Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. At the end of it, it says: 'But the Senate declines to consider this bill further until the government introduces legislation to index military superannuation pensions for Defence Force Retirement Benefits, DFRB, Scheme members, and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits, DFRDB, Scheme members aged 55 and over in the same manner as aged and service pensions are currently indexed.'

These are men and women who have served this country. They have served this country, but they are being treated unfairly. As the Fair Go campaign, run by the ex-service community, quite rightly says, how can you treat people who have served this country differently from the way you treat age pensioners? Age pensioners have not been on CPI as the method of indexation for increase in their age pensions for about 12 years.

They have not been on that system for 12 years because 12 years ago it was clear that CPI was not a natural reflection of the cost of living. We have tried since the last election to get this chamber, and indeed the other place, to provide fairness. I will go through those who supported this motion. There was the coalition. There was the Australian Greens and, quite remarkably, the Australian Labor Party, who are so embarrassed about their failure to provide fair indexation that they actually passed a motion condemning themselves. I was in the other place for about 12 years and I have been here for about eight and I have never seen a political party pass a motion condemning themselves. It is quite extraordinary and that must show their level of embarrassment in relation to this issue. When will the veterans affairs legislation amendment bill come on? It has been on the Notice Paper on half a dozen occasions and for some reason, mysteriously, it keeps on being taken off. I wonder whether that is because the Australian Labor Party does not want to have to vote down fair indexation again as they have in the past. That may be a little bit too cynical, but I do not think it is.

So if this matter is indeed listed then the Australian Labor Party and the Greens have the opportunity finally to give fair indexation to these military superannuants. If they fail to do so again they will stand utterly condemned again. The Australian Greens, who talk the talk but will not walk the walk, have got a big decision to make in relation to this matter. They can keep on running and flapping around and making all the right noises to the ex-service community but no-one actually believes them. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted.