Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

I have a series of questions I would like to ask the minister. I would like to begin by drawing the minister’s attention to a media release following the recent ASIST conference in Melbourne. Delegates to this conference included representatives of the RSL, the VVFA and the TPI Federation, as I am sure he is aware. In a media release, conference delegates unanimously resolved:

That, the DVA Mental Health Policy Section Directorate advise the Department and the Minister as follows:-The Minister provide new and additional funding to match the amount announced by Allan Griffin—

Labor’s shadow minister for veterans’ affairs—

to ensure the positive future of Program ASIST and its extremely valuable contribution to the wellbeing of the Veteran Family.

The Minister instruct the Department that Program ASIST be formally placed under the control of the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Services (the VVCS).

The Minister … meet with a delegation from the ASIST National Conference to give a formal and definitive reply prior to 31^st July 2007—

which is not too far away. It also said:

It was the strong resolve of all Delegates that Program ASIST would not continue within the current arrangements.

I want to confirm whether or not the minister has actually received this advice or seen the press release and, if so, what was his response? Will he be following Labor’s lead in this area? Will he continue as his predecessors have done and just ignore the program?

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