Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2013. I can report to the House that this bill does contain a number of minor technical amendments. It is important that legislation be kept up to date to ensure that it supports the efficient but fair delivery of services to military veterans and their families. In this speech I do want to, with a bit of indulgence, digress a little from the bill before the House to talk about some other important measures the previous government and we as the coalition government have put in place to ensure that the Centenary of Anzac is commemorated and celebrated appropriately as well as to talk about some measures in my own electorate of Riverina. Veteran and military matters in general are very important in my electorate given that the army recruit training battalion has its base at Kapooka, just south-west of Wagga Wagga, and at Forest Hill, just east of Wagga Wagga, is the Royal Australian Air Force base, which also encompasses an important Navy installation.

The bill includes amendments to clarify the longstanding practice by the Department of Veterans' Affairs of providing post-travel authorisation for travel expenses associated with treatment under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006. The Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006 provides for eligible nuclear test participants to receive treatment, including testing for cancer. That is very appropriate and must be done. It also includes amendments to ensure that authority for regulations that protect the use of the word 'Anzac' are more readily identifiable by renaming the War Precautions Act Repeal Act 1920 to the Protection of Word 'Anzac' Regulations 1921. Inoperative provisions of that will also be repealed as a matter of good legislative housekeeping.

The Riverina has long paid its fair share to the nation's war efforts. The region's association with Australia's Defence Force really began with World War I and even before that with the Boer War. The Boer War, the second South African war, which began in 1899 and continued until 1902, was the war that encompassed Federation in 1901. Certainly the spirit of Anzac forged at Anzac Cove at Gallipoli does live on in the Riverina not just through current and serving Air Force, Army and Navy personnel but indeed through all of the people of the Riverina and the veterans. Many went through the Defence facilities at Wagga Wagga. Because Wagga Wagga is such good and central place to live, with Canberra just 2½ hours drive and being halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, our major capital cities, they retire in Wagga Wagga. It was recently announced that, as a result of the Suncorp Bank's analysis, Wagga Wagga is now considered the most family-friendly city in Australia bar none. Canberra was there, but not quite up with Wagga Wagga. I note that the member for Canberra is nodding in approval. It is a good place for veterans to spend their retirement because it has good health amenities and a number of specialists and it is close to Canberra. With so many great Centenary of Anzac events happening in and around the War Memorial, Wagga Wagga is a central place for veterans to live and be able to enjoy the wonderful amenities and facilities that Canberra has.

The spirit of Anzac was certainly on display again at the recent launch of the centenary of the Kangaroo March in Wagga Wagga in my electorate on 7 December 2013. This does relate to veterans and to this legislation. There were many veterans there. The event was attended by the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Marie Bashir, who hails from the town of Narrandera, which is just 100 kilometres west of Wagga Wagga, in my electorate; the Hon. Victor Dominello MP, who was representing the New South Wales government; my good friend Dr Brendan Nelson, Director of the Australian War Memorial; the state member for Wagga Wagga, Daryl Maguire; and General Peter Cosgrove in his capacity as the chairman of the Centenary of Anzac commemorations in New South Wales. I add my congratulations and the congratulations of the people of the Riverina to General Cosgrove on his nomination to be Australia's next Governor-General.

The launch of the Kangaroo March re-enactment was well attended by hundreds of locals and many veterans. They got into the spirit of things with period costumes. All of this bodes very well for the Riverina's engagement in the re-enactment that will take place in 2015 to commemorate the centenary of the largest march of the World War I marches held that year. Both Rhondda Vanzella and Graham Brown of Exeter, the President of the Kangaroo March Centenary Re-Enactment Executive Committee, played a wonderful role in that launch.

A highlight of the commemoration of the centenary of World War I will be the re-enactment of the Kangaroo March. It will take place from Wagga Wagga all the way to Sydney. The original march took place on 1 December 1915 with 88 men and concluded at the Domain in Sydney on 7 January 1916 with a 222-strong party. One of those brave 88 men was Private Edward John Francis Ryan of Tumut, or Jack as he was affectionately known. After joining the Kangaroo March in Wagga Wagga, Jack Ryan was deployed to the First World War with the 55th Battalion. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during the allied assault on the Hindenburg defences on 30 September 1918, just weeks away from the armistice.

As part of the Anzac Centenary locals from the Tumut region, including the nearby towns of Adelong and Batlow, are looking to erect a life-sized statue of Private Ryan in his home town. An application will be made as part of the Anzac Centenary Local Grants funding allocation of $125,000, alongside many worthy ideas from the Riverina electorate as to how best the community can remember the effect the so-called Great War had on our region 100 years ago.

