Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I first want to acknowledge all those who have spoken before me in this debate. As always, everyone is coming from a good place when it comes to doing more for our veterans community. Labor, of course, supports the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2018, because it's a further step along the road to improving services for our defence personnel and veterans and, importantly, their families. I spoke earlier this year in support of the government's veteran-centric reforms. I'm obviously pleased to see that the government and the minister are committed to providing support to those who have served our country in its defence services.

I am also pleased to recognise the work of our shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for Kingston. I know she has been travelling the country a lot. She's been with me in Darwin, in my electorate of Solomon, where there's an important defence and veterans community. She has been working constructively with the government with the aim of improving the services that we provide and she is, to my mind, doing an excellent job.

As the minister said in his second reading speech, the Australian community has a clear expectation that veterans and their families will be looked after, and that's what we're all committed to achieving. This bill takes a further step towards meeting that expectation by amending the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 and the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. The bill has three schedules. They're all designed to streamline DVA processes internally, which will assist veterans in accessing their entitlements.

The issues within DVA are often discussed in the veterans and ex-service community. I continue to hear, almost on a daily basis, a lot of those concerns. Generally speaking, however, once veterans have their claims approved the feedback we receive is that they are happy with the level of service they have been provided. Quite a few members have talked about the crux of the issues with the department generally stemming from the early stages of the claims process. As much as we can, we need to reduce what is sometimes a lengthy, complicated and adversarial—although, hopefully, that is being reduced—claims process. Two of the bill's schedules seek to make changes which will assist in streamlining the claims process, and it is for this reason that Labor offer our support. While these amendments won't address all of the issues in the claims process, we are supportive of any changes that will improve outcomes for current serving members, veterans and their loved ones.

On-the-ground support for our veterans is absolutely vital. Whilst these bills are helpful, DVA can't do everything. There is an incredibly important role also for ex-service community organisations. There's a role for mainstream organisations—Health and others. There is also, as the member for Canberra noted, an important role for events like the Invictus Games. I want to congratulate all those who are involved with the Invictus Games. I again want to acknowledge the competitors from my electorate. We have Samantha Gould, Tom Foster and Sonya Newman. We are very proud of all of the competitors in the Invictus Games and we are proud of the organisers. Well done to Prince Harry for the initiative and for making the Invictus Games such a force for change. Good effort!

Well done also on his impending fatherhood. So congratulations to Prince Harry. Unlike some of our colleagues, I don't think he should be the Governor-General of Australia, but that's not being offensive to the prince. He has got plenty on his plate, so we'll have an Australian to do that.

It is impressive what the Invictus Games have done. I also understand why Australian Story this week, about the commandos and their journey with Invictus Games, used Prince Harry as part of that story, because it is a powerful example of how leadership can assist people in their long journey. I understand that the price paid by those who have served our nation can in some ways never be repaid, but through these measures we're talking about today and other measures that we're taking leadership on in our own communities we can give it a good crack.

Some of those Australian families that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in losing their loved ones gathered in my electorate a number of weeks ago. The families of the fallen get together every year in a different part of Australia to provide solidarity to each other. The 'families of the fallen' dinner, which was hosted at the 1st Brigade mess—I want to thank the brigadier for hosting that event—was attended by Sir Angus Houston, former Chief of the Defence Force. It was also attended by the current Chief of the Defence Force. I will just say quickly about Angus Houston: what an incredible Australian he is, with still a lot more to give to our nation. The new CDF has these issues of our service people, and veterans in particular, at the top of mind. It was great to see them both in Darwin, sitting down to have a meal in solidarity with the families that have lost their loved ones. I was very pleased, just this week, to introduce the minister, who is sitting here in the chamber now, to one of the families of the fallen. They very much appreciated the opportunity to have a yarn with the minister.

Around Australia, many of these new centres have been named for soldiers that we've lost overseas on operations, and there are some more in the pipeline. I recently visited the Jamie Larcombe Centre in Adelaide. I want to acknowledge the health professionals and other professionals who are working there, The Road Home, and all of those people who are giving that intense support to our veterans there. Because, whilst events like Invictus play an important role and raise awareness in the community, it's also important to have organisations like Soldier On that provide the wrap-around services. It's my hope that in the future there will be more centres that particularly tap in to the needs of contemporary veterans. There are quite exciting proposals out about more centres and facilities where the correct or very much welcomed wrap-around health and allied health services will be provided to our veterans. I wish those organisations all the best in their advocacy.

In the Northern Territory, and in my electorate of Solomon, we have a need for such a centre. That's what I've committed to. Like other places around Australia, we've lost one of our sons as well from the Top End. That was Scott Palmer. Scott Palmer was killed in the same helicopter crash that injured so badly Garry Robinson and others. When we build that centre, Scott Palmer's name will be attached, with Ray and Pam's blessing of course. It's the hope that that acknowledgement is made of that young man, that fine Territorian, who was killed in the service of our country.

That will be a great facility. It will be a health, wellbeing and transition facility to help the people that are serving our country and our community, and their families. The reason I say their community is that we acknowledge the work of our first responders. We acknowledge the work of those working for those agencies that provide safety, security and response in our community and, of course, those members of the ADF who go overseas in our name. They will work closely with other stakeholders like the Primary Health Networks with the support of the RSL.

Veterans Australia NT provide a great source of support to members in need and to their families. Veterans Australia NT were formally called the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia NT. They dropped the name 'Vietnam' not because they didn't want to provide services to Vietnam veterans anymore—of course they still do—but because they wanted to reach out to contemporary veterans and make sure there were no barriers to contemporary veterans seeking services from that organisation. I've been a proud member of Veterans Australia NT for many, many years. It was just this week that one of the members contacted me and said: 'Luke, can you help out? There's a Vietnam veteran in one of our aged-care facilities who is not in a good way.' This veteran didn't believe that his mate in this seniors' home was being provided the level of care that he deserved. That's what it's all about.

As well as our responses as legislators in this place, as well as our role as members of parliament, I think all of us have an important role to build awareness in our community of the sacrifices that are made in our name, because it does not come without cost. We look forward to providing better on-the-ground services to our veterans in the Top End. They are important to us. It's important that they're acknowledged in every way, whenever we can.

In closing, I want to acknowledge one of our veterans who recently passed, and that is Len Allen. I want to pass our condolences to the family of Len Allen—to Vickie and the children. His duty is done. Len's duty is done. We want to acknowledge Len, 1201694 Corporal Leonard William 'Len' Allen, who passed away on Friday, 5 October. He was a truly respected soldier. He served with the 5th Battalion in the Royal Australian Regiment in South Vietnam between February 1969 and March 1970. He was mentioned in dispatches for his actions in contact with enemy forces. Len served with many other units in his career, but he finally retired as a sergeant in Darwin. Len is survived by his wife, Vickie, and three adult sons. For those in the Top End or around Australia who knew Len, a funeral service will be held for Len at Darwin Funeral Services this Friday, 19 October, at 10.30. Len Allen's duty is done. Lest we forget.

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