Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Hansard source

Let's be clear: we should all be thanking the Labor Party for us still sitting here at 20 past eight at night when we could have had the Defence Service Homes Amendment (Insurance) Bill 2025 dealt with at 10.30 this morning. It's a non-controversial bill that absolutely has the support of both sides. We've even had the minister in the other place commending the government for their approach to this bill in a non-controversial, bipartisan manner. And yet it then comes to this place, and we have the Labor Party playing games with it instead of rushing it through in a non-controversial way first thing this morning. It could have been done and dusted, and here we are tonight.

We will be supporting this bill. This bill fixes a problem that was faced. It will sort things out.

We have seen the massive floods up in Townsville, and we know the amount of defence housing up in far North Queensland and in the Townsville area. What we don't want are any question marks over their insurability and the Defence Services Homes Insurance scheme, which is currently administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs and provides vital home building insurance to all current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and, can I make it clear, for defence force families, widows and widowers.

It is vital that we get this bill through. I'm grateful that it is non-controversial; I just wish we didn't have to play games.