Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday I was celebrating the visit from the shadow minister for defence, Richard Marles, when he visited Remembrance House in Burpengary to talk to a group of returned service men and women. Remembrance House is quite literally a house. It's actually a home, a place for veterans to live and adjust to civilian life. It's a great initiative. We're very fortunate to have one in Burpengary; it's one of two in the country. The other sits in the member for Herbert's electorate up in Townsville. At this meeting with the honourable member, the shadow minister for defence, Richard Marles, we were resoundingly told of how difficult it can be for veterans to find decent, secure work that matches their needs. And, as a strong advocate for the veteran community, I heard this loud and clear, and I have been taking action since.

I hold the position of the chair of Labor's Australian Jobs Taskforce, a caucus committee listening to people around the country involved in the job market: people in work who are looking for more work; people who are actually looking for any work at all; businesses; industry leaders; job service providers; and councils and state governments, of course. It's an initiative of the Labor Party to help shape policy that will move Australia forward. As I said earlier, listening to people is the only real way to formulate strong policy, particularly in this space of employment. So recently I have been holding a number of conversations with those in the space of employment for veterans, as part of this task force, and we've heard some very interesting things. We've been told in these conversations what the barriers are to people finding work and what support our veterans need in finding work, and of course we have been asking them what the solutions are to finding that work and helping them with that support. It's always good to get their views and their recommendations.

In the years that the Abbott and Turnbull governments have been in power, too little has been done for the veterans of Australia—in particular, too little has been done to help them find decent and secure work upon returning to civilian life. I'd have to say that, until Labor gets into power at the next election, I'm more than happy to lend a hand and support any changes that support veterans, no matter how small those steps are.

I'd now like to turn to schedule 4 of this bill. These changes are by no means sweeping reforms—the department has already been able to facilitate these employer initiative payments; this bill just legislates them—although, again, we'll welcome anything that helps our veterans. While strengthening the legislative foundation of payments is of course a good thing, it's not groundbreaking reform. What we really need, though, is this government to take a stronger, more considered and deliberate approach, making sure that meaningful policy enacts positive change for our veterans.

I also support changes in schedule 5 of this bill, which amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, as well as the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 for Defence related claims. This schedule will facilitate information-sharing between the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission and the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, with respect to certain service related compensation claims. The way that the system currently works is that, if someone's discharged for medical reasons, they have to undergo a medical. Then they have to go to the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation to organise payments. When they go there, they have to organise for another medical assessment. And then, if they go to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, they have to go through another. These amendments in schedule 5 of the bill go to making sure that the complicated and lengthy claims process for people seeking assistance from the department is smoothed and is easier for them. Enabling that sharing of information between the departments will assist the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation in making speedier superannuation benefits assessments and, in turn, assist the department in recognising a person's entitlement to incapacity payments. It's one of the issues with the current process. I've heard time after time that it's lengthy and it's complicated; for vulnerable people, it's additional stress that they just do not need. So of course I support schedule 5. As long as proper safeguards to protect veterans' privacy are in place, Labor and I are always supportive to changes to improve this process. So I'm happy and pleased to support this bill. I'm happy to support procedural processes that smooth the way forward and cut red tape for our veterans.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017, I would like to briefly associate myself with and support the comments of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and those of the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for Kingston, earlier this week in relation to the government's response to the recent Senate committee report on the inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel, The constant battle: suicide by veterans.

It's a good thing that the government has accepted all the recommendations of the report, and Labor looks forward to continuing discussions with the government on the implementation of the recommendations. As someone who has a significant defence community—hosting, as Rockingham does, the largest naval base in Australia—veterans' concerns are of particular importance to me, and I welcome this action to address the tragic issue of suicide among the ex-service personnel and veteran community.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the member for Kingston on her elevation to the Labor shadow cabinet. The member for Kingston and her office have been invaluable to me as an incoming member of parliament in the seat of Brand by assisting my office in the many and varied questions and issues that are raised by veterans and ex-service personnel and their families that live in my community. So I'd like to congratulate and thank the member for Kingston.

I'd like to speak in support of the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017 and its amendments, that look to improve the operation of veterans' affairs legislation. The implementation of amendments that will clarify, improve or streamline the operation of the law as it applies to veterans' affairs and processes within the Department of Veterans' Affairs is a good move. My electorate of Brand, as I've said, is home to the Royal Australian Navy's largest base, HMAS Stirling, located just off the coast of Rockingham. Commissioned in 1978, HMAS Stirling now hosts 12 fleet units, including the RAN's Anzac class frigates, with Collins class submarines also stationed here. HMAS Stirling is home to more than 2,300 service personnel. HMAS Stirling and Garden Island, on which the base is, have changed a great deal since I was a young girl growing up just around the corner in Shoalwater Bay.

With many past and present servicewomen and men making the communities across Brand their permanent homes, this bill has the potential to improve the lives of many people in my electorate. This bill was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade for consideration and, given the number of schedules and the potential impact they will have on how veterans engage with the department, this referral was supported by Labor. We on this side supported this referral so that the legislation could be thoroughly examined and so that proposed changes would not leave veterans any worse off once enacted. I'm happy to support those proposed changes that will benefit the former servicewomen and men and their families who live in my electorate, and, of course, those across the country.

I'd like to turn to the amendments and what they'll mean for people affected. This bill deals with a number of different elements within the Veterans' Affairs legislation in its eight schedules. Schedule 1 amendments look to align the provisions of the Veterans' Entitlements Act under which the Veterans' Review Board operates and those similar provisions of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. This work to align these similar provisions will modernise the board's operation by ensuring the board provides a mechanism of review that is accessible, fair, economical, informal and quick; proportionate to the importance and nature of the matter; and promotes trust and confidence in the board's decision-making. The Veterans' Review Board provides independent merits reviews of decisions about pensions and allowances under the Veterans' Entitlements Act. This includes disability pensions, as well as rehabilitation, compensation and other benefits under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

Appearing before the board when dealing with matters relating to pension decisions, compensation issues and rehab issues can be a highly emotional and daunting experience for many veterans. The RSL, in its submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, made the point of stating that many veterans who lodge a claim:

… are often dealing with emotions associated with the loss of their military career, their inability or reduced ability to provide for their family, difficulty in obtaining employment post-service if they are injured or ill and strained relationships with family

Appearing before the board is not an easy or straightforward action for many. This should be recognised as we consider this bill.

Schedule 1 amendments also impose an ongoing obligation on both the claimant and on the Department of Veterans' Affairs during the period until the board has determined the matter, to lodge with the board a copy of any document that is in their possession relevant to the review that has not been lodged previously. The amendments provide the board with the power to vary or revoke a decision made under the alternative dispute resolution process, with the consent of the parties and where the board is satisfied that it is within its powers and otherwise appropriate to do so. It also requires the Repatriation Commission or any person representing the commission in a review to use their best endeavours to assist the board in fulfilling their legislated objectives. These are all positive measures.

