there. Some of those recommendations will require additional resources for the veterans portfolio, and I urge the Treasurer and the finance minister to act quickly in that regard. Funding for veterans and families hubs has not been guaranteed, and it's something that veterans are coming to us and raising concerns about—whether they will be able to operate those hubs in the future.

In conclusion, while I started with the point that, wherever possible, the coalition adopts the principle of bipartisanship in relation to matters involving our veterans and the Australian Defence Force, the government made a mistake with the mean spirited bill to try and address what they thought were shortcomings in the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal. Mistakes were made from the very moment that Defence did not consult. I actually don't blame the minister for what followed in the months after that, because I think he was sold a pup from day one. Defence did not consult with the tribunal itself. An independent statutory authority was established by the Labor Party in 2011 to provide a review function for the greatest acts of heroism our nation has ever seen, and the defence department didn't consult with the highly skilled and highly respected individuals on that tribunal to see what changes would be palatable, what changes were worth pursuing and, more importantly, what changes were completely unsellable to the Australian public.

It was mean spirited from day one for Defence to try to impose a 20-year time limit on the review of actions by our Australian Defence Force personnel. It was also mean spirited from day one to seek to abolish the right of current Australian Defence Force personnel and veterans to seek a review unless they fit within a very tight descriptor provided by Defence itself. I say to the government, in the spirit of bipartisanship and in seeking to find in-principle agreement wherever possible on veterans and defence matters, we should have been consulted earlier in the process, the tribunal should have been consulted and ex-service organisations should have been consulted. We then would never have had the mess that we've had over the last three months, with veterans and Defence Force personnel speaking out angrily about the reform of the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal.

There were 75 submissions to the Senate inquiry. How many do you reckon might have been in favour of the changes?

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

One.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was one; you're right, Member for Riverina. There was one supporting submission, and the one supporting submission—what a surprise—came from the Department of Defence. The department that wrote the legislation was the only submitter to the Senate inquiry that could speak positively of the bill. So I make no apologies for getting angry at the dispatch box. I make no apologies for raising my concerns publicly, vociferously and in tandem with my colleagues on this side of the House, because the Department of Defence stuffed this up from day one.

The Department of Defence did not consult with the tribunal, did not show any respect to ex-service organisations or stakeholders, and did not consult with the opposition, and what you ended up with was an alarming amount of stress and anxiety in the community as a direct result of the department's failure. When this legislation came to the House it was telling that among the 90-plus members of the Labor Party the minister and one other member spoke on it—just two of them. They were only two they could find willing to speak on the legislation. I'm glad the decision was made to discharge the legislation from the Senate. I say to the minister—don't bring it back in its current form. Don't even think about bringing it back with a 20-year time limit and don't even think about bringing it back with restrictions on who can seek a review, because we will have this fight all over again, and I know what the Australian people think about putting a time limit on 'We will remember them'.

We are here as an opposition to work with the government where we can, as we have with this legislation here today. We stand ready to support urgent, meaningful reforms that deliver better outcomes for veterans and their families, and I look forward to working in the spirit of collaboration, particularly around the recommendations of the royal commission. I think it's going to need a bipartisan commitment to make it happen. It's going to need a bipartisan commitment to force Treasury and Finance to do the right thing and spend some money where it needs to be spent.

I'll finish on that point, and on a more hopeful note that, wherever possible, we will seek bipartisanship on issues affecting our veterans. I acknowledge and say respectfully to any veterans who are listening today, or their family members, thank you for your service. Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you to your families who supported you in that service. Without you, Australia would be a less safe place to live. Without your service and sacrifice, we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today. We respect and value that, and we will continue to work together in this place as much as we possibly can to ensure you are properly supported in service and in your retirement. I thank the House.

Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025, which continues the government's response into the recommendations arising from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The final report from that royal commission contained 122 recommendations. These evidence based recommendations were designed to set out a blueprint for the transformational reform required to address the national tragedy of defence and veteran suicide—and it is a national tragedy.

The entire defence and veteran ecosystem was considered by the recommendations, meaning they touched Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies and other institutions responsible for the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, at least 1,677 serving and ex-serving ADF members died by suicide between 1997 and 2021. That's more than 20 times the number of defence personnel killed in active duty over the same period. But the royal commission estimates the true number of preventable deaths to be upwards of 3,000. This is a crisis, and the gravity of the crisis cannot be underestimated.

