Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will continue my remarks on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014. 'There is a wave of sadness coming our way, and the system—DVA and Defence—needs to be ready for it. I wonder whether we are.'

PTSD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in Australia. The Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health says that between five and 10 per cent of Australians are likely to experience PTSD in their lives, while up to 12 per cent of serving and ex-serving members will be affected by PTSD in any given year. The Department of Veterans' Affairs says that 1,713 veterans of recent conflicts are suffering from PTSD—it is a huge figure—and, of those, 955 are veterans of either Afghanistan or Iraq. However, in reality this number is likely to be much higher. Many sufferers often develop symptoms years after their service, and many more remain undetected because they never seek the help they need to treat their PTSD.

Of Afghanistan, General Cantwell says, 'We have exposed thousands of young and old Australians to some pretty brutal experiences.' The numbers of returned soldiers suffering PTSD will 'grow, and grow exponentially'. As policymakers, we must be ready. It is our responsibility to ensure that the system—Defence and Veterans' Affairs—is ready.

Families too must be ready and aware of the risks of PTSD. One thing Scott Hannaford does very well in 'The silent war' is detail the fact that PTSD affects not only returned service personnel but their families as well. He tells the story of Rebecca Clark, who calls herself a 'second generation veteran'. Rebecca has never been to war. She has never had a gun pointed at her face, never had to take a life or endure any of the unspeakable horrors of combat. But, as the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, Rebecca not only had to deal with her own father's undiagnosed PTSD and the resulting volatility, temper and mood swings but she herself developed PTSD in her early 20s.

As our soldiers return from Afghanistan, families must be on the lookout for signs of stress in their returned loved one and among themselves. Some signs of PTSD to watch out for include trouble getting along with colleagues, family or friends; angry or violent outbursts; increased alcohol or drug use; more physical complaints than usual; and poor performance at work. As the wave of sadness approaches, to use General Cantwell's phrase, it is all the more important that the government does everything in its power to ensure we are ready.

I also want to take this opportunity to mention The Long Way Home, a play that was showing around Australia earlier this year. Just as media has an important role in raising awareness, so too do the arts—and this was achieved through this wonderful production, The Long Way Home. The play was written by Daniel Keene in collaboration with the Australian Defence Force, and it takes the words and experiences of soldiers and builds them into a work that acknowledges the damage of conflict alongside the mundanity and sometimes thrill of soldiering. It highlights the unique challenges faced by our service men and women in their return to everyday life after operations around the world.

I was fortunate enough to see this play when it was in Canberra earlier in the year. The play actually sold out across the country, as it did here in Canberra, so I do feel really honoured and privileged to have seen it. It was an incredibly moving experience. What really touched the audience was that it showed not just the experience of combat in Afghanistan but also the soldiers' experiences at home, so it provided the opportunity to get a glimpse into the domestic environment and what women in particular face with the return of their loved ones in terms of the stress, the lack of communication. These men wanted to completely isolate themselves, to hide from the world. It sent a very powerful message about the fact that these are damaged people and that we do need to care for them. It also underscored the enormous strain it puts on relationships and those back home, the loved ones who are trying to support those who have experienced combat.

The play received a standing ovation here in Canberra. At some points, there was not a dry eye. The play also highlighted the camaraderie among the troops and that they provide a strong support network for each other. But, in a way, they just hunker down among themselves and do not actually share the grief and depression they are going through. That is why it is so important for not just the families but also the soldiers themselves to be aware of those PTSD symptoms.

It was a very powerful production. I commend the Sydney Theatre Company for putting it on. I think it was Belvoir Street who actually produced it. I thank them for producing them for producing this incredibly powerful work and I also thank the ADF for sharing and divulging their knowledge of and the experiences of soldiers. It was a story that had to be told, it was a story that was incredibly timely and it was a story that resonated with everyone who was in the audience, as well as those who read about it. So I commend all involved, particularly the actors, because a number of them were amateurs and a number of them were from Canberra. They did a great job. You could tell who the professionals were, but the amateurs did a very, very good job; they almost appeared to be professionals. So I do commend them for donating their time, as much as anything else, to the production.

There are also a number of community organisations, such as Soldier On and Young Diggers, that provide support for returning soldiers, and a number of Defence and DVA programs that are designed to assist in the transition, and I urge returning soldiers and their families to make the most of these.

Soldier On is a Canberra based organisation that facilitates Australians coming together to show their support for our physically and psychologically wounded soldiers. It is a great outfit. I remember going to the launch a couple of years ago, down at the returned services club site—'site' because the club burnt down a few years ago. It was in a tent and there was great attendance by a broad range of the community but particularly returned soldiers. Again, it is a timely organisation in that soldiers returning felt they needed a support network among themselves and hence they set up Soldier On.

Founded in 2012, it was inspired by the death of Lieutenant Michael Fussell, who was killed in an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2008. His friend John Bale looked for a way to support those who survived the blast. He quickly realised there was no easy or accessible way for members of the defence forces, or the public, to show their support for those wounded in battle. With his wife, Danielle, they reached out to his fellow soldiers and enlisted the help of Cavin Wilson, who had been posted in Afghanistan, involved in returning soldiers killed or wounded in action. Together they decided it was time to start an organisation that connected these men and women to the wider public, ensuring these brave men and women could be cared for and lead fulfilling and successful lives.

Since then, Soldier On has worked tirelessly to ensure our wounded are able to overcome the obstacles caused by their injuries; enjoy happy, fulfilling lives; and feel proud of the sacrifices they have made. Soldier On also serves as the link between wounded Australians and their communities, allowing people from all walks of life to support our wounded men and women and help them succeed in their rehabilitation and beyond. Community organisations such as Soldier On play a vital role in supporting our physically and psychologically wounded soldiers and their families, and I commend them for this work.

It would be remiss of me not to note that, while this legislation makes good changes, really worthwhile changes, that will make a real difference to the lives of veterans and their families, through its budget the Abbott government has attacked our veterans community. Prior to the election, the government said:

The Coalition is committed to ensuring fairness for our retired military personnel and easing the pressure on their cost of living.

And Senator Ronaldson said on the day of the budget:

The Government will continue to respond to the changing needs of veterans and their families.

However, when the budget was delivered, it was clear that the Abbott government had walked away from these commitments and shamefully betrayed Australia's war veterans by slashing the indexation system for Veterans' Affairs pensions.

The budget contained changes to the current indexation system for pensions meaning that, from 1 September 2017, indexation will be linked to the CPI only. The current indexation system links pensions to whichever delivers the higher pension rate out of the CPI, male total average weekly earnings or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index. This current indexation system was introduced by Labor to better reflect the actual daily cost of living for those on Veterans' Affairs pensions and to help veterans keep up with the cost of living. It has been a proven success, with pensions increasing by up to $5,300 per year under Labor. By contrast, if the changes to indexation made by the Abbott government in its budget had been in place for the last four years, a veteran on a single pension would be $60 a fortnight worse off or $1,560 a year worse off over four years. Veterans and veterans' organisations say this change will cost them thousands annually.

The very great irony is that, at the same time the Abbott government are cutting indexation to the veterans pension, they are improving the indexation to military superannuation. We were very pleased to support the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Legislation Amendment (Fair Indexation) Bill 2014 which allowed the triple-indexing of the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits and the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits military superannuation pensions for those aged over 55.

I say again, Labor supports this policy. But what we do not support is the fact that this is paid for by cutting the indexation to veterans' pensions, which the budget has revealed to be the case. When it comes to veterans, the Abbott government is robbing Peter to pay Paul. The coalition's policy for veterans and their families in the September 2013 policy document states that the government does not increase Centrelink pensions just by the CPI so it is not fair to apply only that index to the pensions of those who have risked their lives for our country. Yet that is exactly what the Abbott government has done—reduced the indexation of veterans' pensions to be CPI only, cutting the veterans' pension in real terms. The Abbott government's budget of broken promises cut funding to veterans' affairs also by more than $100 million—down from Labor's record $12.5 billion in our 2013-2014 budget. There is a great deal of distress emerging from veterans' groups about this budget and, while I commend the government for the legislation we are debating today, I ask them to look at their policy toward veterans as a whole and to realise that cuts to veterans' pensions are unfair. They are a broken promise and must be reversed.

It is impossible to exaggerate what we owe to our service personnel and their families. In thanking them for their sacrifices and showing our gratitude for the work they do in securing our nation and preserving the democracy here, we have to ensure that we provide the highest standard of care for them when they return.

Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tackling mental health challenges for veterans and their families was one of the four pillars of our plan for veterans, that we took to the last election. The Abbott government recognises the unique nature of military service and this bill reflects that commitment. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014 will improve access to mental health services for current and former members of the ADF and their families and it will enhance the operations of the Veterans' Review Board and make other improvements to the veterans' affairs services and administration. With Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera adjacent to the Brisbane electorate, this will further strengthen our commitment to look after our veterans following on from the introduction of legislation to cover fair indexation introduced to the parliament in March of this year.

Other groups that are based in my electorate of Brisbane who will benefit from this bill are: Legacy Brisbane; the head office of the Returned and Services League of Australia, Queensland Branch; the RAAF Association, Queensland Division; the Queensland association of the Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women; the War Widows Guild of Queensland; the Australian Region of Ex Servicemen and Women; and the Defence Community Organisation.

While there are other organisations that have offices based outside of the Brisbane electorate, there are many members in the Brisbane area who reside there and they include members of the Submarines Association, the Naval Association of Australia, Gallipoli Barracks, Victoria Barracks and of course we have St Andrews War Memorial Hospital.