However, it was proposed that section 6 of schedule 1 would give the Principal Member of the Veterans' Review Board the ability to dismiss an application for review should they be satisfied that the application, among other things, is misconceived, has no reasonable prospect of success or is otherwise an abuse of process. Stakeholders raised concern about this with the committee, and we on this side had concerns about this provision. The Veterans' Review Board is a less adversarial process than the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Veterans are not represented by lawyers before the board. Appearing before the board gives veterans a chance to have their say. It is their chance to be heard when otherwise they might not be. By taking this chance away from veterans, the government would fundamentally change how veterans engage with the board and how veterans perceive the board. I've been told by a senior advocate who appears before the Veterans' Review Board that most associations who represent veterans at the board would not support this change. People who work in this area, the volunteers who work to assist vets and their families were very concerned that, while a principal member is usually quite reasonable, there was a risk in introducing this change. There was a risk that a person could wrongly interpret documentation, leading to a veteran missing out on their right of review. For these reasons, advocates supported the process that is currently in place, as it is one where further advice can be sought and, in the process, can be used to further review a decision of the board.

The proposed change to section 6 of schedule 1 had the potential to deny veterans the opportunity to be heard. We have heard, again through the committee process, that the principal member would have been presented with the circumstances to use this power to dismiss an application for review only three times in the last seven years. Time and experience have shown that the process of review by veterans to the board is not one being misused by veterans, and legislating against veterans having an opportunity to be heard is not an action that I would support. There seems to be little point in doing so. It seems this section would deliver very little while, at the same time, causing unnecessary upset and anxiety in the ex-service personnel community. The Kwinana, Rockingham and Port Kennedy RSL sub-branches in my electorate of Brand would also prefer this section be removed from this bill. We understand that the government, following the Labor opposition's urging, is now moving an amendment to remove this section. We welcome this change, as no doubt will advocates as well, as it recognises the unique nature of the Veterans' Review Board. I am very pleased to see the removal of this section.

Amendments in schedule 2, however, will work to benefit veterans by simplifying and streamlining processes. The current time it takes to appoint staff to the Specialist Medical Review Council—three months or longer—will be addressed. The long delay can affect the council's ability to do its very important job. The council's an independent body where vets who have issues with the decisions of the Repatriation Medical Authority regarding the content of a statement of principles can go for review. The statement of principles' content is in respect of the particular kind of injury or disease or death suffered by the veteran, and this amendment will assist in more timely decisions being made for veterans—and that is a good thing.

Other streamlining measures will enable the Specialist Medical Review Council to adopt electronic lodgement of requests for reviews. That means a hard copy will no longer be required, and so requests for review will not have to be lodged at a Department of Veterans' Affairs office. This measure is broadly supported. Mind you, in particular parts of my electorate, we do have a lot of difficulty getting internet coverage, and the NBN's a long way away, so some veterans living in communities in Baldivis will still have to go to the Department of Veterans' Affairs office because the infrastructure is not in place for them to be able to use this modern provision of electronic lodgement.

In regard to the electronic lodgement provision, the community has commented it should not be used to the detriment of veterans when submitting claims, appeals or reconsiderations. No doubt, for those who can undertake electronic lodgement, it'll be beneficial for those people in a single-claim situation, but there may be complications if a complex issue is involved. I understand such complications can arise around understanding statements of principles and with the different standards of proof required in different situations. It is important that people who choose to use, or are able to use, this new electronic lodgement method do so knowing they can still seek advice from an advocate should they need it; but, for those who do not require additional support and advice, this amendment in introducing a new, more efficient electronic lodgement of request for review does have the potential to benefit veterans who are, indeed, able to access the internet at all.

Other amendments in this bill will allow for the provision of financial assistance to people attending a Specialist Medical Review Council hearing to make an oral submission. This measure will see individuals, as well as representatives of organisations and any necessary attendants accompanying them, being able to receive financial assistance to attend a hearing to make an oral submission. We've received positive feedback on this measure. I've been told it will ensure a better process as it ensures the hearing is as informed as possible of the reasons for the applicant pursuing the review. I'm told there is a chance that the panel might not have all the relevant information before them when making their decision. I'm also told that hard copies of complex claims are not circulated in their entirety and that documents, once lodged, have, sadly, become lost or misplaced. Making it financially possible for a veteran or their representative to attend a hearing and make such an oral submission will help alleviate the stress when these things happen, and this is a positive step.

Another good step in the bill is a measure that would give the minister the power to make arrangements with foreign governments to cover the provision of benefits and the payment of benefits. With this bill, in schedule 3, the minister can enter into agreements in relation to reciprocal arrangements with Veterans' Affairs matters. This amendment will broaden the countries with which Australia can enter agreements beyond the Commonwealth. Veterans' reps in my electorate are supportive of this measure as it is beneficial to veterans who no longer live in Australia. At the moment, only payments payable under the Veterans' Entitlements Act are covered by existing agreements. This bill will now cover allied veterans and Defence Force members with the type of service equivalent to that covered by the VEA. The means that the agreements will relate to payments and treatment provided by the Repatriation Commission or the MRCC. We are supportive of this measure that will extend agreements so that veterans are covered, regardless of the legislative framework.

We hear from veterans and advocates about the lengthy and complicated claims process that people can face when seeking assistance. Labor supports the changes that will assist people in this process to make their lives easier, bearing in mind the need to ensure adequate safeguards are in place to protect veterans' privacy. One way this bill will do this is by addressing the doubling and sometimes the tripling of the requirement for veterans to undergo medicals when they engage in the system. The situation at the moment is that a veteran who was medically discharged needs to undergo a medical and then, when they go to the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation to organise their payments, they undergo another medical, and this may be followed by a third medical when they go to the Department of Veterans' Affairs for assistance. The amendments in this bill will enable information to be shared between the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This will enable the CSC to access relevant claims information held by the department. Information would include relevant medical and rehab information which would assist the CSC to make quicker superannuation benefit assessments. This will, in turn, assist the department in determining a person's entitlement to incapacity payments. The upside of such sharing would be a more timely outcome for veterans at a vulnerable and stressful time in their lives.

Schedule 7 looks to eliminate the unnecessary delays in administrative issues that are caused when certain veterans' affairs portfolio legislative instruments need to be amended to incorporate changes in non-disallowable instruments. Each individual instrument will no longer need to be lodged in parliament. One such example is when a new rehabilitation appliance becomes available. Availability of the new equipment is delayed, as a legislative instrument that incorporates the document under which the applicant may be provided the equipment needs to be amended to refer to the policy document's changed date. Eliminating such delays would have a real and beneficial impact on veterans' lives and should be supported.

