Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Combatting veteran homelessness is a key priority for the Albanese government. This week is Homelessness Week, and the theme of this week is 'It's time to end homelessness'. On census night more than 1,500 Australian veterans were homeless. Today, I convened the first of a number of consultation sessions that will contribute towards our new defence and veteran mental health and wellbeing strategy, something you would think those opposite would be very interested in. The strategy implements one of the recommendations of the Productivity Commission inquiry in 2019.

In the roundtable, we heard the perspectives of medical professionals, those who practise in the space of mental health and wellbeing, assisting serving personnel and veterans. They highlighted that housing is a fundamental prerequisite in helping veterans who are suffering from mental ill-health. We can't move forward in assisting those who do not have secure housing. So it is fundamental to assisting the development of a mental health and wellbeing strategy that we also deal with homelessness. Indeed, we heard that the risk of suicide in the Australian population is double if someone does not have access to safe and secure housing. That is a matter that is fundamentally affecting our veteran community. So, we know, in trying to tackle the issues that the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is grappling with, that housing is fundamental to that effort.

The work that our government is doing in bringing forward the Housing Australia Future Fund, which sets aside $30 million to assist veterans who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of experiencing homelessness, is fundamental to our veteran community, not only in assisting them with this important issue of homelessness but also in helping members of our veteran community who are suffering mental ill health to tackle that, to gain treatment, to gain access to the services they need. It's also fundamental to a very important issue that was raised in the round table today, and that's social connectedness. If you have insecure housing, if you don't have a secure location, it is very difficult to put down roots and to gain connection into a community. These are very important issues. Yet—

O pposition members interjecting—

And I'm glad you support how important they are. Yet those opposite and their friends in the other place are failing to support the Housing Australia Future Fund to release $30 million to support our veterans who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. So, in this Homelessness Week, it is time to end homelessness, and it's time for those opposite to get on with supporting the HAFF. (Time expired)

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