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

I rise today to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2013, which aims to update and improve the accuracy and operation of veterans' affairs legislation and help to improve efficiency in veterans' affairs matters.

I have spoken many times in this place about the importance of fair indexation of Defence Force retirement benefits, DFRB, and the Defence Force retirement and death benefits, DFRDB, military superannuation pensions. My office has been contacted by many members of the veterans community asking what the coalition is doing for military superannuants. In my electorate, I represent many groups, including the Returned and Services League with sub-branches at Gaythorne, Kenmore-Moggill, The Gap, Toowong, Bardon and Indooroopilly-Sherwood, as well as Australian Army Aviation and the VSAS Toowong branch, the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam Association, and many members of the Australian Defence Force at Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera.

The defence community and the veterans community want fair indexation, and I was honoured to be one of the many coalition members to sign the pledge in 2012 that 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. I am proud to stand on this side of the chamber with my coalition colleagues, who understand and value the contribution by veterans to our great nation, where we have pledged our commitment to the fair indexation of military superannuation.

The previous Labor government promised in 2007 to give a fair deal to ex-service men and women and subsequently had six years in which to deliver a fair go for our veterans. But they simply chose to break their promise, refusing to repay the loyalty that veterans have given to all Australians. The coalition took to the 2010 election and again to the 2013 election a policy that would see the fair indexation of DFRDB and DFRB. Under the coalition government's policy for fair indexation, 57,000 military superannuants and their families will be better off. This is set to be delivered and funded in the government's first budget, with the new measures to be effective from 1 July 2014.

In June 2012 veterans received the news that military superannuation pensions would increase by just 0.1 per cent, as opposed to the 0.9 per cent increase announced in March 2012 for age and service pensions. Many veterans received an increase of less than $1 a fortnight, a shameful action as the cost of living increased and Labor introduced an economy-wide carbon tax. Sadly, Labor ignored the veterans community when they introduced the carbon tax, providing a household assistance package to pensioners, low-income individuals and families and students, while veterans—men and women who fought for our country—did not receive a cent of assistance. How disgraceful is that!

As all Australians know, the coalition government is committed to the repeal of the carbon tax, having already introduced a bill, only to have it blocked by Labor and the Greens. It is obvious that Labor and the Greens do not care about the high cost of living for Australian families and for Australia's veterans, otherwise they would respect the mandate the Australian people gave the coalition government at the last election, and support the repeal of the carbon tax.

The coalition government is determined to repeal the carbon tax—and reduce the cost-of-living pressures for all Australians, particularly veterans—and to fairly index veterans' DFRB and DFRDB, because that is the right and just thing to do. It is just and right because of the enormous contribution that these brave Australians have made. It is just and right because when a nation asks its service personnel to go to war, to put themselves in harm's way, we as a nation have an overwhelming obligation to provide proper support on their return. It is just and right because it is the Australian way.

Already the coalition government has been working to improve services to our veterans. In December last year the Minister for Veterans' Affairs officially opened the new premises of the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. The coalition government is committed to addressing mental health challenges facing veterans and ex-service personnel. The Department of Veterans' Affairs is in a collaborative partnership with the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health and the Department of Defence. This is a partnership which is vital in helping the coalition government deliver the support that our veterans need and deserve. This support will be based on research and testing of the best available treatment available to veterans and their families.

In late 2013 the Minister for Veterans' Affairs announced grants to help improve veterans and defence community life. Through the Veteran and Community Grants program, $410,000 was put towards upgrades to Men's Sheds and many other veterans and defence community organisations. Since 1999, the Veteran and Community Grants program has helped ex-service organisations continue to provide high-quality services and support to the veterans and defence community and their families, as well as assisting in attracting the next generation of members.

All Australians can be justly proud of the service and sacrifice of our veterans and those currently serving in the Australian Defence Force. Ex-service and community organisations, veterans representative groups, and private organisations and projects that promote improved independence and quality of life for veterans are eligible for funding through the Veteran and Community Grants program. Two of the eight Queensland grants were given to the Defence Force Welfare Association Queensland branch, incorporated at Enoggera, which provided funding to sustain the association's quarterly newsletter project which is sent to the many veterans and ex-service personnel living in my electorate.

