Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to bring to the attention of the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs a matter raised with me by my constituents Mr Garry Lilley and Ms Maha Aziz. I have been advised there is a new contract process for the dispensing of spectacles to veterans. Mr Lilley and Ms Aziz have been dispensing to the veterans community for 23 years from their business in Mortdale in the electorate of Banks. In response to a letter from the department advising of the new arrangements, Mr Lilley dispatched one email. Having no response to that, he dispatched a second email 10 days later. Having no response again, Mr Lilley then phoned the department to be advised that tenders had closed the previous day. Mr Lilley was advised during the phone call that he would not be eligible to apply for a contract for another four years on the expiry of the current contract period.

A phone call from the department a few days later provided updated advice. As a result of a meeting with the Optometrists Association of Australia, through which other optometrists advised of similar problems, it was agreed that new tender forms would be placed on a website. Ms Aziz was advised at this point that there could be no guarantee that there would be continuity of the contract. Acceptance of these subsequent tender applications cannot be guaranteed because they will be considered last.

Mr Lilley and Ms Aziz are very concerned about this situation and I share their concern. Their business has provided a vital service to veterans in my electorate for over 23 years. I believe they provide the service not just to make money but rather to assist the community. I am advised that prices are set by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and are the same for all suppliers of optical goods. The profit margins are extremely low and the focus is on the provision of a service to the veteran community. I would like to quote directly from their letter to me, which I believe indicates better than anything I might say what their motivation is:

We are very concerned about the impact this will have on the veteran community we have been serving and supplying spectacles to for the past 23 years. All our veteran patients are elderly and now having to travel to other suburbs will cause them a great deal of distress. We still have a contract with DVA to supply eye examinations to veterans ... but from May 2007 we will no longer be able to supply our veteran patients with spectacles and we will have to issue them with their prescription and ask them to find another supplier. Since we are the only optical supplier in our suburb it will cause our elderly patients much distress to have to travel elsewhere to order spectacles, travel again for the collection of the spectacles and travel again when needing repairs or spare parts to spectacles, as this is also covered by the contract.

A chain of difficult circumstances has caused this situation to arise and we are regretful that we will be disappointing and causing difficulties to so many of our elderly patients.

Mr Lilley and Ms Aziz are most concerned by the potential impact this situation will have on the veterans in my electorate. I take this opportunity to raise the matter with the minister and request that he take into account the matters I have raised in considering his formal response.