Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not going to yack on for too long. This is pretty straightforward. There has been a review. It has found a potential problem in insurance. You can get a house through the Defence Service Homes Insurance Scheme, under DVA, and DVA acts as the agent. QBE does the insurance, but DVA is the agent. Technically we don't know whether they're allowed to do that, so we've just got to try and fix this up. I've had discussions with the minister. I appreciate that correspondence. I think it is best for us to expediate this. Why? We have had a massive flood around Townsville. There are a lot of people there who have DVA housing. I'm absolutely certain they want to make sure that, at this point in time, their house is insured.

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

Firstly, I would like to thank the shadow minister for veterans' affairs for his engagement on this legislation, his support in its fast passage through the parliament, and his support for the bill and for the meeting we had the other day to ensure that that fast passage could occur.

I won't add too much more on the bill—it was all covered in my second reading speech only a day ago—other than to say that the amendments that are put forward in this bill ensure the continued operation of the Defence Service Homes Insurance arrangements. That is incredibly important for our personnel, our veterans and their families that utilise this insurance opportunity provided by and through the government. For that reason, I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.