Further recommendations from the royal commission included: the development of a doctrine on people, capability and service for the ADF to make clear that Australia's military capability and operational readiness depend on a physically and mentally healthy workforce; public reporting on ADF culture, health and wellbeing, and incorporating member's health and wellbeing in senior-level performance appraisals, as well as ensuring promotion selection processes reward leaders who have a positive impact on wellbeing and culture; to strengthen defence and Department of Veterans' Affairs research, data collection and analysis, and data sharing, to enhance their ability to identify, understand and monitor the impact of risk and protective factors for suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members; and to provide ongoing funding to veterans and families hubs to develop a national funding agreement on veteran wellbeing. Through its recommendations, the royal commission also sought to address the stresses that service and postservice life place on Defence families, to prevent physical and mental injuries within the ADF, to encourage members to seek help early, to prioritise recovery when an injury does happen, to reduce the risk of burnout, to make veterans' entitlements fair and equitable regardless of how a member's military service is classified and to make compensation-claim processing efficient and transparent.

One such organisation that is working hard towards improving the mental health and wellbeing of current and former Australian military members, as well as the emergency services personnel and their families, is Military and Emergency Services Health Australia, or MESHA, which is a not-for-profit research training and program centre. In South Australia, MESHA is based in my electorate of Sturt. MESHA conducts co-designed and impact driven research in priority areas of unmet need and seeks to embed lived experience in the design and delivery of its training and programs to ensure that authentic and sustainable outcomes for service communities are achieved.

MESHA's programs are facilitated by trainers with lived experience and a service background so that the training programs can be delivered with authenticity, credibility and genuine connection with participants. All of MESHA's trainers are current or former military and/or emergency services personnel, trained in group facilitation, trained in trauma informed care, and trained in establishing and maintaining boundaries and have also undergone program-specific modularised training and have been a participant in the program that they are delivering. MESHA, thank you for the work that you are doing not only to support veterans but to raise awareness of the challenges and complexities of postservice life. This you did beautifully at the MESHA Remembrance Day breakfast in Adelaide on 11 November this year.

These stories are important. On 11 November 2025, Remembrance Day, I also had the honour of joining MESHA at the breakfast in Adelaide to hear more stories. I also heard the stories and reflected on the courage and sacrifice of our Australian Defence Force personnel past and present at my local Payneham RSL and also at the Kensington Park RSL. At Payneham, the service was hosted by Mr Jordan Box and his beautiful OPK9 dog Sally, who is about to retire. Thank you, Sally.

I also attended the dawn service on Anzac Day this year at the Kensington RSL where, under the leadership of sub-branch president Mr Peter Lloyd, a moving and reflecting ceremony was held. At the ceremony and in his remembrance address, retired brigadier Ellis Wayland AM made striking remarks about the need for more investment, more encouragement and more support for young people to join the Australian Defence Force. In recognition of the fact that our Australian values and way of life are worth fighting for, he asked, 'In the event of an armed conflict affecting Australia, would young Australians rush to sign up to serve?' He spoke of the urgent need to create an environment where the answer to his question would always be yes.

On Vietnam Veterans' Remembrance Day in August this year, I also attended an equally moving ceremony at the Payneham RSL lead ably by the president, Mark Lawson-Kent; the vice president, Bert Pac; and the secretary, Liam Ibbetson, to mark the courage and sacrifice Australians made in that conflict. The ceremony was remarkable for two reasons: its beautiful simplicity and its telling of the stories of those who served and explanation of history. Many of those stories live on in postservice lives, and veterans deserve meaningful postservice lives in which they are cared for and supported.

I take a moment in discussing postservice life to reflect on and echo the remarks made by the member for Gippsland, who spoke before me and who rightly noted that many people who serve in our defence forces give their service to our country and then go on to make incredible contributions to our community. I have a former Air Force intelligence officer working in my electorate office. She is my right-hand woman and one of the most competent and capable people I have ever worked with. She has an exceptional blend of military and civilian skills. Thank you, Emerald. You are such an asset to me and my team, and I'm so glad you're in my corner. I encourage all employers out there to do what I did and consider employing a veteran. Exceptional leadership and de-escalation and judgement skills are on offer. Please consider it.