Labor supports the measures in this bill which go to streamlining and improving the law as it improves the processes that affect veterans' lives. With the amendments the government is planning on moving, we on this side of the House offer our support of the legislation. Once again, I congratulate the Minister for Veterans' Affairs on his work and that of his department in this regard, and also the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, the member for Kingston, and her office for all of their work in this portfolio.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017. In doing so, I want to recognise the great work on both sides of the chamber. It is a true demonstration of the commitment that I think this whole House has to veterans in our community. Listening to my colleague and friend the member for Brand, I know her deep connection to the ADF through her family and also through her work as a local MP. I echo the sentiments she finished her comments with today about service and recognising the good work of the minister and the shadow minister.

I want to spend a little time highlighting the fact that the bill before the House is a clear demonstration that when good ideas are put forward and when simplification is delivered, both sides of the parliament can work together. In the last two weeks, I've probably spoken in the House of Representatives and Federation Chamber more than I have done since I was elected. I've spoken about a range of issues, on a range of portfolio allocations and on a number of local issues, but I have particularly taken time to read and understand this bill because I know it demonstrates to the wider Australian community that when both sides of politics work together and when both sides of the House of Representatives can join forces we can make a huge difference. Contrast that with some of the unfortunately divisive debates and divisions we've seen through the week. This bill before the House today gives a clear indication and a clear pathway forward for dealing with complicated issues surrounding veterans in our community.

I want to acknowledge the member for Herbert, who is in the House today, and her powerful speech on this bill yesterday and her strong advocacy as a representative of a large number of serving ADF and personnel in Townsville. Listening to the member for Herbert and talking to her about the advocacy she does when she's in the community in her electorate, I know how important it is that government gets it right.

Listening to the minister's second reading speech and also to the ministerial statement which was delivered to the House back in August, I know there are around 291,000 Australians that the Department of Veterans' Affairs supports. Just over half of these people are veterans or currently serving members of the ADF, around 48 per cent are women, around 82,000 are widows or widowers, and around 2½ thousand are children of veterans. Today, more than 203,000 of DVA's clients are 65 years old or older, while about 23,000 are under the age of 40. They represent every aspect of service, they represent every walk of life and they are across the whole of our nation, in every corner of our cities and towns.

In my electorate of Oxley, I'm very proud to be able to work alongside the RSL and veterans' organisations. I know every single member of the House works hard to advocate the interests of these people and, more importantly, the services that our serving and former serving men and women need in order to participate and to make sure their lives are honoured, and also to assist the transitions that many people go through as they leave the ADF. In the past 12 months, over 1,400 members of the ADF have separated from the forces for reasons not of their choosing. Ten years ago, just over 740 members separated involuntarily. How we help these men and women, how we provide for their transition and how we look at support for people when they are in the broader community is critical to the work that we do as members of parliament and also as community leaders.

We know that the Veterans' Review Board plays an important role in the merits review of decisions by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. As the shadow minister, the member for Kingston, indicated, Labor is supportive of the changes proposed in this bill which clarify, improve and streamline the operation of the law and processes within the department.

One of the first things I did when I was elected to this place was to invite the shadow minister to my electorate to meet with veterans and to meet with the local RSLs in my community. It was very clear from that initial meeting that government has a critical role to play in the ongoing support of veterans. I had been to a number of services over the years. I had met with a number of groups in my former role as a Brisbane city councillor, but it was being elected to this place and understanding and listening to the trauma and the difficulties that former members of the ADF and their families—particularly their families—suffer and go through.

As the son of a World War II veteran who served in the Navy as a signalman, I could always listen to my father talk about his experiences. That was a time when perhaps, following from when he left the Navy, often issues weren't discussed. Often there were times when men and women who served in the armed forces simply said: 'Well, that was wartime. We'll leave that behind. You don't need to talk about that. Get on with your life.'

Luckily, those times have changed. Today's amendments broadly set out a goal and an achievement to make sure that veterans who need support, who perhaps have served and are dealing with complicated issues, have accessibility improved. This bill today is not just about making it fairer; it's about making it more economical and informal and having a quick turnaround for a whole range of services. It promotes public trust and confidence in the decisions that we need to make and that the board needs to make. It's important that the process is as easy as possible for veterans to have a fair hearing on the merits of the decisions made.

There are a number of elements to the bill. It's divided into eight schedules. A number of speakers have gone through those schedules in detail, as did the minister and the shadow minister. I'm going to focus on one or two today. I know the veterans in my community and those who have come to my office seeking assistance have reflected a concern that the current system causes unworkable administrative issues and, sadly, unnecessary delays. We know from listening to the debate and following this closely, as I have, that the shadow minister has conveyed some of these concerns to the government.

After section 155(8), the bill inserts a proposed new subsection (8A), which gives the power to the principal member to dismiss an application for review if it is frivolous or vexatious, has no reasonable prospect of success or is otherwise an abuse of process. As the shadow minister said in her statement, we thank the government for removing this proposed subsection. As the member for Brand indicated, we did share the concerns conveyed by the veterans community and the RSL, who indicated a strong view on behalf of veterans that this proposed subsection should be removed, so we welcome this change. It reflects the unique nature of the Veterans' Review Board.

One of the other great opportunities I've had, apart from meeting and working closely with veterans in my community, was to be able to go onto the ground and visit our troops and our serving personnel when I visited the Middle East through the ADF Parliamentary Program. I was able and privileged to spend time with members of the Defence Force serving in the Middle East. We were able to visit the bases in the Middle East, to visit Afghanistan and to spend time in Kabul. This enabled me as a representative to see very clearly, firsthand, what our men and women go through on a daily basis. You can read about it, you can turn on the television, or you can log on and sometimes view what's happening, but, when you are able to visit a country at war and you see the dangers, the sacrifices and the sheer hard work that our men and women go through every single day, it puts a brand-new perspective on things. That experience left me with a greater respect for the Defence Force and the incredible sacrifices they make.

Currently, there are around 1,700 ADF personnel deployed to the Middle East region. Our Defence Force personnel remain active in advising, assisting and training Iraqi security forces and training and advising the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in Afghanistan. I was privileged to be able to go and meet them and have a greater and deeper understanding of just what the ADF are doing to assist the men and women serving in the military there to lead, hopefully, to peace and recognition in that region. Our troops are not only doing an incredible job representing our country but, as I said, are working side by side with the local forces to train and equip the Afghan army. Above all, it was amazing. I was honoured to see the professionalism and commitment of our serving personnel on display 24/7.

I know that our troops are the best in the world and incredibly dedicated to serving our country. But I also know that in my own local community there are many ADF families that are separated from their loved ones. I cannot imagine the trauma, difficulties and fears those family members go through from day to day not knowing due to operational issues where their family members are and whether they are safe. The reputation of the ADF and their families and peacekeepers extends beyond our borders and to accompanying nations who also have personnel serving in the region.

