Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Australian Veterans' Recognition (Putting Veterans and Their Families First) Bill 2019. I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak on the bill, which importantly has bipartisan support. The bill creates a new act that will provide a framework for governments, business and the community to recognise and acknowledge the unique nature of military service, as well as to ensure support for veterans and their families.

I'm also delighted that this bill will establish the Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant. This is an incredibly important development. Those in this place will be aware that in September last year it was Labor that first announced that, if elected, it would establish a military covenant. Labor's proposed covenant would have covered both current and ex serving personnel and their families. We saw the need to recognise their commitment and sacrifice in serving our country by formalising Australia's commitment to provide them with the ongoing support that they seek and require. This is why Labor is united in welcoming the government's adoption of a covenant through the bill.

However, I must note that we would have liked to see a covenant for all Defence personnel, current and serving, as well as their families. It is unfortunate that what is before us today only covers those who have previously served and their loved ones. Another notable absence from today's bill, which was to be part of Labor's proposal, is the inclusion of annual reporting in the form of a statement to parliament. We wanted this so as to ensure that, whoever the government is, the government is accountable in meeting its obligation to current and ex serving personnel.

When this bill was first introduced in the 45th Parliament, we raised our concerns at the omission of these elements. We therefore referred the bill to a Senate inquiry so that those with a lived experience of service were provided with the opportunity to view and give feedback on the government's proposed covenant. This was followed by providing additional comments of these issues as part of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee's inquiry report. It was Labor's view, both then and now, that thorough consultation with those who were to be affected by the covenant ought to occur.

While we do believe it is a shame and a missed opportunity to not include those currently serving, I must also be clear that this does not negate the overwhelming positives of this covenant. For this reason, Labor fully supports this bill in both principle and practice. The art of compromise sometimes requires us to put the pragmatic over the perfect. This could serve as a lesson for some of those who sit in this place. However, it is important to put on the record that this is another example of a Labor policy that the government has thought a worthwhile idea and decided to pursue. On behalf of Labor, we do thank them for that.

In order to not further hold up the passage of this legislation, we requested that the Senate committee conclude their inquiry by 22 March both to enable examination of the legislation and for the process to be completed in time to be reviewed in the Senate by early April. We believed this was appropriate and would ensure that there was time to review the legislation, enable the current and ex servicing community the opportunity to be involved in the process and not delay the passage of the bill. The committee did indeed report back on 22 March, recommending the bill be passed without amendment. At the same time, Labor senators on the committee canvassed the above issues of including current serving personnel and strengthening the reporting element in the additional comments to the report. However, as it happened, while the bill was debated in April, there was not sufficient time for the bill to be passed in the House of Representatives in the final sitting week before the election, and therefore the bill lapsed.

Given the Senate committee's recommendation, the broad support for the bill and for the covenant from the veteran community, and the delay in the bill's passage, Labor is now willing to be pragmatic and support the bill in its current form. Our commitment to those who served is formalised in this covenant, and it was vital that we get it right. In addition to the introduction of the covenant, this bill inserts a general recognition clause which acknowledges the unique nature of military service, the demands we place on those who serve, the additional support they may require post-service, and the Commonwealth's commitment to supporting veterans. These are but some of the reasons Labor wholeheartedly supports this recognition and our ongoing obligation to those who have put their lives on hold in service to our country.

As an extension of this general recognition, the bill also includes an overarching statement in relation to the beneficial nature of veterans' affairs portfolio legislation, making it clear that the legislation has a beneficial purpose and should be interpreted accordingly. This section will note that the Commonwealth is committed to ensuring that those who make decisions involving veterans will interpret legislation in a way that benefits veterans and their families, where that interpretation is consistent with the purpose of the provision. This bill will also provide for departmental training to ensure decision-makers understand and appropriately apply the beneficial legislation to support the intent of this clause. In addition, a paragraph will also be inserted that will provide that claims decisions will be made within a time that is proportionate to the complexity of the matter, acknowledging the variety of complex client claims and that there will be differences in timeliness. One of the most common complaints about the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the DVA, is the lengthy and complex claims process. This commitment to timeliness will be welcomed by the veteran and ex-serving community.

The bill will also provide recognition of veterans and their families in the form of a lapel pin, cards and other artefacts. These should not be seen as mere platitudes, though. While many ex-service organisations are broadly supportive of veterans' recognition and items like lapel pins and cards, they've also said this must be backed up with substance, such as better veterans' support services. Labor wholeheartedly agrees. The issues facing our veterans and currently serving servicemen and women are of the utmost importance.

Finally, I would like to read the words of the covenant:

We, the people of Australia, respect and give thanks to all those who have served in our defence force and their families.

We acknowledge the unique nature of military service and the sacrifice demanded of all who commit to defend our nation.

We undertake to preserve the memory and deeds of all who have served and promise to welcome, embrace and support all military veterans as respected and valued members of our community.

For what they have done, this we will do.

I commend the bill.