For those who need it, though, this bill continues the Albanese Labor government's commitment to implementing a better and simpler veterans entitlement system so that veterans and families can access the support that they need and deserve faster. The complexity and frustration of the veterans entitlement system was found, in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide interim report, to be a contributing factor to suicidality amongst our veteran community, so, from the middle of 2026, all veteran claims will be assessed for compensation and rehabilitation under one single piece of legislation that will be simpler to use and faster to process—the new and improved Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. This reframes and resets how we support veterans and means the government will be able to better provide the services and supports the veteran community needs more quickly and when the services are needed.

The bill proposes a number of minor technical amendments to the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act to ensure the smooth implementation of these reforms and transition from the previous complicated arrangements, which were comprised of three acts, into just a single act. The bill operates to clarify the powers of the existing Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission and Repatriation Commission as they transition to a single repatriation commission.

We'll also remove ambiguity in the legislation for veterans and families seeking review of a DVA decision and clarify the interpretation of eligibility for important funeral benefits to ensure claims for funeral compensation are determined according to the act under which they are lodged and the correct entitlements are available as quickly as possible.

The bill also strengthens the review rights for decisions made under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988. This bill will clarify and make minor adjustments to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (Defence-related Claims) Act and the simplification act to complement the government's original policy intention for veterans rehabilitation and compensation legislative reform. Under the current arrangements, veteran entitlements are provided for under three separate compensation acts and eligibility under one of those acts depends on when the veteran served and which period of service caused or contributed to the condition being claimed.

The simplification act modifies these arrangements by providing that, from 1 July 2026, all claims for compensation and rehabilitation will be determined under the improved Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. It does this through four mechanisms. The first is to provide the MRCC with appropriate powers to make instruments in the pre-commencement period, before 1 July 2026. The second amendment preserves certain treatment related instruments made under the VEA as though they have effect under the MRCA. The third amendment is to confirm that all claims for funeral compensation should be determined according to the act under which they are lodged, which will ensure consistency with the date of claim approach, as intended under the improved MRCA. The fourth amendment is to clarify the review pathway for claimants who have DRCA original determinations made before 21 April 2025. The single review pathway commenced on that date, and, currently, there is some ambiguity about the rights of appeal for these claimants.

These amendments together will clarify and make minor adjustments to the veterans legislation to align with the government's original policy intention to simplify and harmonise the veteran compensation system. This will mark the most significant reform to how we support veterans in a century. It will enable veterans and families to get the support that they need and that they deserve when they need it. It is also a sign of this government's deep respect for the service, commitment and sacrifice that the veterans give to Australia. I share that deep respect, and I say to my friends at the Payneham RSL and the Kensington Park RSL: thank you for your service and for continuing to share your stories.

I stand with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Defence Personnel as he undertakes this important reform work. I commend the bill to the House.

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

A bouquet for the minister at the table straight up. I know he has veterans at heart, and I know that he and I share support for the two veterans facilities in Wagga Wagga, in the heart of the Riverina: RSL LifeCare, the Riverina Veteran and Family Hub at 240 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga—the main street; and the Pro Patria Centre, in the western suburb of Ashmont. The minister announced funding recently for Pro Patria, for the defence shed, in September this year. Earlier, in November 2023, he announced $1.2 million for Pro Patria and $520,000 for RSL LifeCare. Those investments were welcomed. He was in Wagga Wagga to announce the 2023 spending. It is funding which will save lives, and I say that because I know how important it is, as a former veterans affairs minister—and you don't get that job unless you are a good person, and the minister is a good person. I'm giving him some bouquets at the moment; don't worry, Minister, you'll get a few brickbats further on in my speech!