From my own experience on the ground, from working with our veterans groups, I understand how critical and important it is to streamline medical and treatment processes for veterans. As I said in my earlier remarks, I have hosted round tables with the shadow minister. This week we saw the elevation to the shadow cabinet of the member for Kingston as our spokesperson for veterans' affairs. That's a very clear and powerful demonstration of strong leadership by an alternative government and by Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition. We are sending a clear message, when it comes to veterans, that there is strong bipartisan support. The minister and the shadow minister worked closely in cooperation. I was incredibly pleased to see Labor taking a positive step to include the issues of veterans in the shadow cabinet. That sends a message to the wider community that we not only take their issues seriously but, if we are privileged to serve the nation as a future Shorten Labor government, we will have a veterans' affairs minister sitting at the table making the major decisions—as it should be.

I acknowledge all the work of members of parliament in this place. We are very privileged to have on my side of the chamber the member for Solomon, Luke Gosling OAM, and the member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly OAM, who have demonstrated their commitment to public service in this place and also in the Australian Defence Force. I know from talking to the members for Solomon and Eden-Monaro the difficulties veterans go through when they leave the force, the difficulties for their families. We heard this week the ministerial statement on suicide within the ADF, and I was so pleased to see both sides of politics joining forces to acknowledge the rates of suicide are too high and, more importantly, that there is a plan going forward and more work to be done.

I thank the minister and the shadow minister for their efforts in working constructively together on this piece of legislation. I look forward to voting for this to see improvements for our ADF personnel. But the job is not finished. As a member of parliament, I will continue to advocate and represent to make sure the interests of our serving ADF men and women are looked after now and in the future.

Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a very important bill and, as the member for Oxley has just told the House, it is a great example of bipartisanship and collaboration between the minister and the shadow minister. I pay tribute to the shadow minister. She's been an excellent shadow minister for veterans' affairs and her diligence has seen the elevation of the Veterans' Affairs portfolio to the shadow cabinet, which I think emphasises the significance of the portfolio from the perspective of the opposition.

Labor is supportive of changes in this bill which will clarify, improve or streamline the operation of the law and processes within the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This bill is an omnibus bill. It contains eight schedules which deal with a variety of elements in the legislation. It's fair to say that through the interventions of the shadow minister, amendments will be proposed that will significantly improve the operation of this bill in the interests of veterans and ex-service personnel.

I do want to talk a little about the importance of veterans and veterans' support, including in my own community. I also want to touch on, as the member for Oxley did, the recent ministerial statement in respect of suicide amongst veterans and ex-service personnel, to emphasise the importance of continuing to respond to suicide within that community and to provide support. I'm really fortunate as a member of parliament to have had, for the entire time I have been a member, constant and regular engagement with ADSO to talk about veterans' issues. The local representatives of ADSO were one of the first groups to contact me after I was elected at a by-election in February 2014, seeking to set up regularly scheduled meetings, which we did set up. I want to thank them for the work they have done and continue to do around the country, not just in my electorate, actually helping members of parliament to understand the issues that are unique to and that face the community of veterans and ex-service personnel. I particularly wanted to thank, from ADSO, Ted Chitham and Ross Clelland. They have been quite tenacious and unrelenting in seeking to raise with me several issues that are relevant to the lives of veterans and ex-service personnel. I know they will have seen and noted the work that's been done in respect of suicide in the community, for example.

I also wanted to thank the late Peter Snowdon, who was one of the first of the ADSO representatives to visit me. It was very sad to lose Peter from our community, and the veterans' community lost a very good advocate when Peter passed. I want to acknowledge his work as an advocate for veterans' interests and as somebody who would come to my office and talk to me about these really difficult issues. Occasionally, he would send an email directly to me raising any number of issues. We often disagreed, but he was always so positive about it, so willing to engage in a spirited debate and discussion, and such a great supporter of ADSO's continued engagements with members of parliament. I do miss him and I'm very sorry for the community's loss of Peter.

I'm also fortunate to have in the electorate of Griffith the Greenslopes Private Hospital, which is a veterans' hospital and has been a veterans' hospital since it was established. Greenslopes Private Hospital staff are well known in the community for the work they do with veterans. Their very beautifully put together Anzac Day service, which is a service at dawn that is so well attended by the local community, gets hundreds and hundreds of people. They have an amazing Catafalque party from the local Anglican church grammar school, a beautiful choir from Somerville House that perform every year exceptionally well, and very, very senior representations from the local community and the veterans' community. It's not just the work they do in commemoration and acknowledgment; it's the work they also do in the real issues facing veterans today, and I'm speaking particularly about the work that that foundation does to support post-traumatic stress disorder research.

The Greenslopes Private Hospital also auspices the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, which is doing a lot of work in relation to PTSD, including a study in relation to Vietnam veterans which I have referred to in this chamber before. The study found that one in three Australian veterans from the Vietnam War developed PTSD, and that participants with PTSD had four times the chance of having had a heart attack in the past; two times the risk of stomach ulcers; more than triple the risk of acting out their dreams while asleep; almost twice the tendency for restless legs; and increased daytime fatigue and sleepiness, as well as two times the risk of suffering sleep apnoea; double the chance of reflux; a greater tendency to report constipation, diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome; and lower levels of good cholesterol, which contributes to an increased risk of heart disease. The ramifications of developing PTSD are physical and psychological, and it is very important that organisations like the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation continue their work of providing an evidence base about what can be done for veterans who have developed PTSD as a consequence of their service.

I also want to mention the work that is being done by the many RSL sub-branches—and you couldn't talk about the work that's being done for veterans without doing so—in my electorate of Griffith. Being an inner suburbs seat in Brisbane, we're fortunate that we have a range of organisations that provide support for veterans, and we have a range of RSL sub-branches. I couldn't possibly do all of them justice in the short time left to me, but I did want to mention a couple of the RSL sub-branches that I've visited recently.

The first is the Holland Park sub-branch. Every sub-branch is special, but this one is special in a particular way. It's a very naval sub-branch of the RSL. It's led by Sonja and Alan Hellier, who are well known in RSL circles in Queensland. They are both excellent people. Someone said to me the other day, 'What Sonja Hellier doesn't know about welfare for veterans could fit on a postage stamp,' and I think that's pretty accurate. She is a wealth of knowledge for the local community in relation to veterans and welfare. The two of them, together with the committee for that RSL, do so much great work to bring the community together and bring the RSL membership together, and I really want to acknowledge them. I went to the sub-branch's lunch recently. We heard from a really interesting speaker who'd came to military service quite late in his life—not that late, but not as a young person. That's the sort of thing they do. They bring people together; they bring diverse viewpoints together. And, of course, I also always see them every year at the commemoration of the Voyager disaster at St Mary's at Kangaroo Point, which is a very moving service. So I want to acknowledge them both for the work that they do in our community.

Another sub-branch that I've visited recently is the Norman Park RSL sub-branch. Again, it's very special. It's a sub-branch focused on nashos. They have a really great, active sub-branch with, again, excellent commemorations on Anzac Day and, of course, Remembrance Day, which is forthcoming. The nashos came up with a really lovely idea, which was to seek to obtain from the Australian War Memorial a sapling of a Lone Pine and have that planted right behind the memorial at Norman Park. It's a beautiful memorial, so I was very pleased to donate the sapling from the Australian War Memorial. Recently, I met with the leadership of the sub-branch, Brian and Margaret Besgrove, and also with Ken Cork, who'd been the motivating instigator of the Lone Pine project, for a small ceremony in relation to the planting of that Lone Pine.