I do acknowledge the fact that the previous government put forward this idea to have $100,000 spent in each and every one of the 150 lower house electorates to commemorate the Centenary of Anzac. I am pleased that the coalition added another $25,000 to that very noble funding gesture of the previous government, and I know that all members would join with me in saying that this is a very worthy way of commemorating a very important event—one which actually forged our nationhood. When Gallipoli occurred, we had only become a nation 14 short years earlier as part of a federation of colonies. Certainly that did more than anything to forge our nationhood and that wonderful spirit that we Australians have.

Further to this, some Riverina residents have applied to the ballot to attend the 2015 Anzac Day commemoration service in Gallipoli. I note the Daily Advertiser, my local newspaper, told the story of Mr David Gill of Wagga Wagga, who served in the Royal Australian Air Force for more than 30 years and who has applied as part of the ballot process. Mr Gill told the Advertiser the Gallipoli campaign tells him of the 'heroism, the endurance and the suffering of people that fought for our freedom'. And he is right, of course. He said he was going to visit Anzac Cove in Gallipoli one day regardless of if he wins a ballot ticket or not. I hope that he does.

Mr Gill is like many Riverina residents for whom the Anzac Centenary and the stories of gallantry and bravery of people such as Jack Ryan of Tumut embodies what the centenary is all about. Certainly another one of those is my good friend John Sullivan, who served in the lower house, representing the Riverina, from 1974 to 1977 in Old Parliament House. Mr Sullivan, who is a councillor on the Narrandera Shire Council despite being an octogenarian, is also heading the Anzac grants committee for my electorate. This committee comprises 28 people who are also very passionate about making sure this commemoration is celebrated and commemorated in the right way throughout my very large electorate.

I also note the ministerial statement issued today by Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson regarding the success of the ballot process. Minister Ronaldson has indicated that more than 50,000 applications have been submitted by Australians and New Zealanders for this important occasion in our nations' collective histories.

While the Riverina has a strong historical connection to the Defence Force, which the Anzac Centenary will highlight, the Defence Force continues to play an important role in the life of the Riverina, with Wagga Wagga being the only triservice regional city in Australia. Our local community has a special insight into the service given by the men and the women of our Navy, our Air Force and our Army, so we understand the vital importance of supporting our veterans and recognising the unique nature of active military service. And this bill goes to that as well.

The member for Fadden, the Assistant Minister for Defence, in his 12 December second reading speech on this particular piece of legislation, said:

The bill will clarify the approval and authorisation arrangements for travel for treatment for eligible persons and attendants under the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act.

In 2012-13 the department processed over 165,000 claims for reimbursement for travel expenses for treatment purposes.

Travel expenses can include costs for transport, meals and accommodation for eligible persons and where necessary an attendant to accompany the eligible person.

Amendments to the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act will make it clear that the Repatriation Commission may approve or authorise travel for treatment, before or after the travel has been undertaken.

And this is important. He continues:

Further amendments in the bill will enable special assistance under the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act to be delivered in a more timely manner.

This will be achieved by enabling special assistance to be provided by legislative instrument instead of by regulation.

That is something that veterans have been calling for and that is something that the coalition will deliver.

The result will be a more streamlined and therefore quicker process for providing special assistance to veterans, members, former members and their dependants.

This is so crucial because many of these people for whom this legislation is so important put their lives on the line for this nation, and there can be nothing more important for this parliament to do than to look after those people who, through acts of courage, through acts of devotion, through acts of sacrifice, put their lives on the line every time they put on the uniform.

Amendments in the bill will update the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act as a consequence of the enactment of the Legislative Instruments Act and will replace obsolete references to pharmaceutical allowance and telephone allowance in the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

…      …      …

Minor amendments will also ensure that the Veterans' Entitlements Act debt recovery provisions will be applicable to all relevant provisions of the act, the regulations and any legislative instruments made under the act.

Other amendments in the bill will rationalise and align the maintenance income provisions of the Veterans' Entitlements Act with the Social Security Act.

The remaining amendments in the bill will make minor technical changes to Veterans' Affairs and related legislation.

Although relatively minor, the amendments in the bill will clarify, update and improve the accuracy of Veterans' Affairs legislation.

While not the subject of this bill, it is important to note that the coalition has committed to restoring advocacy funding to 2010 levels, adding $4 million to funds available over the forward estimates. This supports the principle that veterans often prefer to speak to other veterans who have a keener insight into their experiences when they need help or advice. It has also committed to new indexation arrangements for military pensions paid to superannuants aged over 55 under the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits—DFRB—and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits—DFRDB.

This is important legislation, and I am sure that Labor, while also recognising the importance of veterans to our nation going forward and in the past, also recognise that this is legislation that needs to pass this House. I commend the bill to the House.

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