The number of individuals deployed since 1999 to 1 March 2014 is 72,376. We have had a huge number of our servicemen and women deployed on operations overseas in border security operations and including deployment in Operations Resolute, Relex, Cranberry, Teebone, Dirk, Mistral, Celesta, Sutton and Stanhope. We have had operations in the past in support of East Timor, operations supporting the Solomon Islands, and of course, Operation Slipper, the military contribution to the international campaign against terrorism, maritime security in the Middle East area of operations and countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden. There have also been many operations in support of Iraq including deployments. Many of my constituents have been deployed to Operations like Falconer, Catalyst, Riverbank, Blazer, Bastille, Desert Storm et cetera.

The bill contains several schedules and I want to go through details of each of these schedules as there is a particular aspect of how this bill will improve access to mental health services for current and former members of the ADF and their families. From 1 July 2014, there will be access to treatment under nonliability healthcare arrangements. These will be expanded to include diagnosed conditions of alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder regardless of whether that particular condition was service-related. From 1 July 2014, eligibility to treatment under nonliability healthcare arrangements for members of the Defence Force with peacetime service only will be expanded by removing the current cut-off date of 7 April 1994. That is very good measure. This measure will allow all of those with at least three years of continuous full-time and peacetime service to be eligible for that nonliability health care for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders and alcohol and substance use disorders.

Members who discharge before completing their three years continuous full-time service may also be eligible where discharge is on the grounds of invalidity or physical or mental incapacity to perform their duties. This means that treatment for mental health conditions of PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders and alcohol and substance use disorders will be available without the need for the condition to be accepted as related to the member's service.

Mental health services for veterans, members and their families, in all those areas, will be further improved through the expansion of the client groups eligible for counselling through the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service. And I just want to add to some comments made previously by the member for Canberra that many veterans' families are affected when veterans return home suffering from any of these disorders and the families also suffer with them.

From 1 July 2014, current and serving members with certain peacetime service will be eligible for counselling through the specialised services of the VVCS. This includes border protection service, service in a disaster zone either in Australia or overseas, service as a submariner and personnel involved in training accidents and members medically discharged.

There will be access to counselling services from the VVCS, and it will be extended to partners and dependent children up to the age of 26 of these newly-eligible groups, to partners' dependent children and to parents of members killed in service related incidents. It is recognised that military peacetime service has its own risks for exposure to traumatic events, and this impacts greatly on mental health.

Amendments relating to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and seniors supplement in schedule 3 will reduce the administrative burden on clients who travel overseas for more than six weeks. Currently, one of the requirements to regain eligibility for a seniors supplement for a person who is a holder of a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and who travels overseas for more than six weeks, is a written claim and proof of that person's income details. The amendment will mean that card holders will be eligible for the seniors supplement on their return from overseas without needing to reclaim the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

In schedule 4 there are other significant measures. The bill will enhance the operation of the Veterans' Review Board. The Veterans' Review Board provides merit reviews of conditions relating to disability and war widow pensions, compensation and other entitlements under the Veterans' Entitlement Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

The bill also introduces a legislative framework for alternative dispute resolution processes, including conferencing and mediation. Additional improvements relate to case management, and the administration and procedural practices of the board are also expected to enable more effective management of the function of the board.

Some might view the changes in this view as 'legalising' the board, or turning the board into a replica of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal but that is not the case. These changes are designed to give the board a more modern and a much more efficient process. They will enable the board to supply alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and to resolve matters much more quickly and much more satisfactorily. This will prevent the need for hearings in many cases. There was extensive consultation with ex-service organisations on these matters in 2013, and there has been a wide degree of support for these particular reforms.

In schedule 5, the bill will make a technical amendment to the end date for the period of service in an operational area in schedule 2 of the Veterans' Entitlement Act. The amendment will not disadvantage any veteran, as the change to the date will align the period of service for that operational area with the dates of the instrument for allotment for that operational area, which is dictated by the Department of Defence.

There are other amendments in schedule 6 to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act which will expand the circumstances under which an eligible young person is to be taken to be wholly dependent on a member. The expansion will include an eligible young person for whom the member is liable to pay child support. These eligible young persons will have the same wholly dependent status as an eligible young person who lives with a member. It should be noted that these situations are not exhaustive, and other circumstances that meet wholly dependent status for an eligible young person will continue to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

There are further amendments to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, which will enable chief executive of Comcare to be nominated for appointment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. This measure rectifies the inadvertent disqualification in 2012 of the chief executive of Comcare from nomination for appointment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.

As I have said, our commitment to looking after our veterans and recognising their unique nature of military service was something that we took to the last election and it is now being delivered by the Abbott government. My electorate of Brisbane has a proud military history. We are very proud of our veterans, and that is evidenced by the large number of applications made by community organisations to, and recommended by, the Brisbane electorate committee for the ANZAC Centenary Local Grants Program. It included some outstanding and wonderful applications from the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies; the Mates for Mates family recovery centre, which is based in Albion; Saint Andrews Uniting Church in Brisbane; St Mark's Anglican Church, Clayfield; New Farm State School; Military Brotherhood Incorporated; the Royal Brisbane Hospital Nurses Association; the Naval Association of Australia; Windsor State School, which has a proud military history, with the service of many of its former pupils dating back to World War I; the Museum of Brisbane; and the Submarines Association Australia, Queensland.

As a nation, we should never turn our backs on veterans who have defended our country. The blunt truth is that we live under an umbrella of freedom that their service has provided to us. This fact was brought home to me in very stark and real terms when I attended a veterans' forum with my parliamentary colleague, Wyatt Roy, the member for Longman, on Wednesday 21 May at The Hub Medical Centre in Morayfield. This was organised by its principal, Dr Raymond Huntley. I had the opportunity to hear firsthand about the difficulties that too many veterans have in obtaining and receiving advice—to hear their frustrations, what they have to go through and, sometimes, the trauma that this causes them.

We need to do things a lot better. Many of the veterans at that particular forum spoke about their individual circumstances and what it was like to transition into civilian life from the military. Many of them spoke about the fact that they were not informed of their entitlements and benefits. There needs to be a better way of doing that and whether to engage more DVA officers at military bases to make sure that the transition is much smoother.

I heard, with anguish, a particular incident of one veteran, who needed to receive counselling for PTSD. He found out that he was entitled to transport to the counselling service two years after he had been going to receive counselling. That would have benefited him, if he had been informed that those conditions and entitlements were there and were available for him. Of course, he was undergoing treatment at the time and that must have made it very difficult for him to drive himself to those particular appointments. Listening to veterans become traumatised about what they have experienced and then having to listen to them about navigating their way through a system that sometimes is not user friendly were very chilling moments for all of us who were there. It is not an acceptable situation. We must change the way that we look after veterans and the way that their entitlements are administered.

We talk about the ultimate sacrifice that so many ADF personnel have made throughout our country's history. We always, rightly, pay homage to them on Anzac Day. Our gratitude should not be confined to just one day of the year. We should always pay homage to them. We should look forward to ways that we can display that gratitude in how we give back to our veterans who have given so much to us. This bill is the first necessary step, but it goes some way to demonstrating that gratitude and extending to our veterans the very, very best respect that they so richly deserve. I commend the bill to the House.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, let me say how pleased I am to be able to contribute to this debate and to acknowledge the contributions that have been made thus far, by the previous speaker, the member for Brisbane, and by the member of the Canberra whom I have listened to this morning. I think it demonstrates and gives expression to how strong the bipartisanship is over these issues. I am proud to say that, as the former Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and former Minister for Veterans' Affairs, I initiated these proposals during the last government and they were accounted for in the previous budget. I am very pleased that this government has chosen to develop them further and to introduce this legislation into the parliament because we do have an obligation, as has been said by previous speakers, to serving personnel and veterans and their families.

The importance of this legislation is that it acknowledges an ongoing piece of work around how we adequately develop programs and policies to deal with current and emerging issues with defence members and their families and in the transition phase after they have separated from the Defence Force. I have long taken the view—and I think it is acknowledged—that once someone goes through the recruitment gates, goes out to Kapooka and does their recruitment training they are potentially a client of the Department of Veterans' Affairs for the rest of their life. What we have to acknowledge is that once we accept someone into the Defence Force we see them as part of the family that we need to look after, ultimately until they are dead. That means ongoing care not only of them but also, in particular circumstances, their families.

I am happy to say that there has been a great deal of work done between the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Defence around working closer together to make sure that defence personnel understand their current entitlements and also working closer together to make sure that the transition space is filled, that we have got people on the ground on defence bases around this country who are able to inform defence members of their proper and current entitlements whilst they are in uniform and during the transition phase. Much has been done around placing DVA officers on defence facilities around the country and by the various services taking their own initiatives to make sure their personnel are properly informed about what their entitlements are. That is as it should be.

I have made the comment before that I am sorry this current government has chosen to separate the Veterans' Affairs portfolio from the defence personnel part of the Defence portfolio. I think it makes a great deal of sense to combine the two. My experience of being a minister in both portfolios allowed me to be able to drive the two organisations closer together and make sure that these issues, which are of such import, were given the priority that they properly deserve. That is what it should be like. I would just counsel the government, if there are ministerial arrangements to be reorganised at some future point, that the Prime Minister might think about reuniting Veterans' Affairs with Defence in terms of the responsibility of a minister not only for veterans but also defence personnel. It makes a great deal of sense.

I also want to say that these initiatives have come from our acknowledgement, our parliament's acknowledgement, the current government's acknowledgement and the previous government's acknowledgement of the need to understand the stresses and the health needs of defence members and their families as a result of their service and to understand that, in the recent campaigns which have cause much distress to the Australian community, we have had an emerging issue to do with defence members and mental health issues. As we know from studies which have been done by both the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Defence, we do not have a high prevalence of mental health issues in the defence community as opposed to in the rest of the community. That is not to say that people do not develop, once they have separated, mental health issues which need to be addressed.

