Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Can I first of all say thank you to Senator Scullion for his indication of support for amendments (1) to (7). The government’s position is about ensuring that benefits reflect a person’s circumstances. I think we all know and recognise that the group of people we are discussing have very varied circumstances. There are the people whom Senator Scullion just described—those people for whom war has not ended. Their partners have provided support, through very difficult times, to their veteran partners. That is why we moved those amendments. Those are the people we want to ensure continue to be supported. The group of people Senator Scullion is talking about are the people who will be picked up by the government amendments that we are dealing with at the moment.

The government’s position is about ensuring that benefits reflect a person’s own circumstances, and we all know that the circumstances of this group of people are extremely varied. There will be people who are more appropriately provided with support through another payment mechanism or in fact encouraged and supported into employment. So this is an equity measure; this is a fairness measure. This is a measure that is designed to ensure that people get the entitlements for which they are eligible, and I think that in the veterans community in particular that is a principle that we all hold dear. People need to be eligible for an entitlement to receive that entitlement.

The government understand that certain separated partners require special consideration. That is why we have moved the amendments. It is dealt with through eligibility for illness separated status. In those circumstances where the separation has resulted from the psychological condition of the veteran due to his war service, the additional eligibility provisions come into effect. Can I assure the Senate that, under the government’s amendments, those genuinely affected are able to put their case forward and it will be sympathetically considered.

Question agreed to.

The government opposes schedule 2 in the following terms:

(8)    Schedule 2, Part 3, page 20 (lines 2 to 23), TO BE OPPOSED.