I do encourage other RSL sub-branches to have a look at what the Australian War Memorial can do in terms of providing Lone Pine saplings. Obviously, for my own electorate, I'd be very, very pleased to assist those who don't have them to obtain Lone Pine trees. It is a really beautiful acknowledgment, particularly as we are commemorating the Centenary of Anzac over these few years in the current period. The nashos sub-branch at Norman Park is a really beautiful sub-branch. So much work is being done there for the welfare of veterans and ex-service personnel. I went to one of their recent lunches as well where we had a really great turnout and a great opportunity to talk about some of the issues of concern to veterans, and a few other issues as well, of course.

In acknowledging the importance of responding to the needs of veterans and ex-service personnel, I did want to mention those organisations. As I say, they are certainly not the only RSL sub-branches in my electorate. There are many of them, and each one of them is unique. Each of them has a specific interest or focus. I went to the Greek RSL sub-branch a little while ago now for a commemoration in Brisbane city. It was a beautiful commemoration for the Greek community as well. I'd better stop because I can't possibly list every single RSL sub-branch in the electorate in this one speech, but I do acknowledge them all for the work that they do.

Like the member for Oxley, I have had family members who have had active service in World War I and World War II, and I do think it is important, whenever we talk about veterans' affairs in this place, to stop and acknowledge what that really means: what active service has meant, what involvement in peacekeeping operations has meant and what it has meant to be a member of the Defence Force, for all ex-service personnel—people who volunteered to make great sacrifices for the country. We owe them a great debt of gratitude, and that willingness, the voluntary nature of it and the sacrifices made, whether in active service or not, ought to be acknowledged at every opportunity when veterans' affairs matters are being considered in this parliament, and I do so now.

I also wanted to touch on, as I said, the bipartisanship around suicide prevention for veterans and ex-service personnel. The minister did make a statement and there was bipartisan support for that. There's a recent Australian government response to a Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee report in relation to suicide by veterans. It's very pleasing to see that the government has accepted the recommendations of that report and has signalled an intention to undertake a range of measures with a view to preventing suicide amongst veterans and ex-service personnel. All of us in this House of Representatives will have heard from local veterans of the loss of friends that they have suffered as a consequence of suicide. All of us will have attended events, like the event that was held here at parliament in recent months, to commemorate suicide amongst veterans.

So it is incredibly important of course that the minister—having published a response to the committee's report, accepting the recommendations that have been made—now vigorously seek to implement all of those recommendations which he has accepted. We know that, in order to get things done in this place, you need vigorous application to the cause. You need constant follow-up. I'm quite confident that the minister and the shadow minister will continue to pursue, with vigour, measures that will improve our response to suicide amongst veterans and ex-service personnel and that that will improve suicide prevention amongst that community as well. It's a very important bipartisan approach that needs to be taken in relation to those issues.

I did want to say just a couple of things about the bill. As I said at the outset, it is an omnibus bill. There have been a couple of particular amendments to the bill that have been inspired by the concerns raised by the Labor opposition, including in respect of the Veterans' Review Board's ability to dismiss an application for review, which caused some concern in the ex-service community. I'm very pleased that the shadow minister was able to lead negotiations for amendments that will deal with some of the concerns that have been raised. I'm also very pleased that this is such a wide-ranging bill that will have such bipartisan support in moves to improve the lives of the veterans and ex-service community. Accordingly, Labor is supportive of the changes which streamline or improve the operation of the law, as far as it does improve processes for veterans, and, in light of the amendments that the government is planning to make, we'll support the bill. (Time expired)

Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017 in the context of the bipartisanship that has been demonstrated on this issue. I think the most enjoyable experience that I've had in this parliament has been working on security matters on the intelligence and security committee and on issues to do with veterans with members of the coalition. In particular, I think the Minister for Veterans' Affairs has really had his heart in his portfolio. I still would continue to advocate for, though, and support the suggestions by Neil James and the Australia Defence Association that the minister has got too much on his plate, that there should be more people in the portfolio and that the minister should be able to concentrate on the personnel and veterans' issues, and obviously the cybersecurity issues that are also in his space really need greater focus and concentration by support from another person in the portfolio.

The minister's doing a very fine job, despite those limitations. In particular, I really welcome his support for the bipartisan work of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee in relation to veteran suicide. That was one of the issues, apart from family experience with that subject, that led me to work with the member for Berowra in establishing a parliamentary friendship group on the prevention of suicide. I'd like to thank the Minister for Health, who is at the table, for his support, and the shadow minister. They have been avid participants and have kept extremely open minds about the types of issues that have been raised in that forum, which have direct relevance to suicide issues for veterans, as well.

We'll be together again in Beersheba in a few days time, celebrating the victory at Beersheba and commemorating the service and sacrifice of our men in the field in that battle 100 years ago on 31 October. It is particularly poignant for me, as there were members of my own family in the light horse. They, both of my grandfathers, were back again in the Second World War. They were looked after by the Jewish community in the area while they were fighting in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Lebanon. They went on to suffer great traumas, one as a prisoner of the Japanese on the Burma-Thai railway and the other with severe injuries he suffered in New Guinea. I learn a lot from the family experiences that I've been exposed to as to some of the worst aspects of the traumas that veterans have had to go through.

Every generation of our family has served in the army, going back to the Crimean War, the Indian mutiny, the Afghan War, the first and second world wars, my own service and my father's service—even uncles and aunts. So it is something that I have a lot of understanding of, from the personal experience that's been passed on to me. Since I've entered parliament that has been greatly expanded by the fact that I represent nearly 3,000 veterans in Eden-Monaro, who have an average age of about 66 now. Some of the stories from them have been quite tragic. One of them involved a veteran who had been a prisoner of the Japanese. His wife endured tremendous hardship for 40 years after he returned home after the Second World War, with his terrible nightmares and his resorting to self-medication with alcohol. She endured great hardships. He'd wake up in the middle of the night, strangling her, thinking she was a Japanese soldier. It came to a point where she just couldn't take that any more. Her life was at risk. She was advised that she needed to move out of the household, which she did. Her husband passed away but she wasn't entitled to war widows support, which she desperately needed. We tried to get her some ex gratia payments to support her. Unfortunately, she went into hospital for a hip replacement operation and contracted septicaemia and died in hospital. We were never able to achieve that for her, but her case highlights another aspect we need to look at in these processes.

