Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I can, and I am happy to. You will be pleased to know that it has been out to tender. The tenders are in, and they are now being evaluated. So this program will commence on 1 January next year. If you looked at the white paper on page 106, you would have seen the reference to it under 'Support to Defence Families'. At 10.48 it says:

The 2009 Defence White Paper announced a three-year extension to the trial health care arrangements for the provision of basic medical and dental care to Defence families living in remote and regional locations. In the 2012-13 Budget, the Government decided to extend the trial until 30 June 2013.

You alluded to that. It continues:

The Government intends to continue the trial until 31 December 2013 and then cease the trial and make the program available to all dependants of permanent ADF members and dependants of Reserve members on Continuous Full-Time Service from 1 January 2014.

That will happen.

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