The member for Brisbane talked about that transition space. She mentioned are going to Enoggera and talking to people who had had a poor experience through the transition phase. The problem, frankly, that we have in part is due to the fact that many defence members, once they have decided to separate from the Defence Force, do not want anything to do with Defence—which is not surprising, in a way. And often they will separate without having anything to do with their former comrades, so they lose contact. The problem we have is that it is difficult for government, the Department of Defence, the various services or the Department of Veterans' Affairs to put a tail on people who do not want to have a tail. If they do not want to be connected once they leave it is very difficult to connect them. Subsequently, when issues emerge around either a physical disability or a mental health issue as a result of their service, it is often very difficult to get them the service they properly require because they have lost that attachment. So one of the challenges is to ensure that defence personnel, whilst they are in service, understand that retaining this attachment is in their interests. That is why we have promoted the idea very strongly that there needs to be engagement with the veterans community whilst they are in defence.

One of the issues that I raise with the RSL on a continuing basis—and I appreciate the fact that they have acknowledged the need for this—is that they have to play a bigger role. They have to make themselves relevant to current and serving members. We heard the member for Canberra talk about a number of organisations—Soldier On, Young Diggers, Mates 4 Mates, Walking With The Wounded. These are all organisations which are dealing with current, serving members or people who have recently left the Defence Force. That is really good. What we want them to do, though, is make sure that they continue to proselytise the idea that there are benefits and systems in place to look after their interests.

What this piece of legislation does, in substantial manner, is to provide additional services to people who we believe will need them. The changes will include adding alcohol and substance abuse disorders to non-liability health care, and extending non-liability health care to those with peacetime service only. The legislation will provide for treatment of PTSD, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and the new conditions of alcohol and substance use disorder for people who are not otherwise eligible for such treatment and who were discharged on the grounds of invalidity or physical or mental incapacity to perform duties.

These changes are very important, but the legislation also amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act to enable eligibility for counselling services for veterans to be expanded to additional client groups. There are currently restrictions. It will involve people from the border protection service, people who serve in Australian or overseas disaster zones, members involved in training accidents, members who are medically discharged and submariners. It will also involve their eligible children, up till the age of 26. They will also be eligible for these services.

This is vitally important, because we have people going overseas and doing the most dangerous things whilst putting this uniform on for us. When they go away they are involved in activities, and we have had 40 deaths in Afghanistan. There have been over 200 wounded. We have large numbers who have come back with mental health issues. Their families suffer consequently and we have an obligation to make sure those families—the spouses, the parents, the children—have access to those services which they properly require. It is part of our national responsibility. It is part of our national obligation to make sure that, when we put that uniform on someone, we tell that someone that we will look after them and their family. If we do not, we are abrogating our responsibility not only to them but to the nation. I feel very strongly about these matters and I am very pleased with this piece of legislation.

One of the things that I think we need to comprehend is that there has not been a tsunami of mental health issues out of service, but that is not to say that there will not be a radical or a dramatic increase in the number of people who require services for mental health and other disorders in the future. The thing that concerns me most is that we have had people doing seven, eight, nine or 10 rotations in and out of Afghanistan, especially in the special forces arena. Once they separate, my concern is that some of the issues which they have needed to confront and deal with properly whilst they have been in service may be issues that they find difficult to deal with at some time down the line. It is therefore very, very, very important that we implement the changes which are in this legislation.

We have forgotten this previously. We have really not dealt with the fact that people on border protection—these brave men and women who are doing the border protection work for our nation in a very high-stress situation—were not covered. Submariners were not covered. We have to say to ourselves that that is an obligation we failed. Now we have fixed it. We owe those young men and women who are doing this border protection work, who potentially suffer as a result of seeing the most horrendous things and being involved in very difficult set of circumstances, a great debt of gratitude, clearly. But we have an obligation to them and an obligation to their families. We need to make sure that those obligations are properly met, and I think this legislation does that appropriately.

When we talk about the nature of service, the young men and women who put on a uniform and go to war are doing it for the best of reasons. They are often very naive young people when they start, but they become very hardened and understand the difficulties of war once they have been in that situation. Those of us who have not been there, those of us who have not had the uniform on and been involved in one of these conflicts or in border protection, those of us who have not been submariners or been involved in peacetime operations such as at Aceh, cannot appreciate the difficulties that these young men and women have confronted.

I want to pay my respects to those men and women for their service but also genuinely acknowledge the great leadership which has been shown in the defence community and in the Department of Veterans' Affairs by the senior leaders of those organisations. I think they have done tremendous work over the last few years to bring the Defence Force community on, to make sure that we are addressing their particular needs and to understand that we do have an obligation.

The member for Canberra talked about that wonderful play The Long Way Home. I want to thank the Chief of the Defence Force, General Hurley, because without him that would not have happened. He was prepared to commit the resources out of defence to make sure that The Long Way Home happened. The brave men and women who participated in that program need to be acknowledge also.

I want to particularly mention the families. I mentioned Soldier On and all of those other organisations previously, but there is another organisation called Families of the Fallen, which has been an initiative of Ray Palmer and his wife, Pam. Ray and Pam lost their son, Private Scott Palmer, in a helicopter crash when he was with the 2nd Commando on 21 June 2010. Recently they had a walk from Mataranka, which is south of Katherine, to Robertson Barracks to raise money for Families of the Fallen. There are 40 families. Think about that. Ray and Pam lost their son as did another 39 parents. All those parents, brothers, sisters, kids and partners are adversely affected by the fact that those sons sacrificed their lives for our great country. I want to acknowledge the Families of the Fallen and Ray Palmer in particular for his massive work and the Kokoda tracks that they have put in place to assist veterans who have been part of this conflict.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014. The bill reflects the view of this government—and I know it is a view shared by both sides of the House and by most Australians—that our men and women who have given service or are still serving in our military forces deserve to have any adverse consequences of that service, whatever they might be, adequately dealt with. Too often there are mental health consequences for veterans and their families during or following the period of active service or when training in Australia. This bill addresses mental health support for our defence forces as one of its key aims.

The government's current expenditure on mental health services is not capped but, rather, it is demand driven, as it should be. Some $166 million a year is currently spent on veterans, serving members and their dependants. This bill goes further in expanding access and the services that are required to make sure that no-one, whether man or woman, serving is left with mental health or other conditions that impact on their own lives, their own wellbeing and the lives of their families.

Key measures in this bill aim to strengthen mental health services through increased access to non-liability health care and the expansion of access to the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service, or the VVCS. Currently online mental health information and support, GP services, psychologists, social worker services, special psychiatric services, pharmaceuticals, PTSD programs, inpatient and outpatient hospital treatments—all of those—are provided annually, but from 1 July 2014 access to treatment under non-liability healthcare arrangements will be expanded to include diagnosed conditions of alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder regardless of whether the condition is service related.

My father is a legatee. He is just about to turn 90. He has been a member of Legacy since he returned from the Second World War, ironically himself very seriously injured. I can remember all through my early days the struggles he would have in trying to help one of his war widows to get a pension. He would argue that the husband's death was smoking related which in turn was related to his war service or that it was related to some other substance abuse which in turn was related to his war service. These arguments would go on for months and sometimes years while the widow was denied any real means of support. It was often a terrible business trying to argue that what the serviceman—sometimes they were ex-prisoners of war—who had come through the World War II experience alive but with serious mental or physical injuries, prematurely died of was related to his war service. We are going to do away with that sort of argument and distinction by acknowledging that there is support for someone who has been in our defence forces without having to directly relate their service to the condition.

I am also very concerned that we understand—and this bill picks up this message—that it is the partners, children and sometimes the grandchildren of our Defence Force personnel who also carry the burden and impact of the mental health consequences of their loved one. This bill understands the importance of access to counselling services through the VVCS for dependants. I strongly support these measures.

There are a number of Vietnam veterans in my community, and I am proudly the patron of the Goulburn Valley Vietnam Veterans. Their partners and their children talk to me about the lifelong impacts that they have experienced since their loved ones served and how their lives have been altered and often damaged by the consequences of the way we treated our Vietnam veterans, in particular immediately after that war. Scorn was poured on the heads of our Vietnam veterans as they came home, having done the task the country asked of them, proudly wearing our uniform. They were told to get out of that uniform as fast as possible and not mention their Vietnam War experience. They were often told to hide themselves away because there was a suggestion, particular through the media, that there was shame on their heads as participants in a struggle that was trying to preserve the democracy and peace of the South Vietnamese.

We have in Australia come a long way in understanding that, if someone puts on a uniform for Australia, whether a man or a woman, whether Army, Navy or Air Force, and they do the heavy lifting for our nation that we ask of them as we try to support others, whether it is East Timor, a peacekeeping mission or an actual armed conflict like in Iraq or Afghanistan, we accept responsibility for the health and wellbeing of that person and their family for the rest of their lives. I certainly support the previous speaker the member for Lingiari, who was himself responsible in the portfolio for many of these matters, in saying that this is a lifelong responsibility we owe to our serving men and women and those serving men and women after they have left the service.

I suppose I am particularly focused on this matter because my own son continues to be in the Army, and for a time I shared accommodation with him out at Duntroon and was regularly in conversation with his fellow serving officers. I am very aware of the pressures, the strain upon serving families as they are expected to be more than the average Australian man and woman when it comes to their decorum and the way they manage their professional as well as their after-work life. While there have been a number of studies done in the United States looking at the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly following a number of deployments in Afghanistan, we have also been doing serious work in Australia. The University of Adelaide undertook a prevalence and wellbeing study of mental health in the Australian Defence Force in 2010. Their report was provided to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force to better inform how we should respond to mental health matters.