The veterans in my community have raised so many issues with me about the whole issue around process: the point-of-entry experience and trying to get around the complexity of making a claim, with the adversarial aspects of it. We need to have a benefit-of-the-doubt approach to these things. They have raised all these issues with me, but as I was sitting here a couple of minutes ago, waiting to speak in this debate, I received an email from a veteran which really sums it up. I'll just read that letter to me. It's from Tony Cullinan, who says:

Dear Mike,

I am a member of your constituency living in Bega.

I have a lot of service injuries and they are getting progressively worse. I am in varying degrees of pain a lot of the time.

I own a small business and get by, but it’s pretty tight.

I have a lot of depression and anxiety around my injuries.

I’ve been sitting here for the last hour waiting to be linked into a directions hearing with the VRB—

the Veterans' Review Board—

which was supposed to take place at 10. I called at ¼ passed 10 and a lady was surprised and said she would get back to me. I’ve heard nothing and I am sitting hear waiting.

There are no advocacy services in Bega and I have been hooked into Woden – but it’s a long way and they don’t really know what’s going on for me. I really feel overwhelmed by all of this.

Respectfully,

Tony Cullinan

That pretty much sums up the experience of the veterans who have approached me. I am obviously very pleased to see an attempt to address these issues, with this legislation in particular.

On the concern that we raised about the principal member process, I'm really delighted the government's picked that up. It really continued to embed in this process the adversarial issue and denied members the ability to have their day in court and be heard, genuinely and openly, so I'm delighted that section has been removed.

Also, I'm really delighted with the aspects that we've been dealing with recently and are promoting in terms of employer incentive scheme payments. That transition process is such a difficult one for all ex-members. You come from a completely different cultural environment—a completely different family-like environment within Defence—and you move into the general community and perhaps bring with you some mental baggage which you know nobody around you understands. And you speak a completely different language, in many cases. I've experienced a lot of this myself. We needed to address more aggressively the issue of that transition, so I'm pleased to see that's happening and that the government's implementing some measures.

In my own region, I'd like to highlight two things that I'm really pleased with. One is Remount, a Yass based organisation that works with veterans. They have broken important ground. They take Remount members and employees and they do great work in dealing with ex-military members who are suffering from stress related injuries through their service, such as PTSD, by getting them to work with horses and having that experience. We know that a lot of association with animals and pets has been a great way to help our veterans deal with their issues, so I really want to salute Remount. They are sponsored by Lockheed Martin. I'm very pleased that we're seeing some of the defence industry companies helping us and getting involved now with these issues, knowing that they really do owe their own input into these processes of dealing with our veterans. Well done, Remount at Yass and Lockheed Martin.

I was at the Snowy Hydro the other day and talked to Gabrielle Curtin. She raised with me a program that they have where they have transitioning services for men and women and get them into employment. It's great to see them taking that active role. It is another great example of what the Snowy Hydro has done for our country. There are so many ways. They're taking that responsibility.

It's part of the general culture in our region to support our service veterans. It has the highest voluntary participation rate in the country. You will see a lot of effort in the community to try to assist veterans and honour them. Just the other day, we had the opening of a lovely rock memorial in Bega to the Lucas family. It was an experience that has not been replicated anywhere in the world, as far as we know: there were 10 boys in the Lucas family and nine of them joined up and went to World War II. It was a tremendous sacrifice by that family. Some did not come home from their service. The unique history in our region is something that we celebrate and honour.

Another example is the Union Jack memorial that you pass on the way to Tumbarumba. It's not a memorial to the flag, the Union Jack. There used to be a town called Union Jack and, during the First World War, every male of military service age was killed in the First World War. Their names are listed on that memorial. The town was effectively destroyed by a war 12,000 kilometres away because the surviving family members had to move away. It's very special for our region and I appreciate the measures that are being taken to render more federal government support.

There are a couple of issues. I say this in the spirit of highlighting problems we still need to address and where I think we're going down the wrong track. There were previous proposals to eliminate the Department of Veterans' Affairs and move it into Human Services. It was raised in an ACCI paper that my predecessor published when he was head of ACCI. Some work was being done on that when the coalition came to government. We're seeing it actually playing out in relation to Veterans' Access Networks. The Veterans' Access Network here in the ACT was shut down. It served a lot of veterans from across the border. The services have been shifted into the nearby Centrelink office on Bowes Street.

We're of course well aware of the problems we've had with Centrelink: the attempts to automate services, the delays and problems. We just had a story appear—I think it was yesterday—about the delays that have left recipients unable to pay for rent or food and about complaints having jumped to more than 50,000 in the past financial year alone. It seems that this is an attempt to remove the 'human' from Human Services, and it's causing so much stress and anxiety.

My electorate offices have been absolutely inundated with these issues emerging from Centrelink. We've basically become an adjunct to that office. We've had people in great stages of stress and anxiety who in fact have been suicidal, and my office workers have been doing such a wonderful job relieving that stress and anxiety by basically getting in and doing what Centrelink should have been doing for them and working with points of contact.

It gives me great concern when we're attempting to shut down our vans, shut down the human contact that veterans, in particular in rural and regional areas, really need. You really need a human to go to and talk to and lean on. The isolation that's already there in rural and regional areas can greatly exacerbate the problems these veterans suffer from. To shut down these vans is really the wrong way to go, and I ask the minister to get that one on his agenda too. It's just not right to try and push this into Human Services and Centrelink. These veterans really resent that as well. They do feel that the special nature of their service and their issues warrants them being dealt with in a unique way, and it's an insult to their service and to them to push them into this. But, as I said, it comes back to that broader issue that we're experiencing at the moment with Centrelink in general.

I think that issue needs to be addressed for the general community as well. They're losing jobs in those Centrelink offices in our region too, and it's part of the grievance that's going on out there in rural and regional Australia—particularly rural and regional New South Wales—at the moment. I was handing out at the Gundagai booth at Gundagai High School a couple of weeks ago for the by-election there. There was a 43 per cent swing against the government in that booth. It's just been a perfect storm of issues that they're concerned about: removal of services from their communities, loss of jobs associated with that and forced mergers. They feel that they're under siege from governments at state and federal levels and they're turning to other parties, which is a trend that is not to be encouraged when you think of who some of those other parties might be. So it's incumbent on all of us, the government and the opposition, to listen to what's going on out there in rural and regional areas and to understand that it's pointless complaining about phenomena like shooters parties, One Nation or whatever without understanding there is a set of grievances that underpin that which have to be addressed.

Those grievances are at the moment greatly affecting my veterans, who we're representing in this debate today. On their behalf and for their interests I would urge the government to back away from what's going on with Centrelink: certain attempts to cut pensions and support in energy supplements and the like, which affect the veterans as well, and attempts to cut back on educational support for war orphans and war widows in some previous budgets. I'm glad to see we've moved away from that, but there's more work to be done, and the government will have our full support in broaching those issues.

