Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Palmer United Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to contribute to the debate on the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2014. In summary, the bill seeks to align Australia's antidoping legislation with the revised World Anti-Doping Code and international standards that will come into force on 1 January 2015.

The bill would amend the Australian Sports and Anti-Doping Authority Act 2006 to (1) authorise the making of regulations to allow the Australian Sports and Anti-Doping Authority Chief Executive Officer to implement a new prohibited association, the antidoping rule violation; (2) extend the time period in which action on a possible antidoping rule violation must commence from eight to 10 years from the date the violation is asserted to have occurred; (3) expand the membership of the Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee to allow the appointment of three members for the sole purpose of reviewing decisions, where requested, in relation to applications for therapeutic use exemptions; (4) require that at least one Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee primary member possess general experience in the care and treatment of athletes with impairments; (5) simplify information-sharing provisions in the act to improve the exchange, between relevant stakeholders, of information that would assist in identifying and substantiating antidoping violations; (6) require that the Australian Sports and Anti-Doping Authority maintain a public record of antidoping rule violations, to be known as the violations list; (7) remove the requirement for the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel to maintain a register of findings; and (8) allow the ASADA CEO to respond to public comments attributed to an athlete, other person or their representatives with respect to a doping matter.

These measures contained in the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2014 are reasonable, and, ordinarily, I would have supported them. However, as I indicated in my speech earlier this morning, I remind this chamber that today we have an opportunity to make a stand in this place for the men and women of the Australian Defence Force. Today, if each non-government member chose to do so, we could say no to the government's disgusting pay rise offer to the ADF by saying no to their legislative program—and yes to a fair deal for our Defence Force families. It would only take a couple of votes against the Abbott government's legislative program, for what is a matter of conscience with regard to Defence pay, and this government would fold like a house of cards.

Today in this place we have the power to undo the harm that the coalition government have done to the men and women of our Army, Navy and Air Force, not to mention to their morale. On behalf of the men and women of our defence forces, this chamber can make the Abbott government taste some of their own medicine.

The Liberal and National party members have bullied the states into increasing the GST, by ripping funding from them so that they cannot meet their budgets. They bully our major universities by ripping funding from them, backing them up against the wall. They bullied the Senate with their recent tax hikes on fuel. They bully the public to put pressure on the Senate, telling them that, if the Senate does not toe the line, they will hike up taxes.

And now they are bullying our Defence personnel, who have rules not allowing them to fight back, not allowing them to speak, not allowing them to have a union to represent them. If they do not do as they are told, they will wear the repercussions—that is, they will have to do extra duties, they will be charged and they will have a black mark put near their name. They are basically being held captive.

There is only one way to deal with a bully and that is to stand up to them. The government's behaviour would never be accepted in any school yard or any workplace, and I do not see why we should put up with it from our governments in our parliaments. Unless there are any objections from those opposite, I will give voice to the men and women of our Defence Force who have contacted my office because of this appalling pay offer, not to mention the reduction of their Christmas leave.

As I said earlier, I have received numerous emails from Defence Force personnel and so will continue to read them. Email No. 4 reads:

Congratulations, Jacqui on going into bat for the Defence Force over this disgraceful pay offer to the serving members. You have our total support.

Tony Abbott is a Defence Force junkie who loves to have his photo taken at any opportunity with serving members, and now he insults them with a pay offer that does not even keep up with inflation.

Keep up the fight, and thank you for your stance on behalf of the Defence Force members.

Email No. 6 reads:

Thank you for your stand on the pay issue for our ADF members. Congratulations and give the government heaps.

You have my full support and admiration. Please tell uncle Clive Palmer, he should be making a statement of support for this business.

As an ex service member, my pension has suffered over the years because of the application of the CPI instead of the MTAWE. I guess you have seen the gap. If not, I can send you a copy.

They will sit up and take notice, they will change their minds and they will give our ADF members a decent pay rise entirely due to your efforts. Please keep up your fight. Please do not buckle to any external pressure.

Email No. 7 reads:

This is an admirable position by Jacqui and we support what she has placed upon the table. It is a national disgrace that Defence conditions of service and veterans' entitlements are being eroded by this cruel and un-caring government just to save money.

The government and the people of Australia have an obligation to ensure that our ADF personnel and veterans are given the best entitlements and not to erode these entitlements for their service to this country. After all, they are the only ones who have or are prepared to sacrifice their lives, health, wellbeing and quality of life. This particularly affects their respective families.

Email No. 8 reads:

I am writing to you to thank you for your efforts with regards to ADF personnel pay offer. I have three members of my family in the ADF and I too am disgusted in the way they have been treated.

They have not only been offered a pittance but their conditions and allowances have also been eroded to pay for it as an offset. I do not see how the Abbott government can consider this to be any sort of pay rise.

One of my family has been to the Middle East, is now severely traumatised and facing medical discharge, another has been in the RAAF for 23 years and has been told there are no prospects for promotion.

He has been forced to relocate to another base and, due to the dire financial situation he has been put under, he has had to leave his wife and children in Queensland. The other member has been highly trained, has completed several degrees and masters qualifications and she too has been told that the chance of promotion is remote.

They are asked to put themselves in the firing line and then when they ask for some monetary return they are treated in this manner. Once again, I thank you for your interest and support.

I have written to my local member and am yet to hear from him. I wish a few more of members such as yourself spoke up on their behalf so their life might be just that bit better. They are not asking for much.

Once again, thank you for your efforts. With kind regards, father of three proud members.

Email No. 9 reads: