Sam Birrell (Nicholls, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to recognise Emma Corrin, who is a 17-year-old athlete from the Cobram Barooga Canoe Club, in my electorate of Nicholls. In October this year, Emma is due to represent Australia at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Argentina in the under-18 junior women's short course event. This is a dream Emma has worked towards for years, and I saw a glimpse of that work when I visited the Cobram Barooga Canoe Club, and Emma took me out for a paddle on the Murray River. I was in the front of the kayak, and Emma was paddling behind me. When she paddled, it felt like I had a Mercury houseboat engine pushing us along, and, when she stopped, it got really hard!

This is the kind of young Australian we should be backing, but right now there's a risk that Emma's chance to represent Australia will come down to whether her family can meet the cost. Paddle Australia has informed Emma's family that, due to current fuel prices, it's going to cost $10,000 per athlete to compete in Argentina, and most of that cost is going towards shipping the boat over there. Emma has earned the right to wear the green and gold, and she shouldn't be left to carry the cost alone. I call on the government to provide more support for Emma and for regional athletes like her that are selected to represent Australia internationally. Emma's family and supporters have set up an Australian Sports Foundation fundraiser, and I encourage those who can to donate. I wish Emma all the best.

I want to put on the record my real concern and that of the President of the Seymour RSL, Matt McLaughlin, over the recently announced $5,000 cap on allied health care for veterans. Matt wrote to me this week, and he said:

Many veterans rely heavily on ongoing allied health services—such as physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, and exercise physiology—to manage service-related injuries and long-term health conditions. For a significant number, these needs are complex and chronic. A capped annual limit is unlikely to reflect the real cost of maintaining their health, function, and quality of life.

This concern has been widely expressed within the veteran community and in this place by the member for Herbert, a veteran and strong advocate for the men and women who have served their nation. I quote again from Matt's letter:

Veterans should not be placed in a position where financial limits determine access to clinically necessary care, particularly when that care relates directly to injuries sustained through service. A policy intended to manage expenditure must also consider the long-term health, wellbeing, and dignity of those who have served.

I urge that this policy be reconsidered, or at the very least reviewed in close consultation with veterans and treating clinicians, to ensure it does not unintentionally harm those it is meant to support.