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

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel. Veterans and their families have lost faith in the minister. Former Royal Australian Navy diver and Fair Care for Veterans spokesman John Armfield said, after the meeting with the minister, 'I enlisted under the Navy values of courage, honour, honesty and loyalty, yet you failed to display any of these values, Minister.' How can the minister continue as Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel if he cannot uphold Defence values?

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

I thank the member for his question. The circumstances of Mr Armfield that he has gone through—he gave evidence to the royal commission about that, and I saw that evidence and have engaged with him about the circumstances he had to confront—were tragic and terrible. I've said that to him before. Navy apologised to him for some of that conduct as well, and they very much should have done so. I can very much understand why he would feel that there has been a breach of faith with him in terms of the upholding of the Australian Defence Force values in his engagement. I understand that. I am sorry that he holds that view about me, and all I can do—as I try to do each and every day—is make sure that we're continuing the work of improving the system that exists to support our serving personnel, our veteran community and their families so that they get the service and the support that we all agree that they deserve.