Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024 aims to simplify and harmonise the existing legislative framework governing veterans' entitlements and support. This is in response to the first recommendation from the interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Currently, veterans' entitlements are determined under one or more of three primary compensation acts. These acts depend on when the veterans served, which period of service caused or contributed to the condition being claimed. Over the years it has become increasingly complex to access support through these acts with their overlapping provisions and inconsistent criteria.

This bill represents the most significant commitment towards simplifying veterans' legislation since the introduction of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 20 years ago. Imagine a veteran who has dedicated their life to serving our nation trying to access support and benefits only to be met with a confusing web our rules and regulations. This difficulty can lead to frustration, delays in receiving vital support and, in some cases, veterans not receiving the assistance they desperately need and deserve.

In handing down its report, the royal commission observed that the current system of veterans' entitlements is so complicated, it adversely affects the mental health of some veterans and their families. In the last decade, there has been a significant shift in the mental health space. Previously, mental health issues were often stigmatised, misunderstood and overlooked. Many people struggled in silence due to a lack of awareness and a fear of judgement. Traditionally, society has created this stereotype that veterans should be resilient, emotionally strong and self-reliant. This stigma has often discouraged them from expressing vulnerability or seeking help for mental health issues, as they may be perceived as weak. As a result, many service men and women have struggled with their mental health in silence, leading to untreated conditions and adverse outcomes.

However, this narrative is slowly changing, as awareness of the importance of veterans' mental health continues to grow. This is something that I spoke about with my good friend Lachlan Stevens when we walked the Kokoda Track in April this year. I'm really fortunate to have Lachlan and his parents, Kevin and Annette, up in the gallery today.

In my electorate, one charity that has been a huge advocate for veterans and mental health is the Barstool Brothers and Raising the Bar Foundation. Lachlan Stevens and Daniel Chin created the Barstool Brothers in 2019 in Wollongong's best burger bar, His Boy Elroy, which I have spoken about in this place many times before. I have watched Lachlan and Daniel build the Barstool Brothers and Raising the Bar Foundation. They have created a partnership between the Raising the Bar Foundation and RSL New South Wales to establish the Walk With Us Kokoda program. The program is funded by the RSL NSW Veteran Support Fund, receiving $70,000 every year for the next five years. This program sponsors eight veterans each year for four years from across New South Wales to complete the Kokoda Track alongside civilian members of the public. Hearing about their work and wanting to see firsthand what our diggers had to endure in order to protect our country in World War II, and after a lot of lobbying from Lachie, who was pretty convincing, I signed up to walk the Kokoda Track.

But, first, I'll tell you a little bit about Lachie. Lachlan Stevens was a member of the ADF for more than six years, where he served as a combat engineer or sapper. A sapper is one of the most hazardous roles in the ADF, often working around live explosives and improvised explosive devices. It is a vital job that protects other Australians from potentially deadly situations. Lachlan was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and again in 2012, and, while deployed, his job was to detect IEDs. This role places extreme levels of stress, danger and uncertainty on the sapper and claimed the lives of multiple heroic Australians over the duration of the conflict. Their service shall not be forgotten, and we will remember them.

Upon leaving the Army, Lachlan realised that many veterans needed support, and he diverted his passion and savvy entrepreneurship to his mental health support group, the Barstool Brothers. This group aims to promote conversations around mental health to men in a safe environment at free, accessible events. The second aspect of this group is that it provides education initiatives for the purposes of providing a mental health training program for people within the hospitality industry. Lachlan continues to support his country as a veteran, a pioneer in mental health services and an innovative and highly motivated small-business operator.

Lachie signed me up to walk Kokoda with him and 100% Kokoda—organised by Cam James and Katrina Johnson—and our group of trekkers, who were awesome, and our amazing team of porters. I will acknowledge all of them first. Larry Aitcheson was our trek leader from 100% Kokoda, and our amazing trekkers were Lachlan Stevens, Marija Murray, Shay Macpherson, Tina Buecher and Kristy Stroop. Our team of amazing porters, all of whom were descendants of the 'fuzzy wuzzy angels' who helped our soldiers during the war, were Acko Bobogi, our trek master; Limi Boe, the lead man who started each morning with a joke and a war cry to psych us all up; my amazing porter, Eddie Pipi; as well as Caleb, Nelvin Wala, Ben Lalabe, Andy, Junior, Matthew, James Stanley, Olosi, Ben Gai, Jay Kei, Kei Yoki, David Gai, Alex Maulu, Garrison; and also Matthew John, our amazing cook, who made our favourite spam and two-minute noodle filo pastry rolls and cut up the beautiful pineapple that we bought along the track.

I have to give a special shout-out to Marija Murray, who joined me in fundraising for Lachlan's foundation during the trek. We raised $14,000. Marija raised most of this, and she is an absolute superstar. One of the best things about this trip was meeting this impressive young woman, who became a partner at Kelly+Partners chartered accountants at the young age of 30.

