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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's broken promise to ration allied health services for veterans at $5,000 per year. How many veterans will be out of pocket and forced to pay for another Labor broken promise because the Prime Minister has chosen to rip the guts out of allied health services for our veterans?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll make a couple of points before I hand over to the minister. One of the things I'm really conscious of is support for our veterans. Indeed, when we came to office, one of the reasons why the member for Calare is sitting up there and not over there—apart from having the good common sense to leave National Party—is what they did to veterans affairs when they were in government in terms of budget. When we came to government, we inherited a backlog of almost 42,000 veteran compensation claims that hadn't even been looked at by someone. This had real-life consequences for veterans and their families. We invested in DVA, and, as a result, now when a veteran makes a claim it's in front of someone within 14 days. DVA is processing claims at record levels. This is the most critical thing—as well as the hubs that we've created providing services for veterans. I'll ask the minister if he wants to add something.

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

Thank you, Prime Minister. The budget contained an additional $169.7 million to increase the fees going to allied health providers to support our veterans. This is the biggest increase in two decades and will kick in in July 2027. It's going to see physiotherapy services go from being paid $75.10 to $110 so veterans can access better services. The previous government had implemented their treatment cycle to constrain access to allied health services, so veterans had to keep going back to a GP after every 12 sessions. We're changing that to the $5,000 limit to make it easier for veterans, and, importantly, we're ensuring that veterans that have a genuine clinical need to go over it will continue to have access to the allied health services that they require.

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

Has the minister concluded his answer?

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

No.

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

Resume your seat so I can hear from the member for Herbert on his point of order.

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

I seek leave to table the recommendation from the royal commission. Veterans deserve better than these Albanese Labor lies. These are lies that you are peddling. It is ridiculous.

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

Before we go any further, we'll get the Leader of the House to pause a moment, and we're going to get the member for Herbert to withdraw that last comment.

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

I'm not withdrawing at all. People will die because of this legislation. It is disgusting.

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

Order! No. The Leader of the Opposition has followed my direction on two occasions. I'm going to ask the member for Herbert to withdraw to follow the forms of the House.

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

I'm not withdrawing.

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

I'll have to deal with this matter. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, to help with this matter, in your ruling last week you said:

I think it's in the best interest for both sides not to be referring to any individuals, people or parties using that term.

There is precedent where the now minister for health—I think he was the Deputy Manager of Opposition Business at the time—referred to 'government lies'. As I was listening to the member for Herbert, he referred to the 'Albanese Labor government's lies'. At the time, the now minister for home affairs, then the Manager of Opposition Business, said this in defence of what the now minister for health said: 'On that point—

Government members interjecting—

I'm just trying to do my best to help here. The then manager of opposition business said:

On that point, the phrase, with respect to Labor, has been used many times …

Speaker, I'm just trying to help. I think the member for Herbert was referring to the Albanese Labor government.

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

Yes, and Speaker Snedden in 1980 ruled that such a remark was out of order. We can dance around this all we want. The Leader of the Opposition did follow my direction and assisted the House, as every other member has done. I know the member for Herbert is taking a different position here, but we need to be consistent, as all speakers have done, regarding that word. There are countless examples that I can talk about of individuals or people, but we're not going down that path with me as Speaker. We're simply not going to travel that path. I'll give the member for Herbert one more chance to assist the House and withdraw. The Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perhaps I can help. I have every respect for the member for Herbert as a former veteran, as we all do. But I would ask the Leader of the Opposition to ask his member to withdraw in accordance with—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

We're going to deal with this one at a time. The Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am trying to find a way through here in the interests of the decorum of the House. It is very important, and it is in the interests of the member for Herbert as well. I have visited his electorate with him, and I know that he's passionate about these issues. But it really is in the interests of the decorum of the House. You cannot reach a point where you have the Speaker's ruling be defied.

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

The member for Herbert is refusing to withdraw that comment. That leaves me with no other choice but to name the member for Herbert.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Member for Herbert be suspended from the service of the House.

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

The question is that the member for Herbert be suspended from the service of the House.

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

The member for Herbert shall remove himself from the service of the House for 24 hours.