Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I also want to associate myself with the words of the previous member in commending and thanking the Australian Defence Force for past and present service and also the families, who play a vitally important role in providing them with support, often in very stressful circumstances. I would also like to thank the member for her acknowledgement of Vietnam veterans. My late father was a Vietnam veteran, and my late mother-in-law said that she got a different man back from the war. That was a story that was all too common in Australia, and the community generally didn't understand what those veterans were facing. So I also thank the member for those comments about Vietnam veterans and associate myself with the comments that she made about the ADF. Thank you.

The veterans community usually tells us that they are generally happy with the level of service provided by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, but, when issues do arise, the overwhelming reason for complaints relates to the lengthy, complicated and oftentimes adversarial complaints process. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2018 will provide significant benefits to veterans, and it is for this reason that Labor supports the amendments in the bill. The proposed changes outlined in the bill streamline the claims process, make it easier for the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to obtain information on behalf of DRCA clients, and prevent unnecessary delays with the creation of additional instruments. The changes improve processes for veterans and their families, and Labor offers its support to this bill.

Our veterans know that Labor stands by them and their families. This point couldn't be made any clearer than by looking at the policies announced by Labor's shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for Kingston. The member for Kingston announced Labor's commitment to veterans with a comprehensive veterans employment policy, a family engagement and support strategy and, most recently, Australia's first military covenant. A Labor government will put in place a formal agreement, a military covenant to ensure that the nation's armed forces are fully supported during and after their service, and will legislate regular reporting to parliament on how Australia is supporting military personnel. The covenant recognises the immense commitment our armed forces make to serve their country and it formalises our nation's commitment to look after those who have sacrificed so much for our nation. The covenant will be similar to the United Kingdom's armed forces covenant, a principles document that promises that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, will be treated fairly. Labor will work with the Australian Defence Force, the DVA and ex-service organisations to draft the relevant wording of a military covenant and associated legislation. A Labor government would also introduce legislation requiring future governments to report annually to parliament on how they are meeting their responsibilities to support our serving and ex-service personnel.

Australians who serve in our armed forces can require specialised health and social services assistance, and the covenant will make sure those needs don't slip through the cracks. While we acknowledge a bipartisan commitment to giving the best possible support to our serving and ex-service personnel, this covenant will formalise that commitment. Those who put their lives on hold to serve their country deserve to know in no uncertain terms that we acknowledge the sacrifice they and their families have made in service to our nation and that we are committed to being there for them now and committed to being there for them into the future.

Labor's commitment to those who serve and have served is rock solid, and we will state this commitment as a core value and a core principle. Australia has a proud military history and, as such, we have an obligation to all of those who have served in the name of our nation and in the name of the freedoms that we enjoy today.

The unemployment and underemployment of veterans is a serious issue. It's a significant issue, requiring immediate attention. Veterans' unemployment has been cited as sitting at 30 per cent—30 per cent—and, for those who did not medically discharge, there is an estimated 11.2 per cent unemployment rate, which is more than double the national rate. This is simply unacceptable.

That's why the member for Kingston's comprehensive veterans employment policy will provide greater support to our Defence personnel as they transition to civilian life. It focuses on helping businesses to train veterans. It focuses on a new veterans' employment service and on expanding access to additional education and civilian training. Translating the experience of veterans—which is a unique experience in the military—to civilian life would seem quite obvious, given the level of training that our military personnel, our ADF personnel, have. They are highly trained. Yet, for some reason, that's just not translating into civilian life.

Australian businesses are open to employing veterans, but some employers have talked about some short-term skill gaps that they sometimes see as acting as a barrier to employing a veteran who would otherwise be a suitable applicant. Labor's policy includes a $5,000 training grant to businesses to help veterans gain the skills and experience they need to move from that military life into civilian life, taking advantage of all of the fabulous training they have had in the ADF and boosting that with this $5,000 grant to help those veterans gain those skills to make that translation. It also includes establishing an employment and transition service for veterans to provide individualised, tailored support to help with the transition over a longer period of time. Access to this support will be provided for up to five years, following a period of intensive support during the first 12 months from transition advisers. The transition advisers will understand the unique skills and experiences of our ADF personnel and how best to translate those skills for civilian employers.

During my consultations with ADF members, including those serving, veterans and reservists, I've repeatedly heard about the barrier between skills gained within Defence and how those skills translate to civilian life. Labor's veterans employment policy addresses this. The policy will ensure that our veterans receive recognition of prior skills and experience within civilian professional organisations and institutions. So it's that translation of the learning and experience that they've had in the military into that sort of professional, civilian environment. It will ensure that states and territories will expand the Queensland initiative of translating the rank and length of service of ADF personnel to a tertiary entrance score. It's quite extraordinary that, in 2018, this actually hasn't happened, but then that's why this policy is so significant in so many different ways. It will also ensure that peak professional bodies will help identify current ADF training that meets professional civilian standards and will work to ensure that this is recognised. Also the policy will ensure that Defence will establish a temporary security clearance for veterans to use as they apply for civilian work, providing greater incentive to prospective employers.