I'll start by saying that walking the Kokoda Track is, without a doubt, the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Firstly, I'm not really a happy camper, and, secondly, massive, steep, narrow, dangerous five-hour hills are definitely not my favourite thing—a fact my amazing porter, Eddie, will attest to, as he had to suffer many hours of me expressing my displeasure at yet another hill and asking how big the hill was, how hard the hill was, how long the hill would take and whether this was the last false summit. I would ask Eddie, 'Is this a big hill?' and he would often say, 'No, not for me; for you, yes.' He would often tell me that there was five minutes to go or three hours to go, and neither of these would be right. But he did keep me guessing. Thirdly, I did the track with three bulging discs and two pinched nerves in my back, and it hurt a lot—but this just proves that anyone can do it. Lastly, I wasn't entirely sure that I would make it, and I spent almost every minute of every day counting how much time I actually had to make it through, how many nights I had to camp and how many hills we had left. Marija and I had a running commentary around the map on her phone, trying to work this out. I also spent a bit of time wondering how I might explain a substantial helicopter cost to my husband if I could not make it.

It was really hard, but it was nowhere near as hard as our diggers had it back in 1942 and 1943. I still can't quite get my head around thousands of men being on that narrow, rough track—and it would have been much rougher back then. Our porters played games. They would hide in the jungle a couple of feet away, and we couldn't see them. This must have been terrifying for our diggers—not ever knowing how close the enemy were and when they might attack. The dysentery, the malaria, injuries, wounds, the mosquitoes—these are the things that our diggers had to endure during their fight to protect our nation. Before I left, I read Peter FitzSimons's book Kokoda, and he outlines in detail some of the horrific conditions that our diggers endured on the track. Everyone should read that.

When I returned, I read Reg Chard's biography, The Digger of Kokoda. The book talks about the challenges he faced on the track and his love for Betty, who later became his wife, and just how much he missed her while he was away. Reg also wrote about his dad, who fought and was gravely wounded in the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele during World War I. He came back with terrible mental health and substance abuse issues that just weren't talked about then, let alone addressed, resulting in a very tough family life for Reg, his mum and his siblings. Soldiers like Reg also didn't have the luxuries that we have today to help us with the tough conditions. Our group had the luxury of great tape for our feet and good-quality walking boots, which resulted in absolutely no blisters for me. We had strapping tape, deep heat, physio cream and Nurofen Plus for all of our aches and pains. Our diggers had none of that.

Lachy, Larry, Marija and I often spoke about the four pillars that really sum up the Kokoda Track and are enshrined in a beautiful memorial at Isurava, where we had our second dawn service towards the end of the track: courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. Lachy talks of how these values or attributes have guided him in his business and his charity work. As we walked the track, Lachlan talked about how our service men and women can often feel a lack of purpose when they leave our armed forces. They feel they no longer have a purpose in life. For years, their life has revolved around the service of their country, moving their homes around our nation and oceans, or being deployed overseas, away from their family and friends.

We also spoke about the difficulties that veterans face in accessing the services that they need to help them through their transition from the Army, Air Force or Navy to civilian life. For veterans with physical or mental injuries, this transition is even harder. Today, mental health is increasingly recognised as an essential component of overall wellbeing. There is a growing awareness of how common mental health conditions are, and we have made massive strides in reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.

After seeing the conditions firsthand, I had a new appreciation for all who walked the gruelling trail during World War II and for all the men and women who sign up to serve our country and to protect our democratic society and the life that we love here in Australia. My experience in Kokoda made me even more passionate about fighting for our veterans and ensuring that they receive the support that they need. Through this bill, we are ensuring that, for veterans and their families who are seeking services and support, the system will be more streamlined and easier to access.

The bill also introduces a range of enhancements to the MRCA that will help make access to entitlements easier and fairer for veterans and that have been shaped by feedback provided by the veteran community across 2023 and 2024. One significant change is the consolidation of funeral expense compensation under the MRCA. This change allows dependants and legal representatives of deceased veterans to lodge claims regardless of which act the veteran was previously covered by.

Another key aspect is that several benefits will be moved to the MRCA, including the Acute Support Package, household services and attendant care, the Victoria Cross allowance, ex gratia payments and recognition supplements for former prisoners of war. Additionally, a new payment called the additional disablement amount, or ADA, will be introduced. Similar to the extreme disablement adjustment, or the EDA, this payment will support veterans over pension age with significant service related impairments. Dependants of deceased ADA veterans will also have access to the gold card and other benefits in the event of a veteran's death, ensuring continued support for families.

The 2024-25 budget included $222 million in additional funding for veteran and family entitlements and supports to be made available through this new simplified legislation. This will ensure veterans and their families can better understand and access the support that they are entitled to faster. As we move forward, let us continue to listen to our veterans and work collaboratively to address their needs. Together we can build a system that reflects our nation's values of fairness, respect and compassion.

This bill is a step forward in providing the support for all of our veterans and their families. We owe it to those who have served our country to provide a strong support system that promotes healing, resilience, wellbeing and a meaningful future post service to our country that gives them a purpose in life.

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