The key findings included that 22 per cent of the ADF population—that is 11,016 people, or one in five—had experienced a mental health disorder in the previous 12 months when the study was undertaken and that the ADF lifetime prevalence rates of mental health issues are higher than in the Australian community sample that was used, but that their experience of mental health issues in the previous 12 months were similar to the community at large. Anxiety disorders were the most common mental disorder type in the ADF, with higher prevalence amongst females. We know that the working environment for women in the Defence Force has been under close scrutiny in the past few years—the business of sexual harassment has been highlighted and carefully dealt with by our most senior Defence Force personnel—and there is no doubt that women who choose to join the Army, Navy and Air Force do enter into a traditionally male domain and often the expectations of them, operating as women in those environments, can, as they found in this study, lead to a higher prevalence of common mental disorders amongst women in the Defence Force. We need to be very conscious of that and make sure the culture of our Defence Force continues to change to make it as comfortable for women as it is men as they undertake their service in uniform for our country.

As I said, from 1 July 2014 the access to treatment under non-liability healthcare arrangements will be expanded to include diagnosed conditions of alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder regardless of whether the condition is service related. Also from 1 July 2014, eligibility for treatment under non-liability healthcare arrangements for members of the Defence Force with peacetime service only will be expanded by removing the current cut-off date of 7 April 1994. That is a very important change given that peacetime service can often involve very intensive and sometimes traumatic training and it can also mean that families are separated for long periods of time. It is important that we recognise the peacetime service of Defence Force personnel and the need for them to also have proper healthcare. This will mean that all those with at least three years continuous full-time peacetime service will now be eligible for non-liability healthcare for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders and alcohol and substance abuse disorders.

From 1 July 2014 we will include support for border protection services, services in a disaster zone—whether in Australia or overseas—service as a submariner, and personnel involved in accidents while training and members medically discharged. Of course this is only right and proper, and I applaud these changes. We also have mental health services for veterans, members and their families being further improved through the expansion of the client groups eligible for counselling through the VVCS. I have referred to the fact that families also share in the impacts on their loved ones. Whether that is abuse of alcohol or other substances, whether it is anger, depression, suicide or thoughts of suicide, it is the families that must live with and try to nurture and support their loved ones. If those are their experiences, then obviously extending counselling to families is very important and an important part of this new bill.

Another significant measure in the bill will enhance the operations of the Veterans' Review Board, also known as VRB. The VRB provides merit reviews of decisions relating to disability and war widower pension compensation and other entitlements under the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. This bill will introduce a legislative framework for alternative dispute resolution processes, including conferencing and mediation. This is an important new direction and I applaud it.

I want to return to the findings of the University of Adelaide's prevalence and wellbeing study in my final remarks. It is very important for us to understand that while our ADF population in many ways is very like the non-ADF population in how it responds to stress, the findings were that deployed personnel were 10 times more likely to seek care for mental health or family problems. Forty-three per cent of ADF members have multiple deployments, 19 per cent only one and 39 per cent have never been deployed. But despite how often you have been deployed, it is significant that this bill ensures that all personnel will be eligible for support and treatment, that access to support will not be confined to those who have had a certain number of deployments or if they have been deployed at all.

In the previous year of the University of Adelaide study, 17.9 per cent of ADF members sought help for stress, emotional or mental health, or family problems. The problem ins that while 17.9 per cent sought help, many others chose not to seek that help because of the stigma associated with identifying yourself as anxious or perhaps considering doing yourself harm. We found in this study by the University of Adelaide that 47.6 per cent believed that they would be treated differently if they reported their mental health issues, while 26.9 per cent believed it would harm their career. I think that is a problem. We have got to change the culture in the defence forces so it is not stigmatising if you present with mental health issues or substance abuse issues. The highest rated barrier to seeking help was concern that it would reduce deployability—that was 36.9 per cent. There you have our Defence Force personnel wanting to do their job, wanting to be deployed, but aware that if they report their mental health issues that it might affect their chances of being able to be deployed, which is a very important part of their career.

I applaud this bill. It is a very important one and I acknowledge the bipartisan support for it.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014. I believe we do in this country owe a huge deal of gratitude to our veterans and our ex-service men and women. It is so important that we recognise that we do have a duty to ensure that they are looked after in times of need. That is why I am very pleased to be supporting this piece of legislation.

This bill will support the expansion of mental health services for veterans and members of the Defence Force and, importantly, their families. The mental health measures in this bill will help build on existing support already available for veterans, members and their dependents. It will also improve access to mental health services for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families. It is very, very important that we focus on mental health. It is not always our focus but it is so important that we do focus on the mental wellbeing of our veterans as well as their physical wellbeing. It is also important that we focus on their families.

We only have to turn the pages of history, back to conflicts of the past, where the physical and mental injuries of those who served were not recognised. We only have to look back at the Vietnam War to see the impact warfare had on those veterans' physical and mental health. However, there was not a good recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder or the debilitating effects of depression and anxiety. So many of those veterans did not get the support that they needed. This mistake made then not to support our veterans when they came back to Australia was one we should all be very concerned about. Importantly, we should make sure that this does not happen again.

The reality for many veterans at that time was that they did need help. They needed help getting back into their daily lives when they returned, but the assistance they needed was ignored and it was expected they would just come back and just get on with life. That was not to be the case for so many people. It is pleasing today that we do have a focus on mental health for our veterans and families. Unfortunately, it was too late for some of those veterans in past wars who suffered so many years with what were often very private conflicts.

Since 1999, more than 45,000 Australians have served overseas and put their lives at risk for this nation. In Afghanistan alone, 40 Defence personnel were killed and more than 260 wounded in action, many of them seriously. This does not recognise the figures of those who have come back but have had difficulty readjusting, that may be suffering from other physical injuries or symptoms as well as mental health symptoms.

I want to focus on the mental health impact. Speaking at this month's recent AMA national conference, Navy psychiatrist Commodore Duncan Wallace said that many personnel not only suffered physical injuries and ailments but had also developed mental disorders. He said research showed anxiety disorders were more common among ADF members than the broader community, with soldiers suffering depressive disorders at twice the rate of all Australians. This is why we have a duty to support our brave service men and women and their families every step of the way, to help them through these tough times, and to offer them better access to the services they need, and importantly, when they need it.

This legislation is an important step towards that. It offers improved support to veterans and their families. From 1 July 2014, access to treatment under non-liability healthcare arrangements will be expanded to include diagnosed conditions of alcohol disorder and substance use disorder, regardless of whether the condition is service related. The eligibility for treatment under non-liability healthcare arrangements for members of the Defence Force with peacetime service only will also be expanded by removing the current cut-off date of 7 April 1994. This means that all those with at least three years continuous full-time peacetime service will now be eligible for non-liability healthcare for PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as alcohol and substance use disorders. Members who discharge before completing three years of continuous full-time service may also be eligible where discharge is on the grounds of invalidity or physical or mental incapacity to perform duties.

Veterans and members who have been unsuccessful in previous liability claims may be able to access mental health treatment under the expanded non-liability healthcare initiative. This means that treatment for mental health conditions of PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, and alcohol and substance use disorders will be available without the need for the condition to be accepted as related to the member's service. The financial impact of the measures dealing with non-liability health care is just $14.6 million over four years. This is an important investment that should be made. It is a good investment of the taxpayers' money.

This legislation also enhances the operation of the Veterans' Review Board as well as making minor improvements to Veterans' Affairs services and administration. Mental health services for veterans, members and their families will be further improved through the expansion of the client groups eligible for counselling through the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service—a service founded by Vietnam veterans. Established in 1982 to provide counselling services to Vietnam veterans, this organisation has helped Australian veterans of all conflicts and peacekeeping operations; partners; ex-partners; and dependent children of veterans and peacekeepers with issues arising from the veterans' service, and sons and daughters, regardless of age, of Vietnam veterans with issues relating to their parents' service.

Services are provided by qualified psychologists or social workers who have experience working with veterans, peacekeepers and their families. Services include a wide range of treatments and programs for war and service-related mental health conditions.

This bill will now help even more current and former members who have completed peacetime service to access this vital service. This includes those from border protection services, those who have served in an Australian or overseas disaster zone, members involved in training accidents, those who were medically discharged and submariners. Access to counselling services from VVCS will also be extended to partners and their dependent children, up to the age of 26, of these newly eligible groups, and to the partners, dependent children aged up to 26, and parents of members killed in service related incidents. The financial impact of this measure is likely to be $6.4 million over four years. Once again, I think it is an incredibly good investment for taxpayers to be making.

It is important that this bill supports the veterans' families. The anxiety and stress that family members suffer is all too real. I had a brother who served in Afghanistan twice. I saw the anxiety it caused my mother; it became quite debilitating for her. She was constantly concerned, upset and worried about my brother while he was over there. It certainly became quite difficult for her to manage. It really has an impact on families when they send their sons and daughters overseas.

We need to make sure that families are well looked after on all occasions. This bill also amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to expand the circumstances under which an eligible young person is taken to be wholly dependent on a member to include those for whom the member is liable to pay child support.

This legislation also makes a technical amendment to the end date for a period of service in an operational area, particularly the territories of Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and the waters adjacent to those countries. These are common-sense measures that will support the lives of our veterans and their families.

As I said, we should be very proud of the contribution of our veterans and incredibly grateful for how they have helped protect our nation and its interests. I think it is important to say that Labor has always had a proud legacy of looking after veterans and serving ADF personnel. I was very pleased that when we were in government we funded an additional $26.4 million over four years to expand access to mental health services for current and former members of the ADF and their families. We expanded eligibility for treatment of certain mental health conditions on a non-liability basis.

