David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I fear that we denigrate the work of this place when we see guillotines and the shoving together of all sorts of legislation that hasn't been through proper scrutiny by the Senate, where we are handing the executive extraordinary powers with no sunset clauses. It doesn't seem to square with the rhetoric we hear from the Albanese Labor government about transparency, a different way of governing and all those sorts of things—and it's not going unnoticed by people I represent here in the ACT.

When it comes to these bills, they are good bills. This is something that has been a very long time in the making. I thank the government, the opposition and the Greens. As many people who have contributed today have pointed out, many people have played a part in getting these bills to where they are. They're a key recommendation of the royal commission, and we need to get cracking on the hard but very necessary work of cleaning up the culture of the ADF.

I associate myself with the remarks from Senator McLachlan. Parliament ideally shouldn't have to do this. If we had leadership from those high up in the ADF, this would have been a priority by now. But here we are. This is long overdue. We're still seeing veterans dying by suicide—far too many. The number is stubbornly high, when you look at the statistics, and that's on all of us. As has been pointed out, ADF members put their lives on the line for us. It has a huge impact on their families both while they serve and after they serve. It's on us to better look after them.

I thank Senator Lambie, who is absent, for all her work for veterans. It's something that's often raised with me by veterans here in Canberra. They know she has their back. I don't think you will find another parliamentarian who works as hard on veterans' issues and who fights as doggedly as Senator Lambie. She's not afraid to ruffle feathers in her pursuit of ensuring that the Senate does not forget the men and women who serve, and who have served, this country. I echo Senator Shoebridge's recognition of Senator Lambie's amendment, which I will be backing. And I will be backing her amendments on annual reporting by this commission on progress towards implementing the recommendations of the royal commission.

We see this with so many royal commissions—great work done, so much effort from communities affected where they put themselves through the wringer and bare their souls, and it is not good enough that we don't see implementation of those recommendations. This is too important not to get right. We need to track it closely and we need to keep the government accountable on progress. I don't think we'll get an opportunity to debate the veterans bill before this Senate, and I think that is regrettable, so I also want to thank Senator Lambie for her thoughtful amendments to that bill, which I will also be supporting—amendments that would give veterans the right to have legal representation at the Veterans' Review Board. The government gets advice from lawyers. Why can't our veterans? That seems like a very hard one to explain. She has amendments for review of the Veterans' Affairs fee schedules, and, as someone who hears every day from veterans who can't get a GP or physio appointment, this is critical for veterans both here in Canberra and, obviously, around the country, particularly those living in regional Australia.

I wish Senator Lambie could be here today. She pushed for this commission following the royal commission. She got in place early. She got it going, and now we're making it permanent.

I seek leave to move an amendment at the request of Senator Lambie.

Leave granted.

I move Senator Lambie's amendment on sheet 3652:

(1) Clause 18, page 19 (line 28) to page 20 (line 2), omit subclause (1), substitute:

(1) The Commissioner must conduct inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of the Government's response to the recommendations of the Defence and Veteran Suicide Royal Commission until the implementation of the Government's response is completed.

(1A) For the purposes of subsection (1), the implementation of the Government's response is completed when both Houses of the Parliament pass a resolution declaring that the implementation of the Government's response is complete.

(2) Clause 18, page 20 (line 11), omit "2 December 2027", substitute "2 November 2027".

(3) Clause 18, page 20 (lines 12 to 14), omit subclause (4), substitute:

Subsequent inquiries

(4) Each subsequent inquiry under subsection (1) must be completed on or before the end of the 12 month period following the completion of the previous inquiry.