Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer the minister to his statement on 7 February, when he expressed his confidence in Defence personnel, saying, 'I'm backing them at every turn of every corner.' Why is this support not extended to the children of Australian Defence Force veterans that have been killed or injured? Why is the minister supporting the decision to cut payments to children of war veterans, including some who are homeless, all to save a measly $250,000 a year?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. All dependants who were eligible young persons immediately before the death, whether wholly, mainly or partly dependent, receive a tax-free lump sum compensation payment of $81,367.49 and education assistance under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme, while they remain an eligible young person. Education assistance includes an education allowance of $251.30 per year for primary school students and up to $421 per fortnight for secondary or tertiary students. This information is of course all available on the Defence website. If the eligible young person was wholly, mainly or partly dependent—

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order, Mr President. The minister is referring to a different payment. I am referring to a payment that is in relation to the MRRT legislation.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a debating point.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order, Mr President. I am happy for question time to be extended to allow the shadow minister to ask the proper minister this question if he would like to do so.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order. Senator Johnston has taken the question. Senator Johnston, you have got one minute and six seconds remaining.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, if the eligible young person was wholly, mainly or partly dependent on the member or former member, while they remain an eligible young person they can also receive a weekly payment of $135.34; a gold repatriation health card, providing free medical care; and an MRCA supplement of $6.20 per fortnight.

The payment that the senator refers to was tied to the mining tax, a tax that raised no money, a tax that actually cost taxpayers money. The brilliance of the previous government was such that they introduced a tax that actually raised no revenue and cost the taxpayer a motza. I do not think in the history of our country we have ever seen a more incompetent government, which would introduce a tax that actually raised no revenue and cost the taxpayer money and then sought to tie a whole lot of benefits to it, to rub salt into the wound. Of course, the senator does not understand any of that.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware that RSL officials have described these cuts as 'mean-spirited' and a 'penny-pinching exercise' that hurts Defence families? Has the minister taken any action to stop this mean, penny-pinching decision from being implemented?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's not his portfolio. What's wrong with you!

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Answer some questions on defence families.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reassert the proposition that I put: there is an existing program that deals with precisely the matters the senator has raised, if he is prepared to pay any attention to the answer that I gave him. But of course, on the subject of defence, the other side is so embroiled in the politics that they are not interested in following through what benefits are available to Defence beneficiaries, to children of former Defence members, so I am really obviously wasting my time. During their time in office, the only thing they had to concern themselves with about Defence was to treat it as an ATM and a cash cow and rip it off. And that is exactly what they did, to the tune of $18 billion in four years. So it is the height, may I say, of hypocrisy for the Labor Party to come in here with a question about Defence benefits.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the minister's obvious support for these cuts and his decision to slash the pay and conditions of serving ADF personnel in the Middle East, when will the minister start standing up for the current and former Defence Force members and their families?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note the senator comes from South Australia, the defence state. When I talked about the amount of money that had been ripped out of the defence portfolio, where was the senator, because his defence state was the principal victim of his own government's maladministration of the portfolio? He sat quiet while people's jobs were sacrificed in South Australia because of politics. The defence state of South Australia suffered more than any other state, and where was the senator in the last four years—advocating for his state? He sat dumb while the defence state of South Australia was utterly ripped off by his own government.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.