I also acknowledge the service of the member for Solomon, who is speaking after me—a solid citizen as well; he went through Duntroon. I acknowledge the member for Herbert and the member for Canning, former reserves and may still be serving in some capacity—the members for Hasluck and Spence, and no doubt there are others. I know the member for New England has also done some service, and there could be other members in the House of Representatives as well who have. I say to them, as we ought to say to everybody who has worn a uniform: thank you for your service—TYFYS. As the shadow minister, the member for Gippsland, quite correctly pointed out in his remarks, but for the service and sacrifice of those and many others before them we would not enjoy the benefits we do today. We live in the greatest country on earth. We have these democracies, these freedoms. I see a number of young people up in the gallery; they will enjoy a better life because of those people who have put on a military uniform and represented our nation.

I come from Wagga Wagga. That city is a garrison city. We have Blamey Barracks, named after Thomas Blamey; what a hero he was. But for him, we may well be speaking a different language and this nation would be vastly different to what it is today. His efforts in the Pacific in the Second World War are to be admired and respected. That is Blamey Barracks, Home of the Soldier, 1st Recruit Training Battalion Kapooka.

We've got the Royal Australian Air Force. There's a sign that says 'Air power begins here'—and it does, right in Wagga Wagga. If you spend any given time in the Air Force you may well end up at Forest Hill. With that base, we have a Navy base as well, even though we are a long way from the nearest drop of seawater. There are 80 personnel serving the Navy proudly at Wagga Wagga, at that Forest Hill facility, and we thank each and every one of them. Recently all three arms of defence came out to mark one of the many commemorative occasions that we do in our defence training city. It was so impressive to see them marching up the main street in khaki, blue and white, representing the three arms of the Defence Force.

This Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill is due to come into effect on 1 July next year. It establishes a single legislative framework for veterans' entitlements, compensation and rehabilitation. The minister would know, as would anybody who has served in any capacity in the portfolio of military, defence and veterans' matters, that getting simplification for entitlements for veterans is so crucial and so vital. The legislation introduces minor technical amendments to support a smooth transition from the three existing acts to the new Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025, quite simply known as the VETS Act. The coalition backed the VETS Act when it passed the parliament early this year. We understood—because veterans are at the core of what we support as well—a simplification of veterans' compensation and rehabilitation, the system recommended by the royal commission.

In her remarks, the member for Sturt talked about the royal commission, which shone a light—an all too tragic light—onto what some of our veterans have endured since leaving military life, and it's not a new thing. Indeed, former Australian War Memorial director Dr Brendan Nelson—he was probably the best prime minister we never had. He used to speak about the fact that as many veterans, diggers and Anzacs passed away in the decade after the guns fell silent on the Western Front in World War I on 11 November 1918 as did in the war years from 1914 to 1918. Just think of that—for the 60,000 of Australia's best and bravest who came back from that conflict, the bloodiest war the world had ever known, there weren't the support systems and there weren't the wraparound services that we have today, more's the pity. They came back with trench fever, shell-shocked. They were conditions that no-one could possibly have understood. They were different men. Yes, there were women too. There were nurses who were on the frontline, and, no doubt, they too suffered. We gave mightily to World War I efforts. They called it the Great War—no war is great. We've learnt a lot from that conflict, and we've acted responsibly since, but we can never do enough for our veterans.

I know that former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is being honoured this week. He put in place a veterans' employment program which is to be acknowledged and applauded. I know he would often say, during his days in the Lodge, that not all of our veterans are broken. And they are not. The member for Sturt touched on that in her contribution, wisely so. Many of our veterans come back, and they're used to the formality and rigidity of military life. It must be hard for them to adjust back into civilian life and back into family life, and yet many of them do and contribute mightily to our nation. All of them have put in, all of them have given, all of them have served, and all of them have sacrificed. Not all of them are broken, and we should acknowledge that. But, for those who are affected and for those who have done their time and done their service, proudly so, and are going back into civilian life who are affected—we must be there for them. As a parliament, we have to be.

I have to say that making sure that compensation and rehabilitation come under the one banner, under a single piece of legislation, is to be acknowledged and is to be applauded. It replaces the outdated patchwork of laws veterans currently face. Not every veteran's relationship or association with the Department of Veterans' Affairs is going to be a good one. Some choose not to even go through the DVA process at all. But I would encourage veterans to take advantage, to avail themselves of all the services available. The DVA has very good people. Our public servants in that area are very good, and they want to help. They truly do. But veterans' experiences may well be different to those of their comrades and former comrades.

