Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I am pleased to introduce the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Veteran-centric Reforms No. 1) Bill 2018. The bill comprises eight schedules and will implement several new initiatives to deliver a range of services to the veteran community and their families.

There are more than 300,000 Australians who have served in our defence forces, in peacetime and in conflict, both in Australia and abroad.

Each year more than 5,000 will leave service and move on to the next chapter in their life, some voluntarily, some for reasons not of their choosing. How we help these men and women and their families in the next stage of theirs lives is vital.

These veterans have given so much to our country and it is only right we support those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our great nation and our way of life.

In 2016 this government made a commitment to ensure current and future veterans and their families have the support that they need.

I am proud to be introducing these measures today to deliver these initiatives.

These measures will not only assist those who have served our nation but also their husbands, wives, partners, fathers, mothers and children—their families.

Schedule 1 of the bill will introduce a range of measures in the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 aimed at providing family support to veterans and their families.

Family plays an essential role in supporting current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and more support is needed for partners and families. Families make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of our Australian Defence Force members throughout their careers and through the transition process when they become civilians. The role of family can be particularly important in the treatment and recovery of ill or injured individuals throughout their lifetime.

To build on existing support provided in the 2017-18 budget, $7.1 million is being provided over four years to extend the support available to families of veterans. This additional support will include greater access to childcare, additional home care and counselling and will help families to maintain their connections to community and employment and improve social function.

It will also recognise partners who have the pressure of having to care for a severely incapacitated veteran in addition to their other home duties such as child rearing and any work or other activities they may undertake. Partners also need support to develop skills to care for a veteran who is incapacitated (both physically and mentally) and to be able to identify when to seek professional help for a veteran who may be at imminent risk of self-harm or harm to others.

Amendments to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 are required to deliver key psychosocial interventions, such as greater access to childcare and counselling for veterans with complex needs, and to assist in reducing family pressure, which at times may contribute to veteran suicide.

The family support amendments will provide three practical services designed to improve a veteran's health and wellbeing and provide services to the family of a veteran so they can also support the veteran. These services include:

Schedule 2 of the proposed amendments to the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 will create a new veteran payment. The veteran payment will help address concerns raised by the final report of the Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel, which suggested the military compensation system may contribute to the risk of veteran suicide. The veteran payment will benefit approximately 830 veterans and 690 partners (a total of 1,520 people) in the 2018-19 financial year.

The veteran payment is a new income support payment providing vulnerable veterans with interim financial support until their claims for liability for a mental health condition are determined. It will provide early access to financial support prior to a claim for liability for a mental health condition being determined. Veterans will be required to commence participation in vocational and psychosocial rehabilitation, which would include financial counselling and budgeting, whilst receiving the veteran payment.

Partners of veterans will also be eligible for the veteran payment, and veterans with dependent children will be entitled to the maximum rates of family tax benefit part A and family tax benefit B without being subject to the family tax benefit means test while they receive the veteran payment.

Schedule 3 will enable selected white card holders to participate in the new Coordinated Veterans' Care Program mental health pilot. The 2017-18 budget allocated $3.6 million for the pilot, which is for veterans with mild to moderate anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid physical health problems, in particular musculoskeletal with pain. The pilot will be embedded in the existing Coordinated Veterans' Care Program, which uses a team based model of care, led by a general practitioner and supported by a practice nurse.

Under this pilot clients can access a digital coach application on a smart phone or smart device. The digital application is based upon cognitive behavioural therapy principles. Clinical oversight of the pilot will be provided by a health call monitoring facility staffed by registered nurses and supervised by a mental health nurse.

The Coordinated Veterans' Care Program is currently available to gold card holders under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. Legislative amendments will ensure selected white card holders will also be able to participate in the pilot, as well as gold card holders who are already eligible.

Schedule 4 will amend the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to align it with the changes to the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 and Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 relating to catastrophic injuries or disease, and ensure that veterans with catastrophic injury or disease receive at least the same entitlements as civilian employees.

Currently the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission pays for household and attendant care services above the legislated statutory rate for clients with catastrophic injury or disease, through an exceptional circumstances determination under section 144(c) of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 or section 287(2) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

These amendments will clarify the legislative basis for payments for household and attendant care services for veterans with a catastrophic injury or disease.

Schedule 5 amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 in relation to a claim for qualifying service. The amendments will enable the automation of a qualifying service determination prior to or at the time a veteran engages with the Department of Veterans' Affairs or before the veteran makes an application for any service pension. This removes a step in the process a veteran must currently complete in order to make an application for some service pension.

This is the first legislative amendment to support the implementation of the veteran-centric reforms and is part of the broader improvement strategy to ease the transition process for veterans. The veteran-centric reforms aim to put veterans and their needs at the front of departmental processes and systems.

Schedule 6 amends the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 by making technical amendments to that act fully ensuring it is a military specific act. References to Comcare and other redundant bodies will be changed to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission or the Commonwealth as required.

There are no changes to the eligibility requirements, entitlements or benefits veterans may receive under the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988. These amendments would give effect to the policy intention of fully removing any obligations or functions of either Comcare or the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission with regard to Defence-related claims under the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988.

Schedule 7 makes a series of minor amendments to the Specialist Medical Review Council provisions of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to ensure all references are consistent. The amendments will change references to 'the Council' to 'the Review Council'.

Schedule 8 contains a number of technical amendments being made to streamline the legislation. For example the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 will be amended to extend medical treatment eligibility to Australian Defence Force members who served in Japan after the cessation of hostilities of World War II and before the formation of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs reports that there is at least one veteran who, under the current rules, is not entitled to a treatment card (gold card) as he does not satisfy the definition of British Commonwealth Occupation Force participant although he was in Japan as an Australian Defence Force member after the cessation of hostilities and before the formation of British Commonwealth Occupation Force. This amendment will correct such a circumstance and provide this veteran and others like him the medical treatment they deserve.

Each of the sets of amendments will mean better outcomes for veterans. That is important.

I commend this bill.

Debate adjourned.