Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

On 2 April 2019, the Prime Minister wrote a letter, on behalf of the government, to the president of the TPI Federation—you were the Minister for Veterans Affairs then as well, Minister. The letter said: 'The TPI Federation makes a compelling case in relation to the relative value of the above general rate component of the special rate of disability pension. The fact that TPI veterans are not able to earn an income as a result of their service to our nation means their loss of income during what would have been their working life should be appropriately recognised and replaced.' Would you say, Minister, that the Prime Minister's letter, on behalf of the government, raised expectations of an increase to the above general rate of the SRDP, or TPI payment, to provide some tax adjusted compensation or income replacement?

Minister, the government failed to release or respond to a review, which was prepared by David Tune AO PSM, for more than a year. The government received it on 30 August 2019, and finally responded in this budget. It released a report on 8 October. The government failed to increase the TPI payment, and only increased rent assistance for some TPI pensioners. TPI veterans said they were disgusted that only about 20 per cent of them would receive any assistance and that the rest of them would miss out.

Given the Prime Minister's statement, why did Mr Tune and the government ignore the TPI Federation's contention that the above general rate component of the SRDP should be increased to restore fair and equitable economic loss? Compensation on the TPI payment represents only 62 per cent of the gross minimum wage. I understand, Minister, that you said, 'In principle, a step up is required.' These are your words from when you spoke at the TPI Federation's 2018 annual congress: 'In principle, a step up is required.' Can you confirm that's correct? If accurate, how would this reconcile with the findings of the review in relation to what happened, and the budget outcome accordingly?

The TPI Federation say they weren't consulted on the recommendations of the report, such as the abolition of the Defence Force income support allowance. Can you confirm this? Do you know what, if any, consultation Mr Tune undertook with the TPI veterans or stakeholders? Do you accept that the long delay, from the time the government got the report back in August 2019 to the time it responded, has caused anxiety, uncertainty and frustration for TPI veterans, including the TPI Federation? Why did it take so long for the government to do this? Why did you have that report for that long, having promised it before the election, having said there was a compelling case in the Prime Minister's letter, having you say a step up was required? Why did you take so long to respond, and why did you do that the way you did it?

In addition to that, Minister, it's the case that, during Senate estimates, departmental officials agreed with questioning from the Labor opposition that, effectively, the government raised the expectations of the TPI Federation and TPI veterans around the country that something of a significant nature would be done to improve their situation. But, Minister, during Senate estimates it was revealed that not 20 per cent but 10 per cent of TPI veterans would actually receive anything as a result of the government's budgetary changes. In addition to that, departmental officials revealed that none of this money, additional support, would start flowing until late 2022 because there were eligibility issues which needed to be established.

Why has it taken so long to release the report? Why did you raise expectations? Why did you dash those expectations? Why, when the department knew a report was coming and sitting in the Prime Minister's office, did the department do nothing to work out the eligibility issues of those people in the context of the budget? The department knew what was in the budget, the department knew what it was getting and yet you, Minister, and your department did nothing. Why was that? Why did you fail TPI veterans?

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