Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

LL (—) (): I move:

That these bills be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speeches read as follows—

MILITARY REHABILITATION AND COMPENSATION AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (INCAPACITY PAYMENTS) BILL 2022

Making sure our veterans and their families are well supported and looked after as they transition from the Australian Defence Force is an important task and responsibility of government.

The Australian Government is committed to supporting our veterans.

The unique nature of military service justifies rehabilitation and compensation arrangements specific to the needs of the military.

The government is committed to continuously improving and adapting to the needs of veterans, serving and former members and their families.

The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment (Incapacity Payments) Bill 2022 will maintain access to the beneficial calculation of incapacity payments for eligible veterans.

These arrangements provide targeted support to those engaged in approved full-time study under a Department of Veterans' Affairs rehabilitation program.

Incapacity payments are compensation paid for a loss of earnings because of physical or mental health conditions related to military service.

These payments reduce or 'stepdown' to 75 per cent (or a higher percentage depending on hours worked) of normal earnings after a period of 45 weeks.

Under a four-year pilot, for veterans participating in a rehabilitation plan, and in approved full-time study, their incapacity payments were not reduced after 45 weeks.

These arrangements ended on 30 June 2022. It meant this cohort of veterans face an immediate payment reduction of up to 25 per cent.

Veterans in the pilot had indicated that they valued the extra financial support these incapacity payments provided.

The payments assist with their transition from military service to a rehabilitation program focused on gaining sustainable employment in the civilian workforce.

The Bill will enable veterans undertaking an eligible course of study to access the beneficial arrangements for an additional year, to 30 June 2023, where the calculation of incapacity payments is based on 100 per cent of the individual's pre-injury earnings.

The Bill will amend both the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 to provide for all eligible veterans covered under these two schemes.

Application provisions will ensure that student veterans who should have been eligible for the higher rate of payment can receive back-payments to cover the period from 1 July 2022 until the day the Act commences.

Our serving men and women put themselves in harm's way and they do so in our national interest to protect our national interest.

We want our service men and women, veterans and their families to know that Australia is proud of them and that our country will always be there for them.

These proposed changes will result in a positive outcome for many in the Defence and veteran communities.

I commend the Bill.

NARCOTIC DRUGS (LICENCE CHARGES) AMENDMENT BILL 2022

I am pleased to introduce the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Amendment Bill 2022.

The Bill amends the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Act to clarify that the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Regulation may prescribe matters that will be the subject of multiple separate charges, which may be incurred by a licence holder during a particular charging period, and to enable a simpler method for working out the amount of charge prescribed.

The Narcotic Drugs Act provides, among other things, a licensing and permit scheme for regulating medicinal cannabis cultivation, production and manufacture in accordance with Australia's obligations under certain International Drug Conventions.

The medicinal cannabis regulatory scheme is cost-recovered in accordance with the Australian Government Charging Framework, through fees prescribed in the Narcotic Drugs Regulation. Charges are prescribed in the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Regulation pursuant to the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Act.

The Narcotic Drugs Act was amended in 2021 to simplify the medicinal cannabis licensing and permits framework, so the existing charges are intended to be revised to align with the new framework.

The Bill enables the regulations to prescribe matters that will be the subject of multiple separate charges, which may be invoiced at multiple times during a particular charging period. It also enables the regulations to prescribe a charge by reference to a method for working out the amount of the charge. These changes support the regulations being able to prescribe charges that more accurately reflect the particular matter to which the charge relates.

The amendments in the Bill are intended to provide sufficient flexibility for the regulations to appropriately prescribe charges, supporting the effective recovery of the costs associated with administering the Narcotic Drugs Act.

Ordered that the bills be listed on the Notice Paper as separate orders of the day.

Debate adjourned.