Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the outset of my contribution to this debate, I would like to acknowledge the contribution that veterans have made to our community, to our country and to our nation over the years. Without their contribution Australia would not be the country it is today and we would not enjoy the quality of life or the lifestyle that we do in this country. Each and every member on this side of the House acknowledges that contribution and the sacrifices that veterans have made for our nation over the years.

It is because we are so aware of the contribution that veterans have made to Australia over such a very, very long time that this government has provided a record amount of spending on veterans in this year’s budget. In fact that record amount of spending is $11.5 billion. I know it makes all members of the Rudd government proud to stand up in this place and say: ‘We have delivered to the veterans. We have delivered to the veterans community. We haven’t ignored them because they are old and frail. We’ve acknowledged the fact that their contribution is worthy of our recognition by financially supporting them.’

This bill contains three measures that were part of our 2007 election commitments. Once again I would like to emphasise to the House that the Rudd government is about delivering on our election commitments. We do not make a commitment and then turn our back on it. We deliver. We said that we would deliver to veterans and that is exactly what we are doing. This bill extends the income support supplement to war widows and widowers under the qualifying age without dependants. It extends the disability pension bereavement payments with respect to single veterans or members in receipt of the special rate or extreme disablement adjustment pension who die without sufficient assets to pay for a funeral. There is an automatic grant of war widows or widowers pensions to widows or widowers of veterans or members in receipt of the temporary special rate or intermediate rate disability pension immediately before their death. As I have said, these were commitments to the veteran community, and they are commitments we have delivered on.

The extension of the income support supplement to war widows and war widowers under the qualifying age without dependants is very important. It will benefit approximately 1,400 widows or widowers under the VEA and wholly dependent partners under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 who are under that pension age and currently are not entitled to income support. We recognise that this is a vital change, something that will really help those widows and widowers. The measure removes the requirement for war widows or widowers to be over the pension age, have a dependent child, be permanently incapacitated or be the partner of a person receiving an income support pension. Payment of the income support supplement on the grounds of permanent incapacity will be retained in order for incapacitated war widows or widowers and wholly dependent partners who are under the pension age to continue to access their income support supplement as a tax-free payment. This provides additional support for younger war widows or widowers and wholly dependent partners during that postbereavement period. Members of this parliament would be very aware of just how hard it is for a younger widow or widower to come to terms with the loss of their partner, and we are recognising this in this legislation.

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