I have seen the vital role veterans and defence community organisations play in providing a central hub of support, recreation and comradeship for so many of our current and former service men and women. I have seen local Men's Shed groups grow in both membership and size during my time as a Brisbane City councillor and now as the federal member for Ryan. I am also delighted to see Men's Sheds team up with other community groups to assist with local projects. Recently, the Bellbowrie Men's Shed group assisted the McIntyre Centre—a horse-riding school for disabled children and individuals to develop confidence and social skills—by moving a fence from an old horse paddock in a block of land being redeveloped. This was a great demonstration of a local developer working with worthy not-for-profit community organisations on a project that benefits local families.

The Centenary of Anzac commemoration is an important time for us as a n ation to look back on the significance of Anzac and an opportunity for us to understand where we fought and , importantly , the reason we fought. The Anzac Centenary Local Grants Prog ram is an integral part of the c oalition g overnment's commitment to the commemoration of the Centenary of Anzac. Through the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program the Ryan community has the opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice that epitomises the Anzac spirit. With Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera, the Ryan electorate has a strong and proud association with the defence forces.

I was delighte d to hear of the news that the c oalition g overnment has announced an increase in funding available for the l ocal g rants p rogram by $25,000 for each electorate. This will mean that communities across the country will now have up to $125,000 available to commemorate the Centenary of Anzac . This increase will ensure that local community groups are given the opportunity to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country, and to the families they left behind.

I have been meeting with the Ryan Anzac Centenary Committee to discuss how best to commemorate this important time. I have already received n umerous applications for grants for a wide range of community projects representing different aspects of Anzac spirit and the pride we have for those who served our country. I h ave been working with the Ryan committee which consists of Stewart Cameron, the President of the Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub-Branch; Trevor Dixo n of the National Memorial Walk; Merv Brown from Gaythorne RSL ; Ron McElwaine from Sherwood-Indooroopilly RSL; John Pepper from The Gap RSL; Chris Austin from the 9th Battalions Association ; and Jeff Hilder from The Gap Pioneer and History Group. Mr Cameron has taken the initiative to develop an Anzac commemoration program with the local schools in the Ryan electorate. He told me that he holds the view that every man and woman who has served has a story which needs to be told a nd recorded by their community.

At the Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub-Branch's Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services Mr Cameron has spoken about the members of our community who have served, from 1914 to the present day. As such, he believes that the community should have the opportunity of understanding and reflecting on the stories of our local veterans, past and present.

Mr Cameron and his wife , Cathy , were at a local garage sale a few months ago, where a wide range of different items were being sold as part of a deceased estate. One of the ladies at the sale asked if anyone knew anything about World War I , as she was selling some artefacts and wanted to know a little more. Mr Cameron looked at the medals and other items she had—which, as it turns out , had a ll belonged to her great uncle—and convinced her not to sell any of them. Her great uncle was 27 when he enlisted in August 1914; he landed at Anzac Cove on the 25th of April and was killed in action just three weeks later. The lady also had her father's RAAF history, as a Lancaster pilot.  Mr Cameron was rightly excited that all of this history was discovered simply by chance at one address in Kenmore —a history of war, a history of service to our nation. This is when Mr Cameron approached the Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub-Branch with a view to celebrating the Centenary of Anzac by having our local schools research our local veterans. With support Mr Cameron then took the concept to the local schools in Ryan. As a result , through the Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub-Branch , there is a competition for local schools to research the veterans from the Kenmore-Moggill district. The intent is to have year 10 students research those veterans who are no longer with us while the primary schools will research our living legends. The end product will be a history of our community captured as a printed publication in addition to a web based virtual history.

Mr Cameron informs me that students have enlisted the support of the National Archives and the University of Queensland, as well as advertising in the community to uncover local stories. It is exciting that while communities across Australia will commemorate the centenary of Anzac in many ways, the program Mr Cameron has developed involves the community working to understand its history, resulting in an end product that is an enduring legacy that benefits the whole community and future generations.

The Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub-Branch has arranged to award three prize winners for the best research from the year 10 and primary school students. While this is only the first year of Mr Cameron's project, he envisages t he concept can be adopted on a n ational basis over time. I look forward to working on this project to assist and promote community awareness in any way I can, and I look forward to seeing this plan expanded across other Australian communities.

I a m proud of the commitment this g overnment has made to our v eterans.  I am proud of these veterans —heroes all —who put themselves at serious risk in the defence of Australia and the freedom we all enjoy. We must never begrudge this support an d never forget their sacrifice.

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