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

I thank the member for Herbert for his question. As the House would be aware, every year between 5½ thousand and 6,000 Australian Defence Force personnel leave the military. For the majority of them, that service is a very positive experience, and they're quite rightly proud of that service to our nation. They learn the skills of leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and resilience, and they are taught trade skills and expertise in a wide range of areas. In just the last three months, for those members who are in the bushfire impacted areas, we've seen the capabilities of our Australian Defence Force up close with Operation Bushfire Assist. I want to take the opportunity to thank all those members of the Defence Force for their service during these very difficult times.

But, as a grateful nation, we have our own obligations to support our veterans and their families if they are unwell or physically injured during their service. Within the Department of Veterans' Affairs we have an absolute focus on the health and wellbeing of our veterans in their transition to civilian life, and I must say that this is an area of largely bipartisan agreement in this House. I'm pleased to say that the Morrison-McCormack government, in this year's budget, has provided in the order of $11.5 billion to support more than 280,000 veterans and their families. In mental health care alone there's $230 million, which is supporting veterans, with free mental health care and a range of other measures, to make sure their mental health is well cared for. Last week the Prime Minister announced the National Commissioner for Defence and Veterans Suicide Prevention, a measure which was supported by those opposite and by the ex-service community.

Also last week, the Prime Minister visited the seat of Herbert, where he announced an investment of $4.8 million for additional case coordinators to improve the wellbeing outcomes for young and vulnerable veterans leaving the ADF in complex physical, emotional and social circumstances. This will allow for around 170 additional transitioning personnel in this high-risk cohort to receive the comprehensive early-intervention support they need to make sure they can go on to lead fulfilling lives in the civilian world. We're also boosting the Personalised Career Employment Program by $5.6 million. That will expand its eligibility to another 1,600 ADF members each year who are looking for career development and job placement support.

So there are a range of measures this government is delivering for our veterans as they transition to civilian life. We're boosting the delivery of our election commitment of $15 million in grants to Soldier On, Team Rubicon and the Returned and Services League to deliver programs to assist veterans find meaningful employment. I would leave the House with one simple message: hiring a veteran is good for your business. We are encouraging corporate Australia to recognise the strength of our veterans and to look at the opportunities to employ these outstanding Australians and give them an opportunity to transition well from defence life. Hiring a veteran is good for your business, and we encourage corporate Australia to support our veterans, just as the government is endeavouring to doing so.

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