Labor had dedicated staff from the Department of Veterans' Affairs as part of its On Base Advisory Service, which operates in more than 35 Defence bases around Australia. This is very important because stigma plays a critical role as a barrier for people getting help. Time and time again, we have seen that the stigma associated with mental health has a significant impact on people, whether they are in the ADF or the general community. Stigma stops people from accessing health. It is important that services and contact people are taken to where those people that need it are, because that will help break down some of those barriers.

We have to continue to address the issue of stigma. That is why it is so important that we continue talking about the issue of mental health in our defence forces and send a signal, by providing extra services, that we understand that mental health issues can be a by-product of serving in the defence forces and that there is nothing wrong or embarrassing about getting those issues dealt with. In fact, I think a person who addresses mental issues and speaks out is braver.

I am very pleased to be supporting this bill, as is Labor. This is an important step in ensuring that we are serving those who have served us. I commend the bill to the House.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014. This legislation will improve the mental health services for veterans and their families by expanding eligibility for non-liability healthcare for veterans and ex-service people, as well as access to the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Services.

The challenges facing the nation from veterans' battles with mental illness are real and our nation must prepare for those challenges. The coalition is fully committed to working with the veteran and wider community to ensure veterans needing treatment for mental health conditions can access that treatment.

It has been widely recognised that military personnel may experience mental health issues following deployment. Although much attention is paid to post-traumatic stress disorder—PTSD—evidence suggests that depression, anxiety, and alcohol-use disorders are just as common.

After the Vietnam War the Australian government established the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service—VVCS. This service aimed to provide help for psychological and emotional difficulties as a consequence of military service. Today, VVCS is a primary provider of Australian community based mental health services to veterans and their families.

The service was recently renamed the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service in recognition of the broader client group including contemporary, post-Vietnam, veterans and family members. VVCS operates within the Department of Veterans Affairs' mental health policy framework focusing on improving access to a comprehensive range of mental health services for veterans and their family members. There are currently 17 VVCS centres across Australia that provide both individual counselling and group programs to Australian veterans, their families, and eligible Australian Defence Force personnel.

Services are provided for a wide range of war and service-related issues such as relationship and family problems, alcohol and other drugs problems and psychological problems such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, problematic anger and sleep difficulties. Access to these services is based on self and/or family member referral, or medical practitioner referral. Counselling is provided by registered psychologists or social workers across a range of programs that include individual therapy, couples/family therapy and case management.

Informal client feedback indicates that the counselling interventions provided by VVCS are effective, but there has never been an independent, longitudinal examination of the mental health outcomes. As Paul MacPhie, the vice-president at my local VVCS at Toowong said, 'There is certainly a need to be looking at improved mental health services and support for our veterans, especially those now returning from the Middle East.' The Toowong VVCS provide a wonderful service, and they say that these amendments are much needed.

The United States observed that veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom were returning with high rates of mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse disorders and a sequel of traumatic brain injury—which is a pathological condition resulting from a disease. Of those veterans who enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration, VHA, services from 2002 to 2008, 37 per cent received mental health diagnoses, including 22 per cent with PTSD, 17 percent with depression and 10 percent with substance use disorders. These main mental health conditions can limit readiness for civilian employment as well as contribute to impaired job performance among those working.

Available data shows that returning Middle East veterans have considerably higher unemployment rates than people in the general population. It is suspected that rates of unemployment in this veteran population are even higher because of mental health conditions. Thus, while most Middle East Veterans are young adults at a developmental stage emphasising work or career development, many are experiencing unemployment and concomitant mental health challenges that may contribute to their unemployment. With high rates of mental health conditions and unemployment, and the over-representation of veterans in the homeless population, effective vocational services to help veterans return to the workforce and increase income are urgently needed.

Homeless veterans cite mental health treatment and job assistance among their top six unmet needs. VHA has provided vocational services within its mental health programs since 1976, guided by the concept of work as a bridge to recovery from the effects of mental health disorders and as having a necessary role in the adult development stage of life. In Australia, the Department of Veterans' Affairs has been quite proactive in assisting with veterans' mental illness and supporting them to gain employment. This bill is an extension of that support.

As at March 2013, the department was supporting about 148,700 veterans with one or more service related disabilities under the Veteran's Entitlements Act 1986, the Military and Compensation Act 2004 or the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988. Of these, about 46,400 had an accepted mental health disability. The most common conditions are generalised anxiety disorder, depression, stress disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence. Some have more than one accepted disability. While veterans of contemporary operations currently constitute only a small percentage of the overall mental health cohort, they are a growing number and must be considered in overall data patterns and trends.

The coalition government has a four-pillar approach to veterans affairs: One, recognising the unique nature of military service; two, maintaining a stand-alone Department of Veteran' Affairs; three, tackling mental health challenges facing veterans and their families; and four, providing adequate advocacy and welfare support for veterans and their families.

This legislation assists the government to deliver its agenda for veterans and their families. I commend the action of this bill—standing up for those who stood up for us, our rights and our freedom.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014 and, in doing so, acknowledge the important role that the military plays in my Riverina electorate. Indeed, my home town of Wagga Wagga is home to three military bases: the Army Recruit Training Battalion at Kapooka, the Royal Australian Air Force Base and, indeed a Navy base. Even though we are a long, long way from sea water, we have an important Navy training base which does a lot of good work with HMAS Albatross at Nowra and works in conjunction with the RAAF base at Forest Hill.

I speak to a number of veterans and their families about post-traumatic stress disorder and about the stresses and strains that Army, Air Force and Navy life place upon them and their families. When they are serving, as well as when they finish their service, many do feel the strain of that service. Certainly these people place their lives on the line on behalf of our nation each and every day when they are in uniform. We as a parliament send those men and women to conflict, to places where many of us would not like to go—certainly places where many of us would not like to visit, let alone take up active combat participation in those places. It is incumbent upon us as a parliament—as the people who send them to war and into combat zones—to look after them during their time of service and after their service has finished. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014 does this in part. As well, the coalition's other measure regarding proper and fair indexation has also gone to helping veterans who have served and are serving our country so well.

This legislation will improve and enhance mental health services for veterans and their families by enlarging eligibility for non-liability health care for veterans and ex-service people as well as providing access to the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service, the VVCS. There are a series of other minor amendments to legislation affecting veterans and their families. The bill implements recommendations from the review of military compensation arrangements and other measures announced in the 2013-14 budget. These measures are noncontroversial and they are very beneficial in nature.

The government has a four-pillar approach to veterans affairs. Firstly, recognising the unique nature of military service; secondly, maintaining a standalone Department of Veterans' Affairs; thirdly, tackling mental health challenges facings veterans and their families; and, finally, providing adequate advocacy and welfare support for veterans and their families. This legislation assists the coalition to deliver its agenda for veterans and their families.

I might digress a little to talk about Kapooka, which I mentioned before. On 21 May 1945—just months from the end of World War II—a tragic event occurred at the engineers training base at Kapooka. While being shown demolition and explosive procedures, an enormous explosion occurred in a dugout killing 26 personnel. The Daily Advertiserthe local newspaper—described the funerals which followed as 'Wagga's saddest day'—and indeed it was. The Kapooka camp had been established by the Australian government as the main Royal Australian Engineers training facility in eastern Australia just three years earlier. On 21 May 1945, two instructors were taking 26 young conscript sappers through training in the use of explosives. They were located in a dugout, where men usually waited while an explosion occurred above ground level. This and two other underground rooms were located a large distance away from the Kapooka buildings—towards today’s suburb of San Isidore. An enormous explosion occurred in the dugout at about 2.45 pm and 24 sappers died plus the two instructors. Two men who were just outside survived. The sound of the explosion could be heard in the city of Wagga Wagga, more than 10 kilometres away.

If that event happened today you could just imagine what would transpire. It would be of enormous consequence to this parliament, to our nation and to the military. This event occurred during a time of conflict, the Second World War and, sadly, it did not receive the attention, the respect and the dignity that it should have. It was only in recent years that a formal memorial has been placed near the site where this occurred. The actual site is now in private farming hands, but the memorial is just a stone's throw from the actual site. Each and every year now on 21 May Kapooka and the community of Wagga Wagga come together to acknowledge and to commemorate that dreadful event.

I say this in the context of this debate because the stress, strain and mental anguish that surely followed that awful occurrence back in 1945—when times were, admittedly, a little different—would be considered far differently if it happened today. The families back in the 1940s and even the decades after, sadly, did not receive the due respect, treatment and provisions that the current government would provide. Indeed, all members across the House would acknowledge that such an event deserves to have the respect and certainly the financial provisions for those affected families. But, of course, life was much different back in those days.

We talk about World War I and we talk about World War II and the tens of thousands of Australians—indeed, 102,000 Australians—who have died in conflict. But in World War I and World War II many of the people who came back were expected to get on with their life as per normal. They were expected to just fit back into society, fit back into their families and fit back into the social fabric of society. We now know that they must have suffered the same sorts of stresses and strains that our current serving men and women feel. But, as I say, life is very different these days and emotions are different.

We as a government and we as a parliament—because I know this has cross House support—should treat our former military personnel with utmost respect and provide the financial assistance, the counselling and the care that they deserve. They do, as I said, place their lives on the line each and every day. I stand here giving this speech with the Parliamentary Secretary for to the Minister for Defence alongside me. I know the efforts that he has gone to in his role as the parliamentary secretary for defence to ensure that fairness is provided to our veterans. I know the role he is playing to ensure that our service people are well catered for, not only whilst they are still wearing the uniform but also when their retirement has come and they have packed the uniform away and their career is done and dusted and they are getting on with their life. He has spoken to many, many families and many, many people to see what he can do in his capacity as parliamentary secretary to help them to adjust to normal civilian life.

