Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on this motion because Australia's veterans and their families deserve a fair go. This motion addresses many serious issues for the Ryan electorate and I thank the member for Lyne for putting this motion today. My office has received literally hundreds of emails and telephone calls regarding fair indexation and the government's failure to appropriately deal with this issue. Fair indexation is one of the most important issues affecting the veteran and ex-service community. I spoke in my maiden speech about Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera, which is in the Ryan electorate, and I acknowledged the very valued contribution made by their service men and women. In that speech, I recommitted again to fair indexation of the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Scheme, the DFRBS, and the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme, DFRDBS. It is something that I will continue to fight for.

The coalition believes in the unique nature of military service and believes that current indexation, which utilises the CPI alone, does not adequately reflect changes in the cost of living of ex-service men and women, Australians who have given much to their nation. Fortunately, I am pleased to reconfirm that the coalition has a positive plan to address this problem. This is not a new issue. The Leader of the Opposition announced prior to the 2010 federal election that military superannuation pensions would be fairly indexed. The coalition acted on 18 November 2010 when we introduced into the Senate the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Amendment (Fair Indexation) Bill 2010. But it was a shameful day for the Australian Senate and for Australia when Labor and the Greens combined to vote down this bill. That was a clear demonstration that the Prime Minister, the Australian Labor Party and the Greens are not committed to improving the lives of military superannuants and their families.

On 14 March this year, I recommitted to the reform of military superannuation pensions when I signed the coalition's pledge to continue our commitment to Australia's veterans. This pledge has also been signed by the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister for veterans' affairs and many other members of the coalition. That pledge says: 'The coalition will ensure DFRB and DFRDB military superannuation pensions are indexed in the same way as age and service pensions. All DFRB and DFRDB superannuants aged 55 and over will benefit.' The cost of this will be about $3 billion to $4 billion over four years. If we had a government that was capable and responsible, a government that knew how to manage the economy for all Australians, then finding this funding for military superannuants would not be difficult. In fact, it would be paramount. This government is splashing $56 billion plus on the NBN without even referring it to the Productivity Commission but says that it cannot afford to fund this change, which is critical for equity and justice.

The government demonstrated their lack of commitment in this year's budget by announcing that they wish to seek to maintain a yet-to-be-delivered surplus by deferring spending of $33.7 million on compensation arrangements for veterans and giving higher priority to cost blow-outs in immigration detention centres and carbon tax advertisements. This is a slap in the face to veterans. Veterans with whom I have spoken have said how offended they are about these delays. It is simply not appropriate to delay changes recommended in the Campbell review for two years until July 2014 while at the same time wasting taxpayers' money on carbon tax advertisements. This government clearly has its priorities wrong when it comes to doing the right thing for veterans. It is absolutely crucial that the government commit to fully support fair and just military superannuation pensions. It is clear, however, that the only way to deliver this very important reform is to change the government. Should the coalition be elected into government by the Australian people, we will look after all military superannuants and their families because that is the right and just thing to do.

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