These targeted measures will strengthen the quality and number of career opportunities for our veterans to ensure that their many skills and their experience lead to meaningful employment. When our men and women undertake to serve their country, we make a commitment to them and their family to support them after their time in the ADF—so we support them during their time in the ADF, but we also make that commitment after their time in the ADF. Preparing and working with those leaving the Defence Force to move into meaningful employment is a key element of successful transition from the ADF—from the military to civilian life.

We all know that ADF families play a pivotal, vital role in supporting our currently serving ADF men and women, and veterans, which is why it is important that we ensure that the families have the support they need to address the unique challenges of military life. These men, women and children are the unsung heroes of our defence forces. Greater support for our military families is greater support for our serving and ex-service personnel. A family engagement and support strategy is one of the key recommendations from the National Mental Health Commission's review of services available to veterans and current serving members of the Australian Defence Force in relation to the prevention of self-harm and suicide. The review highlighted that there is currently a lack of emphasis on the critical role that families play in the lives of current and former serving members. Families play an especially unique role within military life and service, themselves making many sacrifices in terms of career and in terms of the fact that they are constantly moving around. Our ADF personnel and veterans look to their families for support while in service, in transition and in civilian life.

There's no doubt that families also play a critical role in providing support to those who are serving at the moment and the ex-service personnel, particularly those suffering from mental health issues. Labor's commitment to developing a family engagement and support strategy would be co-designed with Defence and veteran families and communities to focus on known stress points for families, including transition for Defence members into civilian life. There are many stress points. I've got many girlfriends who married into the Army and they are extraordinary. Young women—we were all young women once—in their 20s, in the early days of marriage, were moving around every two years. They were just starting their careers and they were moving all over the country to support their husbands and, through that support, our nation—doing extraordinary work, including unpacking in record time. It's always an inspiration to see how quickly service personnel, particularly their partners, can unpack. So there are so many stress points—I'm not just talking about the moving around and unpacking—in their lives and this will be acknowledged in the strategy.

Families can be the greatest support when dealing with life-changing events that can occur throughout and after military service. I've seen this myself with the Veterans and Families Maker Program, run by Tharwa Valley Forge, which is in my electorate. I visited there recently. Tharwa Valley Forge is a bladesmithing school located in Tharwa, in the most southern part of the electorate, and it's run by Karim Haddad. Karim successfully applied for and received a $58,000 grant from DVA's Veteran and Community Grants program. The funding was used to provide 16 2½-day programs where 64 participants nominated their preference for knife making, Japanese knife making, blacksmithing, leather work or longbow making.

The programs used the funding within 12 weeks and there are still more than 100 veterans and their families on the waiting list. It's been a hugely popular program with veterans and their families as well. Some of the veterans I met there were transitioning out or had recently transitioned out and were with their family members because they wanted them to be part of their journey. They wanted to engage the family as part of the transitioning journey.

Karim has opened a crowdfunding campaign to get the ball rolling and to show the government that there is a greater need here. We know there's a greater need. Labor knows there is a greater need among our veterans for programs like these. Karim's program appears to have a niche application, with many veterans saying that they had found few other programs that allow them to participant alongside their partners and children. I again congratulate Karim on this fabulous initiative. The program is proving incredibly popular, with a waiting list of 100 people.

While we acknowledge the important and valuable contribution of all of our ADF veterans and their families, I would like to acknowledge the Invictus Games that are currently underway in Sydney—in particular, the participants from the 16 other countries. I want to take this opportunity to extend my support to three veterans from my community here in Canberra who are competing in the Invictus Games. I phoned them last week. Each of the competitors was asked, 'What will winning look like for you at these Games?' I will share their answers with you now. Tiffany White, who is competing at powerlifting and indoor rowing events, answered:

It will be walking away knowing I have done my best, had fun and found a new group of people I can call friends and family.

Squadron Leader Rob Saunders, who's competing in sailing, said:

Conquering my personal challenges while building mental strength and resilience through being part of a team that performs to its best.

Pilot Officer Jesse Costello, who's competing in athletics, indoor rowing and swimming events, responded:

First place would be grand but that is not the tone for how I define a win for me—not in this instance. For me, it will be crossing the finish line because I know what has gone into that moment.

These are really powerful words and very emotional words—just considering what journeys they've been through to get to those games.

Our ADF personnel put their lives on hold in service of our nation. They take risks, they make sacrifices and they commit their lives and wellbeing to the protection of this country, our way of life, our wellbeing and the nation's security. Upon their return, their scars sometimes are not visible. That is why it's vitally important that we provide our ADF personnel the highest standard of care and the greatest amount of support.

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