The Abbott coalition government has delivered on its 2013 election promise—indeed, it was also our election promise in 2010—to the 57,000 military superannuants and their families. This is a responsibility that I know the parliamentary secretary takes very seriously. It is certainly something that the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, and Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon. Stuart Robert, the member for Fadden, also take very seriously. On 27 March this year they welcomed the passage of the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Legislation Amendment (Fair Indexation) Bill 2014 through the Senate, giving effect to the coalition's commitment to give veterans a fair go—which is also what this legislation is doing. That day, 27 March, was a day of fairness. It showed, it exemplified and it underlined that the government had fulfilled its pledge to give veterans the compensation and the indexation that they deserved. 'We made a promise and we have kept it to the letter,' Senator Ronaldson said, in announcing the fact that it had gone through the Senate and had become legislation.

From 1 July 2015 Defence Force Retirement Benefits Scheme—DFRB—and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme—DFRDB—military superannuants aged 55 and over will have their pensions indexed in the same way as age and service pensions. The fair indexation provisions will also extend to reversionary widow pensioners aged 55 years and over. This is very important. It has been a long-fought campaign for justice, for equity and for fairness. Bert Hoebee, a former deputy commandant at Kapooka, has made innumerable representations to me, via both email and telephone and certainly in person, to ensure that their pensions were fairly indexed. He would argue now that it still does not go far enough to providing what they require and what they need, but it is a big step in the right direction. It is certainly something that we have delivered upon as a coalition government and certainly something that the previous government had not delivered upon, despite their promises.

At the time of this superannuation indexation going through the Senate, the Assistant Minister for Defence, the member for Fadden, said that from 1 July this year military superannuants and their families would benefit from the change in indexation arrangements—and I say not before time. The Assistant Minister for Defence further said:

The passing of this legislation today confirms this Government’s recognition of the unique nature of military service and the sacrifices military personnel and their families make on behalf of all Australians.

I am sure the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, who is at the table, would certainly agree.

This legislation is an investment in fairness. It will ensure the purchasing power of DFRB and DFRDB military superannuation pensions is maintained, which is something that Bert Hoebee, retired now from the Army but certainly not retired from active service of sorts, was stressing to me all along. Through the passing of this legislation, veterans and their families have finally been delivered the fair go that they deserve and that this parliament should have provided many, many years ago.

The Veterans Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill expands eligibility for non-liability health care to current and former members of the Australian Defence Force with three years continuous full-time peacetime service from 7 April 1994. It addresses an anomaly in eligibility and will provide early intervention treatment. The high rates of comorbidity between existing mental health conditions and alcohol and substance use disorders are a driver for extending treatment coverage of these conditions. We heard the member for Ryan a little earlier talk about this very fact.

Schedule 2 of the bill increases access to counselling from the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service. The previous budget allocated $6.4 million to expand services to include members of the Australian Defence Force with service in border protection roles as well as submarine and disaster zone personnel, along with their families. Newly eligible members and former members will be advised of the changes once they are passed by parliament, and hopefully that will be very soon. These people, who put their lives on the line, who put their lives on hold and their families on hold for the time that they provide such sacrifice and dedication on behalf of our nation, deserve to know very quickly that this legislation is going through.

Schedule 3 takes away the requirement for Commonwealth seniors health card holders to reapply for their card if they travel overseas for more than six weeks. Currently when a CSHC holder travels overseas for more than that period their associated seniors supplement is cancelled. They must reclaim it, as well as their CSHC, upon their return to regain the benefit that is provided. The amendments will suspend payment for a six-week period and reinstate it upon the recipient's return to Australia, and that is necessary.

Schedule 4 makes a series of changes to the Veterans' Review Board. These measures introduce alternative dispute resolution to help define the issues in dispute and identify any additional evidence required for the appeal. That too is important. The amendments also intend to give the Veterans' Review Board greater case management powers to resolve matters before it more efficiently, and that is necessary.

Schedule 6 aligns the wholly dependent status of an eligible young person not living with the member but for whom the member is liable to pay child support.

Finally, schedule 7 will again allow the Chief Executive Officer of Comcare to be nominated for appointment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, which rectifies inadvertent disqualification of the CEO from nomination for appointment—which occurred in 2012 and arising from changes to the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.

This legislation is important. Our military people do have unique responsibilities to our nation. We, as a parliament, have unique responsibilities to them. Fair indexation has gone part of the way to providing our responsibility back to those veterans. This particular legislation enhances that. It is important. Mental health is a big factor for these people. I commend the bill to the House.

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to pick up on a line that the member for Riverina just mentioned in his address to parliament, which for me goes to the essence of what the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014 is about. This bill is about making sure that we care for our service men and women not only when they are wearing a uniform but also when they are not. That, for me, is the essence of what this bill is about.

It has been mentioned that a big part of this bill is to improve the access of our service men and women—both current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families—to mental health services. This is one of the four pillars of our plan for veterans that we took to the last election. From July, access to treatment under non-liability healthcare arrangements will be expanded to include diagnosed conditions of alcohol and drug use disorder regardless of whether people think that condition was service related. Changes contained in this bill also mean that all those with at least three years continuous full-time peacetime service will now also be eligible for non-liability health care. It is very well documented now, and a lot of research has been done into post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders and alcohol and substance use disorders.

I want to digress just quickly. This legislation is obviously going to have more effect and be of more import to our recent vets, our young vets. There are probably a couple of hundred young vets who live in my community, but there are also older vets. Probably a year or so ago, I was at a Vietnam veterans dinner, acknowledging the contribution they made to our society all those years ago. I was sitting on a table with four Vietnam vets and their wives. I had known most of these guys for decades but had never really sat down with them and spoken about their stories in relation to their service in Vietnam. We know about these stories, we know they are real, but it was quite humbling to hear them. Obviously, these were guys older than me that I had known from around our community. They were contributors to our community; they were good people in our community. Not by design but just by coincidence they all told me their stories—what happened to them in Vietnam.

These were their stories. One of them I knew had a bit of a gammy arm. He had come home from Vietnam but he had been shot in the arm. Obviously, that meant he was disabled in that arm for the rest of his life. He had had a very successful football career. Even without the full use of his arm, he had been a successful businessman in our community. He had suffered a lot physically from this wound, but a lot of people in the community would not have been aware of that.

The next veteran I spoke to at the table—again, he just started talking about his time in Vietnam—was again a guy I had known a long time. He was alive solely by luck. He was in a jeep that got blown up. No-one else in the jeep lived. The only reason he lived was that he was thrown so far into the air. The shrapnel and everything flying around killed everybody else, but he lived because by the time he came back down and hit the ground it had all dissipated. He had been deeply affected by this.

The third guy I spoke to that night told me—and you could tell he was still struggling very much with this experience in many ways—he had gone into the jungle with 19 of his fellow servicemen. Two days later, only six of them came out. The rest did not come out, and he was still very deeply affected by that. The fourth vet on that table had also returned from Vietnam with a serious physical wound. Maybe it was because it was a dinner honouring them and their fellow soldiers who served in that war, but all of them were very happy and very emotional sharing those stories, and it was very emotional to hear them.

We have got better at this, but we know that when they came back from Vietnam we did not do a lot to help them. Since then, we have done a lot of good work in diagnosing the conditions that they come back with. It was interesting that all of these guys said they had to be active to maintain their health of mind as best they could. One of them would get in a kayak every morning and just paddle. He said he had to keep moving. Another said that he just was not coping that well when he first got back. They had a young family. They got in a caravan and they just started driving. They all had this physical need to move. They all had their own ways of trying to cope with their experience. The effect that such experiences had on those men was very real, and it was a privilege that they shared their stories with me.

The bill before us also means that members who discharge before completing their three years continuous full-time service may also be eligible for non-liability health care, where discharge is on the grounds of invalidity or physical and mental capacity to perform duties. This means treatment for mental health conditions such as PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, and substance abuse will be available without the need for these conditions to be accepted as related to the member's service. Again, that is very important.

PTSD affects around one million Australians in any year, and 12 per cent of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime. Anyone can develop PTSD following a dramatic event. As I said, our medical and mental health professionals are much better at diagnosing and treating this. Obviously, it is not hard to work out that people who experience active service are more at risk of PTSD. They are trained to be at war. There can be a lot of triggers for PTSD; it can be a noise, it can be a sound, it can be a smell. A lot of things will trigger in them an anxiety response. After asking our men and women to serve their nation in theatres of war like Iraq and Afghanistan, we owe it to them to provide the support needed to beat this disorder.

Unfortunately, PTSD has already taken too many of the lives of our service people. It is a very sad fact that the ADF has lost more than 60 members to suicide since 2003—about half the number of deaths of members on the front lines of Afghanistan over the same period. These deaths are not mere statistics. They were men and women who served our nation well. They were fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. And, while they are not counted as such, they are in effect casualties of war.

This was the very unfortunate experience of a well-known family in our community, the Wood family, from the Coraki-Casino district. Last May, I attended the funeral of David Wood, who had done two tours of Afghanistan and suffered from depression afterwards. Again, the great tragedy of this is that no-one really knew how depressed he was. His family, a good family, did not realise how depressed he was. He left his family home in Casino one morning and, after searches, his body was found close to his home two weeks later. The whole community was grief stricken by that event.

I have a good friend whose son went to Afghanistan. Her line is: 'I sent them my brave young man and they have given me back a wounded soul.' She is always on the lookout for him and watches him closely. We as a nation must do whatever we can to help our young men and women who return from front lines with these mental health disorders.