I'm looking forward to maybe having further discussions on this with the minister when we're in Beersheba in the coming days. I urge Australians to look back at that service, at that history and at that battle, because it's not well known amongst a lot of Australians. I really take this opportunity to commemorate that service. (Time expired)

Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's always important to rise and stand in support of our veterans and always good to follow the member for Eden-Monaro, who is a proud veteran himself. The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017, which seeks to clarify, improve and streamline the operation of law for veterans and their entitlements, is incredibly important. Labor, obviously, supports any measures undertaken to support veterans and ensure they are no worse off with the changes to the legislation.

We all know that to be a member of the Australian Defence Force is to dedicate your life and your service to the care and defence of our country—it is incredibly important work that they do. Like everyone in this place, I'm incredibly grateful and thankful for their work. I did see this firsthand on my recent deployment to the Middle East. Our defence personnel have a rich and defining place in shaping our identity and our culture. Mateship, a fair go, courage and sacrifice are all of the hallmarks of these very, very special people. Those that have served deserve our uttermost respect and admiration, but, most importantly, they deserve our support upon their return. As they return to civilian life, we owe them and their families the best possible services and care. Young women and young men returning from conflict require the stability, security, support and opportunity to get back on their feet.

From the First World War, when 300,000 Australians departed our shores—the war where the Anzac legacy would be born on the shores of Gallipoli and where Australia's involvement in battles such as Fromelles and Pozieres and the Battle of the Somme would see the Australian spirit, our courage and our mateship shine through—nearly 17,000 of our serving personnel, sadly, did not return home. But our debt of gratitude to returning veterans was forged through these battles as they fought to keep Australia safe and for our way of life. To this day, the veterans who return have seen their mates make the ultimate sacrifice. They have stood on the front line to defend our nation. We absolutely owe it to our veterans to provide them with the best support and care, and the wellbeing of veterans and their families is absolutely paramount. Their issues must be dealt with compassionately and correctly the first time around and not be put through administrative processes, which is currently the case. There are currently just under 60,000 Australians serving in our defence forces and an estimated 329,000 living veterans. The Department of Veterans' Affairs supports approximately 291,000 people, with 203,000 being over the age of 65 and 23,000 under the age of 40, and we will certainly see that number of young veterans increase with our ongoing involvement in the Middle East region.

In my electorate, there are just under 1,000 veterans, as recorded at 17 June this year, receiving assistance through the department, and this includes any current or former serving members eligible for compensation, income support or health treatment under the main veterans' entitlement legislation. This figure excludes ex-service personnel who are ineligible for or who have not sought assistance from the department. Five hundred and seven of these veterans are receiving a disability pension and, in addition, there are 311 war widow pensioners. So the electorate of Lindsay does have a significant need to support our veterans, and I'm pleased that, by and large, my community does support our veterans.

From the representations that I receive and the discussions I have had in my community and on my visit to Afghanistan last year, those serving and veterans need support to transition back home. Some veterans find it very difficult to blend in with our communities and are often affected by physical health issues, deterioration of mental health, lack of financial support and difficulties finding meaningful employment when they return. The Department of Veterans' Affairs is aware that on any given night across Australia over 3,000 veterans are homeless, affected by their selfless service to our nation. Our veterans have been through enough. They have done everything for their country that we have asked of them and more. To give them the run-around and the third degree to have their matters processed is simply unacceptable.

The legislation seeks to modernise and improve the operations of the Veterans' Review Board, which can only be a good thing for veterans. The legislation seeks to provide a mechanism of review that is accessible, fair, just, economical, informal and quick. It is proportionate to the importance and complexity of the matter and promotes public trust and confidence in the decision-making of the board. The removal of bureaucratic barriers and red tape benefits veterans to ensure their claims are heard in a timely and low-cost manner. No veteran deserves an unfair hearing, and we need to maintain an effective mechanism for review.

But veterans are right to be concerned about privacy, given this government's less than stellar track record and blunders when dealing with IT and data security. I've seen firsthand the difficult and stressful work of defence personnel, and that's why I believe their transition to civilian life should be much, much more secure. They are well trained; they are highly skilled and well organised. They are great assets to all types of businesses and the community at large, but they struggle to find employment and to readjust to life at home, far away, thankfully, from distant war zones and constantly being on edge to protect our nation. This is why it's important to help and act when it's required. Many of these veterans with positive attributes on the table have to readjust. They have to deal with their memories and actions of serving the nation. We need to assure them that we will provide a strong and positive safety net.

I had the opportunity, as I said earlier, to spend time with troops, visiting four bases during my tour of Afghanistan as part of the ADF Parliamentary Program in July. This commendable initiative provides an opportunity to engage very, very closely with members of the ADF and experience the challenges and rewards of service life. The program also offers a chance to see firsthand the diverse capabilities of our Defence Force in action.

When I was there, above all, our troops wanted to know that their contribution is, firstly, supported and, more importantly, highly valued. Having performed in and participated in some of the drills that we put our men and women through and having performed some of the work they do, in a very, very minor capacity, I've got to say it is incredibly nerve-racking. It is intense. It drives up even some of the most dormant feelings of anxiety. A war zone is not a pleasant place to be. Being one of the most protected persons in that war zone, as I was, was comforting, but I'm not the one out there risking my life.

It is incredibly important that we support them. It is our duty to absolutely recognise them. Our serving men and women had a couple of thoughts for me to bring back, and on my return I was pleased to present those to the Minister for Defence.

I am committed to ensuring that our service men and women are supported not only during their service but back into civilian life. Last week I also had the privilege of attending a dinner at the Royal Military College Duntroon as part of our program, where I got to engage some more with Aaron Bell, who was in my office as part of the exchange program. Certainly, I got to benefit from having his knowledge and experience with the Defence Force. With the memories of my trip to Afghanistan in mind, it has been a great opportunity to share experiences and insights into a very different world to what we imagine. During my visit to the Middle East, the troops told me of their longing for and personal attachment to their home back here and the difficulties in maintaining relationships back in this country. You can't talk to your family about what you've seen and what you've done over there, because there are insecure phone networks. The time zones are different, so you often are working at a time when your family might not be at home for you to speak to them. They might be at school when it is time for you have the opportunity to call them. There is a big gap for our serving men and women who are in the Middle East right now.

Their selfless sacrifice ensures our personal safety here in this country. Our veterans talk about the amount of money that is put into training them to build weapons, to shoot and to care for their soldiers and their personnel while they're in the battlefield. Everywhere I went, across all four bases, there was a huge and heightened sense of anxiety. The topic of discussion about veterans' affairs upon their return to Australia was absolutely the No. 1 issue. So, while they're out there serving and doing their bit for the country, making sure that we are safe and protected and that our way of life continues, our men and women in the Middle East are worried about what's going to happen on their return. I just think that is incredibly unfair. It's certainly not a concern that we should be taking lightly. I think that they've been through enough. The trauma they have experienced can lead to them having issues on return, including suicide, mental health issues and post-traumatic stress once they have returned home.

