Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

As the minister has indicated, the reasons for these amendments are well known. We have certainly had a suite of submissions from stakeholders in this area, and I am quite sure there is not a member of parliament in this place or that other place who has not received some very passionate and well thought out submissions effectively criticising the government’s initial position. As I said, in this place I always commend good work, and I have to congratulate the government on coming to their new position. I do not think it is a situation of too little too late. But this is of course what happens when you have a bit of policy on the run: you send out the razor gang and you say, ‘Who’s next?’ and everybody has their little area that they have got to have a cut out of. But veterans’ affairs is a very sophisticated matter. You cannot just make an arbitrary decision to cut a particular area without having a very clear understanding of the consequences of those issues. Consultations with stakeholders are a pretty good start but clearly, judging by the outcome from the government, that was obviously not something that was extended to a large degree.

I have a number of questions with regard to the government exemptions provided in proposed sections 38(2AB) and 38(2AD). Would the minister be able to tell me approximately how many people will not actually be caught by the exemptions? In other words, how many people do you think will still now move to Newstart?