This bill ensures a smooth and fair transition to this new system. It's written in such a way that veterans do not accidentally lose entitlements in the process. Thank goodness for that. It's not a new policy proposal; it's about fixing cross-references, it's about definitions, and it's about transitional clauses in the law—making sure they work properly when the new system takes place and begins. Importantly, the bill guarantees that veterans with existing claims under the Veterans' Entitlements Act or the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-Related Claims) Act keep every right and review option that they currently have. Nothing is being taken away.

Minister, this is where the brickbat comes in. I know the minister, as I said before, is a principled person, but he should not have listened to the Department of Defence, to the bureaucrats, when they came to him with the changes to Defence medallic recognition. I know that he knows I was going to say this. For people such as Richard Norden, a recent Victoria Cross for Australia recipient—he would not have been eligible under the system that was proposed and even passed this House of Representatives. He would not have received that long-overdue recognition, that highest of honour that the military could provide and that Australia could provide to someone who, at the Battle of Coral-Balmoral went into danger not once, not twice, but thrice—again and again and again placing his life at risk—to rescue a mate. Isn't that, after all, what service and sacrifice are all about? Mateship, honour—he didn't do it for a medal. He didn't do it for a piece of tin on his chest. He did it because it was the right thing to do and because that's what Australian soldiers do. That's what Australians who go through Kapooka do.

Under the changes that were passed by the House of Representatives—brought into the House of Representatives by the minister at the table—that was all going to be taken away for future heroes. That was wrong. That was dishonourable. Thankfully, the minister has, through pressure, through advocacy and through common sense—and, I will say, through decency because you are a decent man, Minister—has taken that piece of legislation, that folly, off the Notice Paper. Let it never see the light of day again, because our heroes deserve better. They deserve better from a parliament that understands the service and sacrifices they have made, not in their name but in their mate's name, in the duty of their service in the Army, Air Force or Navy, for the flag and for the patriotism of our nation so that others may live, because, as St John once said, 'Greater love hath no man shown than to serve and lay down one's life for one's friend.' I commend the bill.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank those who have acknowledged me and others in the parliament who have served in our Australian Defence Force. Across the parliament and across the chambers, we support our men and women in uniform and the sacrifices they and their families have made. We want to make sure that they get the best possible deal. As the Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia, I have the enormous privilege to meet with defence members and veterans across this country. And, as a fourth-generation veteran, I am proud of the contribution that my family has made to the defence of our country.

Every day I talk to veterans and share their achievements and assist them with any challenges. I concur with the contributions of so many who have pointed out the fact that veterans are incredibly capable people and vital to the future of our nation and to upholding the sovereignty of our nation. I only have to think back to Darwin on the weekend, when veteran mates across our city played a helpful, calming role. Those in the emergency services obviously also played an active role. But the veterans who are walking the streets with a chainsaw, helping out their neighbours, are just one small example of how vital veterans are in our communities. That's what the ADF does. It provides Australian citizens with the opportunity to be trained up in one of our services, to manage risk, to lead under arduous conditions and to defend our homeland and our interests overseas. Every defence member, having made that solemn and sacred commitment to the nation and to the Australian people, should feel safe in the knowledge that, whatever may happen in their service, they and their families will be looked after and, indeed, acknowledged by a grateful nation.

It is our nation's duty to empower and support the mental health and wellbeing of our defence and veteran community. There is an expectation from the Australian people that they will be looked after. I lobbied hard with the minister, who is in the room; with our prime minister, who was the then opposition leader; and with veterans and their families, particularly those family members who have lost loved ones by suicide. We worked with those supporters of a royal commission, and the current Prime Minister committed to a royal commission from opposition, and, now in government, we are implementing the recommendations. The interim report was released a couple of years ago, in 2022. It contained recommendations that were deemed most urgent so that we could start getting after those recommendations. We have acted on them all, and that is a credit to the minister.

We have cleared the backlog of unallocated compensation claims at DVA, which was causing a lot of angst, so that new claims are reviewed within 14 days. We have legislation the VETS Act, the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act, which harmonises legislation and simplifies the compensation system, and that is a good thing.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour, and the member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.