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

I rise to take note of document no. 16, Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC)—Report for 2011-12—Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme (MilitarySuper), including financial statements for the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme. This document of course talks about military superannuation. Today, Madam Acting Deputy President Stephens, as you would be aware, this chamber, on the voices, passed the following motion:

That the Senate—

(a) notes That the average annual Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme military superannuation pension in 2011-12 was $24 603;

(b) condemns the Gillard Labor Government for its ongoing and stubborn refusal to grant 57 000 Australian military superannuants and their families a fair go;

(c) denounces the Australian Labor Party for misleading veterans before the 2007 election into believing that Labor would actually deliver fair indexation, a point highlighted by Senator Lundy and the then Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support (Mr Kelly) in their letter to the former Minister for Finance and Deregulation (Mr Tanner) of 14 September 2009; and

(d) criticises the Government for its ongoing failure to schedule a time for the Senate to consider the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 thus denying the Senate the opportunity to debate and vote on the Coalition's amendments to provide fair indexation for these men and women who have served their nation.

The amendment that is already on the table in relation to the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill is a second reading amendment moved by me as the shadow minister for veterans' affairs.