This bill also recognises that peacetime service has its own risks in relation to the exposure to traumatic events and the impact on mental health. It extends the eligibility for counselling through the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service to include, among others, members who serve in border protection, disaster zones and those involved in training accidents. Counselling—and I think this is a really important element of it too—is extended to partners and dependent children of these newly eligible groups, as well as the partners, dependent children and parents of service members who are killed in service-related incidents. We know that when these people return to their families and to their homes, they are not same people that left and this can affect the immediate family and, indeed, the extended family.

Another significant measure in the bill will enhance the operations of the Veterans' Review Board, also known as the VRB. The VRB provides merit reviews of decisions relating to disability and war widow pensions, compensation and other entitlements under the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. The bill will introduce a legislative framework for alternative dispute resolution processes including conferencing and mediation. Additional improvements relating to case management and the administrative and procedural practices of the board are expected to enable more effective management of the functions of the board.

Some might view the changes in this bill as 'legalising' the board or turning the board into a replica of the Administration Appeals Tribunal. This is not the case. These changes are designed to give the board more modern and efficient processes. They will enable the board to apply alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve matters more quickly and satisfactorily so as to prevent the need for hearings in many cases. There was extensive consultation with ex-service organisations in 2013 on these matters and there is broad support for these reforms. I know that many of the RSL groups and sub-branches and veterans in my community gave great input to this and I thank them for that.

Another important aspect of this bill is that it relieves the burden on service people who have the Commonwealth seniors health card or are on seniors supplement when they travel overseas for more than six weeks. Currently, one of the eligibility requirements for seniors supplement requires the person to be the holder of a Commonwealth seniors health card and, if that person travels overseas for more than six weeks, to regain eligibility for the seniors supplement the person must reclaim the Commonwealth seniors health card, which requires a written claim and proof of the person's income details. The amendments will mean that cardholders will be eligible for the seniors supplement on their return from overseas without needing to go through this bureaucratic process.

This bill also expands the circumstances under which an eligible young person is taken to be wholly dependent on a member under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. The expansion will include an eligible young person for whom the member is liable to pay child support. These eligible young persons will have the same wholly dependent status as an eligible young person who lives with a member. It should be noted that these situations are not exhaustive and other circumstances that meet wholly dependent status for an eligible young person will continue to be determined on a case-by-case basis. These are a couple of the pillars we took to the last election concerning what we want to do with our veterans. Obviously, one important one was the fair indexation of DFRDB, which has happened. It was very important and we are very happy to have met that promise.

When we are talking about budgets, I think that it is very important to acknowledge with this bill and obviously with the indexation of the DFRDB, that there is a lot of government money going out into the community. It was mentioned by the previous speaker, the member for Riverina, that this government, or any government, of Australia cannot do too much to support our veterans. These people—and I have given you some examples earlier—have paid service to this country like no other person has. They have literally put their life on the line. They have very often been physically wounded and, unfortunately at worst, been mentally disturbed by the service that they have given our country. So when they come back, any government—and I am very proud to include this government—cannot do too much for them. This bill with the adjustments and amendments that it is making to the provision of mental health services and for fair indexation and the other measures that I have mentioned, I commend to the House. I think that this is a very important part of what we are doing in this chamber to legislate to improve the health, physical and mental, of our veterans. Thank you.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014. Stress is everywhere. I see that there is a bunch of schoolkids up behind the glass and I say g'day to them up there as we speak about this. I would like to ask them a question.

There will be kids up there who have left home for the very first time. Some of their parents may not be all that happy about their kids being away for this length of time and may be suffering stress. If you kids up there think about what it must be like for your parents to worry about you, then that is stress. This is what this bill is about.

But imagine what it was like in Afghanistan where the soldiers suffered green-on-blue attacks where, inside the perimeter of the camp where they should feel safe, insurgents got in and just shot people up. They killed a number of them and wounded a number of them. So when you woke up in the morning—and you think about this—and you wanted to go to the bathroom or go downstairs for breakfast, you had to first think about putting on your body armour. You had to first think that if you stepped outside your tent or outside your quarters, you might be shot. That is stress. That will affect your mental health.

They say that one in five adults during their lifetime will suffer their mental health being challenged. That is just one in five of us who just go through normal jobs with normal stress levels and all that sort of thing. When you put those levels into what it must be like in the Defence Force, especially the serving Defence Force where they are put in situations of extreme stress, think about what the levels of challenge must be.

As a society we must understand that we have just been through the longest military engagement our country has ever seen. Those of us who have been here for the last parliament and before will know what it is like to do condolence motions on soldiers who have not made it home, who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may have the life we have here. The stress levels in their lives and the lives of their families are through the roof, and we must look after them.

I am proud to say that I am the member for Herbert; I am the member for the great City of Townsville. And in that great city, Townsville, we have Lavarack Barracks, the largest Army barracks and the largest Army installation in the country. We are also home to RAAF Base Garbutt. We also have Ross Island Barracks, where 10FSB is housed. We will be a major customer of the new LHD craft coming out, with the Army and the Navy working together. We are a proud defence city.

Part of that is that we must face these things in our society all the time. There have been issues recently where people who have been discharged from the ADF and who have served overseas have suffered breakdowns and the like, and when people go down they look for anything they can to help them in the short term. Too often, that is drugs and alcohol, which only exacerbate the problem. We are aware that there are issues out there, and we as a society are doing what we can. Townsville, as a community, are doing as much as we possibly can.

I will be saying a few 'thank yous' through this speech, and the first is to DHA, for the work that the Defence Housing Authority does in Townsville and the way that they have worked since the early nineties and the Somalia campaign. They have taken defence housing out of set suburbs and put it in amongst everybody in the town, and that has been a wonderful gift not only for defence families but also for those people who are not defence related.

I have never served, and it never even crossed my mind that I would look good in a uniform, but I do understand what it is like to be a defence family. As a child, you come through life with a collection of acquaintances, as opposed to great friends, and a great collection of school uniforms as your father, or mother or guardians go around the country to serve their nation and to improve their own career. So all the way through, the family unit is under stress.

Carol, the wife of the previous Brigadier, Shane Caughey, who is now a major general in Canberra, shifted something like 18 times, and Shane was there for one of those. When you are shifting your family around like that all the time, they are doing it on their own. And you have to worry about what is happening with your family; it is not just the veterans themselves. So the ability to make defence families part of our community has been a great benefit not only to the city but to defence communities.

The parliamentary secretary summed it up pretty well before. They used to call PTSD 'shell-shock'. As a society, we used to deal with it by sending them to the pub and if they could not fix it up there we would send them to the fringes of society. That is wrong.

Now, we look at them and try to make it better and better. Defence will always tell you that they are not perfect and that they miss things. But they do get better; every time there is an engagement it is also a training exercise for them when it comes to this and the things we do with veterans' health when they come back home. The Vietnam veterans will always tell you that they were brought in at midnight and told, 'Get out of here before the sun comes up. Make sure that you are out of here before anyone can see you.' The way that we dealt with them then as opposed to the way that we deal with them now is different. Now, we bring them back, we debrief them, we make sure that they are okay, we check them all the way through and try as much as we can.

Mental health is a major issue in Australia. It affects every corner of our society. It affects this place; my good friend the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, wrote a book about his challenges when it comes to mental health—when it comes to being able to deal with your family and being able to work through it. Black Dog Days is a very good read for those people who have actually had to front up to these sorts of things. There have been all sorts of people going through this and I will say now that I am on antidepressants, and have been for an awfully long time.

It got to the stage where my children were afraid of me, and my wife had to sit me down and tell me that the kids were afraid of me. That is very confronting. My wife called me 'Cleopatra' because I was the 'queen of denial', and when I went to the doctor I was still fully expecting that my doctor would sit down and say that it was Linda's—my wife—fault, that there was nothing wrong with me and that it was if only my wife would be nice to me. But you have to face up to these things about what has to happen.

I see the assistant defence minister walking into the chamber now and say that this is the way that defence will improve and this is the role that we can play. That green-on-blue attack that I spoke of in Afghanistan: one of the soldiers was wounded. He was in hospital by himself—alone in a ward. He said that he could not get better properly if he were not with his family. His wife was coming in, but she was still having to deal with the family and still having to deal with getting kids to school while her husband was in hospital. He had a badly injured leg—badly shot up. He said, 'If I can get out of hospital and go home and finish my recuperation there then No. 1, I will be back to work soon; No. 2, I will be able to help a little bit around the house; and No. 3, my kids will see me.'

But as soon as he left the hospital his benefits dried up. I spoke to the then shadow assistant minister for defence, and in an address in reply to a ministerial statement he raised the issue with the then Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith. Stephen Smith said, 'That sounds like something we can work on,' and between the two sides of parliament's we actually did something good on this. I think that is what was good about it.

When it comes to the people who serve in defence it comes down to the type of person. This is why we must treat mental health in defence differently. When you are lining up to be a soldier, an airmen or a sailor and you have that type A personality then you are bulletproof. You are a strong person, whether you are male or female and even if you are behind a desk: you still fit that personality type. It is very hard for them to admit that something is wrong.

You will find that these sorts of people will run around with sore knees and ankles. You will find that when you are an infantry man you carry a 50-kilo pack for most of your life. So we are talking about a very particular type of person. It comes to admitting that something may be wrong—and anyone can see when blood is pouring down their sleeves or out of their leg—when they have to sit down and think that something might be wrong inside their heads and you cannot actually see it. Through the sheer will of being a member of our Defence Force they are able to just chuck it out and get on with it. But they may have an issue, and it takes a great deal of passion, common sense and hurt actually to confront it. That is what this bill does. That is what we have to do.

