Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

One thing that all members of this House will agree on, no matter our differences, is the obligation of this country to those who have served this nation, or continue to serve this nation, in the uniform of our armed forces.

It is my privilege and duty as Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel to continue to uphold this obligation.

Support for veterans and their families is a serious responsibility: that those who have served and sacrificed for our nation should be supported following their service.

This nation, and this parliament have a solemn responsibility to those who served.

The legislation introduced today, the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2023will enhance the support and services available to veterans and their families.

The Australian government recognises the unique challenges faced by defence personnel, veterans and their families.

Supporting them is one of our key priorities, and that's why the recent budget had such a significant focus on rebuilding the Department of Veterans' Affairs, in order to ensure the foundations are laid to improve access to services and supports for veterans and families.

This bill enhances support to ADF firefighters who served prior to 2004.

This bill also extends the treatment of certain income from specified employment programs as 'exempt income' for income support means testing, and it extends the availability of rent assistance for veterans and their partners who are overseas but are unable to return to Australia due to exceptional circumstances.

Additionally, this bill expands eligibility for access to services under the Defence, Veterans' and Families' Acute Support Package, available for families of veterans in crisis.

In December 2022, this government passed theFair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022.

Among the many beneficial measures introduced by this act was additional support for injured or ill federally employed civilian firefighters.

Australian Defence Force firefighters are subject to the same, or additional, threats and exposures as their civilian counterparts.

As a consequence, schedule 1 of this bill amends the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act to align with the relevant provisions for firefighters to those of their civilian counterparts as now contained in the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.

This amendment will reduce the qualifying period of employment as an ADF firefighter required to be presumptively taken to have made a significant contribution to oesophageal cancers from 25 years to 15 years.

It will also change the wording of the act to no longer require that firefighting form a 'substantial' part of a person's duties, rather, that it only be 'not insubstantial' part of their duties for the deeming provisions to be applicable.

These changes will provide a simpler basis for acceptance of those conditions for ADF firefighters than the current provisions.

It will also, separately, through Regulations under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA), introduce eight additional prescribed cancer conditions to be covered under these arrangements, after a 15-year period conditions like; malignant mesothelioma and primary site lung cancer, and after a 10-year period; primary site cervical cancer, primary site ovarian cancer and primary site pancreatic cancer.

When an individual or family member encounters illness, the last thing they want to be doing is jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

This legislative change seeks to take some of the stress out of the equation, streamlining the access services and supports a veteran or family member would be entitled to.

Now, we know that one of the best supports for a veteran transitioning from service is getting them into fulfilling work, something with a sense of purpose.

There's no doubt that following their service in the Australian Defence Force, veterans can go on to make a massive impact on the success of businesses in civilian life.

For many veterans, and indeed businesses, it's not always clear what skills from service apply to the civilian workplace, and veteran employment programs help bridge that gap.

Schedule 2 of this bill aligns provisions under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 with existing provisions under the Social Security Act 1991 to allow amounts received from employment programs to not be considered as income for income support means testing purposes.

This will allow amounts received by veterans and their partners from specified employment programs under the Social Security Act to be considered as exempt from the income test under the Veterans' Entitlements Act.

Schedule 3 of this bill aligns provisions under the Veterans' Entitlements Act with existing provisions under the social security legislation, which will allow payment of rent assistance beyond 26 weeks for veterans and their partners when temporarily overseas and unable to return to Australia due to unforeseen circumstances, such as what occurred recently due to COVID-19.

These changes will remove the current existing discrepancy that may impact on veterans and their families receiving income support and rent assistance compared to the entitlements their civilian counterparts are now currently able to receive.

Finally, Schedule 4 of this bill delivers on our 2023-24 budget measure to expand eligibility for the Defence, Veterans' and Families' Acute Support Package.

We know that families look different all over the country.

For many kids, grandparents are their primary carers, so we're expanding this package to make sure that grandcarer veteran families are also supported if experiencing crisis.

The Acute Support Package, which commenced in October 2022, is available to working age veteran families, widowed partners and their children.

The package is designed to support working age families who are experiencing new and challenging life circumstances that mean the family unit needs support to get back on track.

Services available include a range of wellbeing and skills based support services for families in crisis, such as child care, counselling for adults and children, household assistance, transport, and wellbeing, academic and extracurricular support for children.

The changes will extend eligibility for these services to a small but vulnerable group: children of veterans who are under the full-time care of their grandparent carers—grandcarers.

This recognises that some grandparent carers may also require assistance when providing full-time care to their grandchildren who are the children of veterans.

This will enable support and continuity of support in line with the intent of the Acute Support Package to support families in crisis.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to supporting veterans and their families.

We're committed to establishing the strongest foundations of support for our service personnel, veterans and their families; a strong foundation for a better future.

I commend this bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.