Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank all members who contributed to the debate on this bill, the Australian Veterans' Recognition (Putting Veterans and Their Families First) Bill 2019, and acknowledge the continued tradition of bipartisan support for the veteran community demonstrated by the opposition.

As the Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel, I have had the privilege to speak with Australians from all walks of life and hear firsthand how the community respects our Defence Force personnel, veterans and families. This bill provides recognition and acknowledges that the people of Australia value our Defence Force and those who have committed to defending our nation. Of course, as a government, we are absolutely committed to our Australian Defence Force personnel and putting veterans and their families first.

This bill will provide an Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant, allowing all Australians to make an oath to acknowledge, support and pay respect to all who have served, those who continue to serve our country, and the families who support them in that service. The covenant will also be supported by the introduction of the veteran card and a veteran and reservist lapel pin as part of the wider veteran recognition package. This recognition package will enable the Australian community and businesses to recognise our veterans and our Defence Force personnel in their own way. Simply put, this is a way Australians can say to our defence veterans and the veteran community broadly: thank you for your service.

In developing the covenant and the broader recognition package, the government consulted widely with veterans and ex-service organisations to develop an understanding of the unique nature of military service and the challenges that veterans and their families face following their transition into civilian life. The consultations have been a very productive, with overwhelming support from the ex-service community. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those ex-service organisations and individuals who have called for a covenant. I thank them for their positive contributions and commitment to seeing the covenant enshrined into law. The creation of the Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant will align Australia to other Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada, who have in-principle covenants, providing solid evidence of their support for their veterans.

This bill also includes a statement in relation to the beneficial nature of veterans legislation, supporting the principles that decisions be made fairly, justly, consistent with legislation and similar type claims and, importantly, in a timely manner so that the public may have trust and confidence in the determinations made. While we acknowledge the intent of the amendments made in the Senate, we do hold some concerns around changes seeking to have all claims under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act determined within 90 days. There are circumstances when 90 days is not necessarily appropriate, because of the complexity of the veterans' individual circumstances, so it is an essential that our focus continues to be on the needs of the individual veteran, first and foremost, not on time frames. Nevertheless, our government remains absolutely committed to progressing veterans' claims as quickly as possible.

The Australian people expect that the welfare of veterans and their families should be our priority and, as I've said previously, this government is committed to putting veterans and their families first. Our government has committed nearly $500 million to date to fund the biggest transformation in the history of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This investment is about building a better experience for veterans and their families, making it faster, simpler and easier for veterans and their families to access the services and support they need whenever and wherever they need it. And we are starting to see the benefits of this investment, with more than 100,000 veterans having signed up for our digital platform, MyService, and over 66,000 claims have been lodged. We have streamlined decision-making on 40 commonly claimed conditions, with the decisions in some instances happening instantly. Since the transformation commenced, we are seeing improvements in veterans' interaction with DVA. The MyService users are overwhelmingly satisfied with the experience, rating the platform 4.5 out of five stars. We are also seeing these improvements borne out in the satisfaction survey, with the overall satisfaction rate of veterans increasing year on year, and increasing most notably amongst those under 45.

More broadly, our government continues to make meaningful and important investments to improve veteran services, including: enhancing the mental health support available to veterans, improving the transition process and ensuring a focus on individual need, improving employer support, and expanding the support available to veterans' families. This legislation is part of an ongoing journey to transform the culture of DVA in favour of those currently serving in the Australian Defence Force, our veterans and their families. Our government remains absolutely committed to acknowledging the service and sacrifice of the men and women who defend this nation and to putting veterans and their families first. I commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

See this speech in context