I would like to read something said by Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith when he attended a Mates for Mates facility opening in Townsville. He is a VC winner and he said these words:

… the centre has opened at the right time. Now that our Defence men and women are home from Afghanistan, many need our support more than ever.

We don't want them suffering in silence with problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder which can be treated and overcome.

The budget places the mental health needs of our veterans at the centre of the government's commitment to the veteran community. Senator Ronaldson's four-pillar approach to veterans' affairs includes: recognising the unique nature of military service, maintaining a stand-alone Department of Veterans' Affairs, tackling the mental challenges facing veterans and their families, and providing adequate advocacy and welfare support for veterans and their families. Note that both the last two clauses included 'and their families'.

I want to give a special mention in this speech to the staff at the Department of Veterans' Affairs in Townsville, especially the ones we deal with, who are fantastic, and especially those in the VVFCS, the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service, who are in my building. I do not know how we can ever repay the work that they do. This government recognises that more effort is needed. The government is proceeding with the implementation of a number of mental health initiatives from 1 July 2014, so this is right upon us. This year we will be spending more than $166 million on dedicated mental health services for veterans and their families. We have all sorts of people doing all sorts of things in recognition of this. There is Mates for Mates. There is Ian Bone from ANZAC Warriors who recently did a walk from Townsville to Proserpine.

You do not choose the time when your mental health will be challenged. No soldier, now airman, no sailor chooses to say, 'I will be affected now.' Some of these things will manifest for years and years and years. We must, as a society, understand that these things may happen and will happen. They will happen in our streets, in our families, in our schools. What we must do is recognise that this is part of life, post Afghanistan. We as a parliament must be prepared to support those who have put themselves in harm's way to help us. You do not have to be on the front line to suffer PTSD. As I said before, the Green on Blue attack in Afghanistan was the thing that really brought home to me just how stressful it must be if you are walking target. If you are overseas in an action, whether you are behind the lines or on the lines, if you are wearing a uniform you are target. We have to recognise that we have put a lot of people in harm's way—and there will be a bill for that. We have to be up-front with these people and assist them on their journey back to health.

I have said to anybody who deals with mental health that depression and anxiety are tunnels through which you go, not caves in which you live. That is the key here. If you can diagnose it early, if you can be up-front about it and open about the challenge then you can get through. I know in the case of the sergeant who got his leg shot—I do not want to use names—that his wife carried the can. His wife was fantastic in dealing with us and she never let up and she never forgot. When they finally got their benefits back, as we promised they would—and that came through under the last government, which should be recognised as well—she came and said thank you. That is the key here, that we are in this together.

This is a very serious bill and it is very close to home for me, for my city and for my community. I think it should be very close to home for this entire parliament. We make some tough decisions in here and we have to live with some of those things for a long time. They say Eisenhower stressed more over a three-foot putt than he did over sending troops in on D-Day. I doubt that very much. This is a great bill and it should be supported. I thank the House.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This bill, the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014, will give effect to important initiatives that address mental health challenges for veterans and members of the ADF and their families. Tackling mental health challenges for veterans, members and their families is a key pillar of the government's plan for veterans affairs. At the last election, unlike those opposite, we released a sound, detailed and considered policy for veterans and their families built around four pillars: firstly, recognising the unique nature of military service; secondly, maintaining a stand-alone Department of Veterans' Affairs; thirdly, tackling the mental health challenges of veterans and their families; and, fourthly, supporting veterans through adequate advocacy and welfare services.

As the Minister for Veterans' Affairs has said, the government's decisions and actions will be underpinned by the unique nature of military service. It is a theme that has come through very strongly from those on our side speaking in this debate, and I certainly acknowledge the member for Herbert for his outstanding contribution and his very personal and heartfelt words as he is concerned about the serving men and women in his electorate.

It is for that reason that, in addition to measures to improve mental health being funded in the budget and enabled by this legislation, the government is also: exempting gold and white treatment card holders from the $7 co-payment to see a GP; reimbursing veterans who are eligible for the Veterans' Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme from any additional out-of-pocket expenses arising from the increase to the pharmaceutical co-payment; restoring advocacy and welfare funding that was cut by those opposite, increasing by $4 million over the forward estimates funding for the Building Excellence in Support and Training, BEST, program; and delivering our commitment to index DFRB and DFRDB military superannuation pensions by CPI, PBLCI and MTAWE from 1 July 2014 for superannuants aged 55 and over.

Unlike what is being suggested by those opposite, the government is not cutting pensions nor taking away entitlements in the budget. This legislation is proof positive of the government's commitment to veterans' mental health and to further strengthening our world-leading repatriation system. Each year, DVA spends more than $166 million on dedicated mental health programs for veterans and their families. This is part of the government's $12.3 billion commitment to veterans which includes more than $6 billion on income support and compensation pensions and more than $5 billion on health care.

The mental health needs of veterans and their families are at the forefront of the government's commitment to the veteran community, providing:    greater support through the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service for ex-serving members and their families;    enhanced treatment paths for diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, without having to establish that their condition is related to their service; access to treatment for diagnosed alcohol and substance abuse disorders; and availability of a new physical and mental health assessment for ex-service members, to be delivered through Medicare.

These initiatives build on our commitment to the mental health of our veterans made at the 2013 election and the establishment of the Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans' Mental Health announced earlier this year. I will elaborate further on each of these important measures. Mental health services for veterans and members will be strengthened through greater access to non-liability health care and to the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service, the VVCS. Through these arrangements, the government pays for mental health treatment for eligible veterans and members without the need to establish that their mental health condition is related to their service. This means they will be able to receive treatment for these conditions even though the condition is not service related.

Currently these arrangements include treatment for diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. From 1 July 2014, eligible veterans and members of the Australian Defence Force with diagnosed conditions of alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder will have access to treatment for these conditions through non-liability healthcare arrangements. Also from 1 July this year, non-liability healthcare arrangements will be extended to members with at least three years continuous full-time peacetime service that finishes on or after 7 April 1994.

The second mental health initiative in this bill will expand the client groups eligible for counselling through the VVCS. From 1 July 2014, current and former serving members with certain peacetime service and their families will be eligible for such counselling. This includes border protection service, service in a disaster zone either in Australia or overseas, service as a submariner and personnel involved in training accidents and members medically discharged. Access to counselling services from the VVCS will also be extended to partners and their dependent children, up to the age of 26, of these newly eligible groups and to the partners, dependent children aged up to 26, and parents of members killed in service related incidents. These measures will assist these groups and former serving members to seek treatment and service earlier, which has the potential to prevent or minimise the negative impacts of mental health conditions.

Another significant measure in the bill will enhance the operations of the Veterans' Review Board, or the VRB. The bill introduces a legislative framework for alternative dispute resolution processes including conferencing and mediation, which avoids the need for a costly hearing. Additional improvements relating to case management and the administrative and procedural practices of the board are expected to enable more effective management of the functions of the board. These changes are designed to give the board more modern and efficient processes.

Alternative dispute resolution processes encourage early identification and clarification of issues and the gathering and consideration of necessary evidence aimed at resolving the appeal at the earliest possible stage. Where a matter goes to a hearing, the same informal and non-legalistic approach to hearings will continue, appreciated by many in the veteran community. There is broad support among the ex-service organisations for these reforms.

Amendments in the bill to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act will expand the circumstances under which an eligible young person is taken to be wholly dependent on a member. The expansion will cover an eligible young person for whom the member is liable to pay child support. This will mean that an eligible young person who lives with a member and an eligible young member for whom the member is liable to pay child support will have the same wholly dependent status under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. I would point out that these situations are not exhaustive and other eligible young persons may be determined to be wholly dependent on a member, on a case-by-case basis. This reflects the government's care for children of veterans.

The bill will also act on the advice of the Department of Defence and change the end date for a period of service in an operational area in schedule 2 of the VEA, the Veterans' Entitlements Act. This change will not affect the entitlements of veterans.

Further amendments to the MRCA will enable the Chief Executive of Comcare to be nominated for appointment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. This measure rectifies the inadvertent disqualification in 2012 of the Chief Executive of Comcare from nomination for appointment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. The amendments reinstate the original intention of the MRCA so that the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission may benefit from the expertise of a member with whole-of-government knowledge on workers compensation issues.

Amendments relating to the Commonwealth seniors health card and seniors supplement will reduce the administrative burden on clients who travel overseas for more than six weeks. Currently, one of the eligibility requirements for the Commonwealth seniors health card is that the person must be in Australia or temporarily overseas for less than six weeks. If that person temporarily travels overseas for more than six weeks, the person must reapply for the Commonwealth seniors health card on their return to Australia in order for payment of seniors supplement to recommence. This requires a written claim and proof of the person's income details. The amendment will mean that cardholders will not lose eligibility for the Commonwealth seniors health card if they travel overseas temporarily for more than six weeks.

However, eligibility for seniors supplement will still cease as a new eligibility provision will be introduced for the senior supplement, requiring the person to be in Australia or temporarily overseas for less than six weeks. On return to Australia, the person will simply need to notify the department of their return, with no need to lodge a new claim. This government is committed to reducing red tape and this measure will help older Australians to access benefits from the Australian government.

The measures in the bill will benefit veterans, members of our Defences Force and the families of our military personnel. The bill achieves this by giving effect to additional treatments and services for mental health conditions and support for mental wellbeing. It will also improve the operations of the Veterans' Review Board by legislating a framework for proven alternative dispute resolution processes and provide easier access to the Commonwealth seniors health card for cardholders who travel overseas for more than six weeks. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.