Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Supporting the Wellbeing of Veterans and Their Families) Bill 2020 contains three measures aimed at better meeting the needs of veterans and their families. Firstly, the bill amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to create the new position of Veteran Family Advocate on the Repatriation Commission and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to represent the families of veterans. Secondly, it amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act to enable the provision of assistance or benefits to former Australian Defence Force members to transition to civilian work. Finally, it amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act to extend the quarterly payment of the energy supplement to holders of gold cards under the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 and the Treatment Benefits (Special Access) Act 2019.

Labor notes, however, that the government has already announced that Ms Gwen Cherne has been appointed as the Veteran Family Advocate to the Repatriation Commission under existing veterans affairs legislation and commenced in the role on 24 August 2020. It seems that the government have a penchant for appointing people before the relevant legislation has been passed. They raced ahead and appointed an interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention recently before the enabling legislation had even been debated in the House, much less passed by the parliament. That said, Labor welcomes Ms Cherne's appointment and acknowledges her passion and experience in supporting the ex-service community. We expect she will do a good job representing the perspectives of veteran families in ongoing policy- and decision-making across government.

She would know that many veterans and their families are sceptical that the government's proposed national commission for veterans suicide is little more than a marketing exercise designed to placate them. Many believe it's not better than a royal commission, as the government claims, and that it won't accomplish what a royal commission could because it still lacks the independence, powers and resources to ask the hard questions. Labor has continued to call on the government to do the right thing and to announce a full royal commission, with clear start and end dates, so that we can get to the bottom of veteran suicides.

This bill before the Senate should support better mental health outcomes and suicide prevention for veterans and their families, and Labor supports it. But the best thing that the government could do is to show faith with veterans and their families and commit to establishing a royal commission into veteran suicides so we can tackle this issue once and for all. This legislation supports the wellbeing of veterans, their families and the wider veteran community. Labor supports it, and I commend the bill to the Senate.