I have family members who were on the HMAS Voyager when it was struck. The things that I witnessed as a small child and a teenager that my uncle went through were quite horrendous, including him not being able to be in a room of an evening with no lights on and not being able to sleep in a dead silent, quiet space. Some noise always had to be going on because of the trauma associated with that accident that he was involved in. Potentially, the way in which that was handled upon their rescue and the way in which their contribution was seen were certainly not helpful to his recovery.

Between 2001 and 2015, 325 veterans took their own lives. It is an absolute national tragedy when anybody suicides, but in particular, when men and women through their service for this country see no other option than to take their own lives, that is an absolute national tragedy. When men and women who have served our nation, upon their return, suffer such deep mental and emotional pain that they take their own lives, we absolutely need to be doing more. We need to find ways to support them and to try to stop this from happening.

The representations from veterans that I receive in my office are about dealing with the department and accessing services and support back home. I know and support our local organisations and services in Lindsay that provide critical support and assistance to current Defence personnel, veterans and their families. I thank them for the service that they provide in our community.

I want to place on record my thanks to Legacy, which cares for around 80,000 veterans whose dependants range in age from less than 12 months to 109 years. Groups such as Legacy provide valued support to families during really difficult times. The Penrith RSL sub-Branch has 715 members. Penrith owes a great deal of gratitude to the Penrith RSL sub-Branch and its president, Mick McConnell. The sub-branch's good work includes: welfare for veterans; a drop-in centre opening in November—I'm looking forward to being part of that; a welfare officer helping veterans with their claims; and supporting over 400 war widows. The Penrith RSL sub-Branch finds more and more younger vets are seeking help who have higher rates of mental health issues. The older vets were, in many cases, treated poorly when they returned from Vietnam and other areas of conflict, so they are determined as a cohort not to let this happen to our younger returning vets.

The Penrith sub-branch is involved with the RAAF at Richmond and Glenbrook bases, and with the Orchard Hills Army and Navy cadets. The women's auxiliary, which is supported by the Penrith RSL sub-Branch, with Colleen Towle as the president, was formed in 1916 and continues now. Their job originally in World War I was to send comfort parcels to Penrith soldiers serving on the Western Front. The parcels consisted of items that we would look to send now but were probably different then—woollen socks, soap, cakes and other items that would be missed by our soldiers who were serving overseas at the time. We might have slight changes to the care packs, but they're still being sent. For many decades, the sub-branch has provided significant pension, welfare and hospital visits for members and members of other sub-branches. Now they hold annual Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day raffles and other fundraising activities like their biannual gala auction, attending Anzac services, selling Anzac badges, attending the conference for the Central Council of RSL Women's Auxiliaries and also attending other auxiliary functions.

We also have the Penrith and Lower Blue Mountains War Widows' Guild providing a range of services to war widows, and it operates with significant volunteer input from its thousands of members. We have the Homes for Heroes program, which has built around nine rooms at Governor Phillip Manor for our homeless vets. The program offers a comprehensive rehabilitation service. For the support residents receive, they're required to give back to the program by doing voluntary work, mentoring other people and engaging in training and rehabilitation. Homes for Heroes does a wonderful job helping homeless young veterans to get back into mainstream life.

Other organisations supporting veterans in my electorate include: St Mary's RSL sub-Branch—Ron Blakely is the president and Tony Fryer is secretary; the Royal Marines Association division of Western Sydney; the Red Cross; Vietnam vets at St Mary's, which is also affectionately known as the Train; Nepean Legacy and Legacy Widows' Club Nepean; the Australian Light Horse Association; the wives of Vietnam vets with Maureen Clements; and the Nashos, of which John Taylor is the secretary and acting vice-president. I was incredibly honoured to take up my first role as patron with the Nashos.

I look forward to meeting more and more Defence Force personnel and to having the pleasure of welcoming Amanda Rishworth, the shadow minister, in November. I'm incredibly grateful to the Defence Force personnel I met on my trip to Afghanistan. We're still in regular contact—we're now friends officially on Facebook—and they often communicate with me when they're doing their jobs and going about their business. I'm very grateful for the information and advocacy that they provide to me on the issues that need to be changed.

I stand with all the veterans and service men and women of this country, and I will ensure that I will always work to achieve the best possible outcomes for them and their families.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the people who spoke on this bill with the best interests of veterans at heart and who spoke in a very bipartisan manner because, as all of us know in this place, veterans deserve all of our attention and for us to work in this place in a very cooperative way. I thank the shadow minister again for the way that she engages with me to make sure that we can deal with these issues in a bipartisan way.

I am pleased to present the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017. The bill comprises nine schedules that would implement several small but necessary amendments to veterans legislation to clarify, improve or streamline the operation of the law. Schedule 1 of the omnibus bill amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to modernise and align the Veterans' Review Board's operations with those of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal following the amendments made by the Tribunals Amalgamation Act 2015. The amendments also support the alternative dispute resolution processes and the recent amendments to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 which provide for a single appeal path for reconsidering decisions.

Schedule 2 would amend the provisions of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 concerning the Specialist Medical Review Council to improve the operation of the SMRC, streamline some of the SMRC's administrative arrangements and better reflect the manner in which its functions and processes have evolved over time. The proposed amendments would simplify the nomination and appointment process for councils, enable online lodgements of claims, streamline the notice of investigation requirements and give the SMRC an ability to pay the travel costs of applicants who appear before an oral hearing of the SMRC.

The proposed amendments in schedule 3 of the omnibus bill would enable international agreements to be made that would cover allied veterans and defence force members with service of the type for which benefits and payments, including rehabilitation, can be provided by the Repatriation Commission or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission under the relevant acts. Currently, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs can only enter into an arrangement with the governments of countries that are or have been dominions of the Crown. This will enable the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to enter into agreements with a broader range of countries.

The proposed amendments in schedule 4 are intended to clarify that vocational rehabilitation assistance under an employer incentive scheme in the form of wage incentive payments is within the scope of the enabling provisions of the relevant legislation.

The proposed amendments in schedule 5 would amend subsection 409(2) of the Military Compensation Act 2004 and subsection 151A(1) of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 to add the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation as a person to whom the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission may provide information for purposes allowed under the CSC's legislation. Those amendments would implement a recommendation by the 2011 Review of Military Compensation Arrangements intended to improve the information-sharing framework for incapacity and superannuation benefits between DVA and CSC and, therefore, reduce the time taken by DVA and CSC to process claims, which would better support injured former ADF members. In addition, enabling the CSC to use medical reports held by the MRCC to determine superannuation claims would also avoid the need to send ADF members for further medical assessment where DVA already holds relevant medical evidence that could be used by the CSC to determine superannuation benefits. ADF members would be spared from any retraumatisation from having to tell their stories. This is particularly significant for ADF members who suffer psychological conditions, including those that have arisen as a result of physical or psychological abuse.

Each of the sets of amendments is relatively modest. They enhance the operation of the department and will mean better outcomes for veterans. I thank members for their contribution to the debate and I commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation for the bill, and message from the Administrator recommending appropriation for the proposed amendments, announced.