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

by leave—I move:

(1) Amendment (1), omit "substitute '4'", substitute "substitute '5'".

(2) Amendment (2), subclause 4(1), omit "A Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade", substitute "The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee".

(3) Amendment (2), after clause 4, insert:

5 Review of amendments in Schedule 9

The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee must:

(a) begin a review of the amendments in Schedule 9 to this Act as soon as practicable after the day this Act receives the Royal Assent; and

(b) report the Committee's findings to the Senate by 29 August 2025.

While we support the government's amendments, we are moving these amendments to include a review, should it pass, of the veterans commissioner to be. The reason why we believe this review must take place is that their amendment, which would add schedule 9 to the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024, has come about at the last minute. There has been a lack of consultation.

The veterans community was taken by surprise when they read about their amendment. The veterans community has been engaged from the outset of developing this bill. They have participated in good faith. They participated in the recent Senate inquiry into the substantive bill, at which time this commissioner was not foreshadowed. At that point in time, the veterans community understood that an interim commissioner had been appointed who would work on developing a framework for a legislated commission to be in place by September this year.

Their amendment fast-tracks that process and puts the cart before the horse, so to speak, and veterans have not been consulted. Veterans are gravely concerned about what it means and how it will be rolled out. So, briefly, we are moving these amendments to ensure that the Senate can undertake the due diligence and scrutiny that should have happened with an amendment of this scale. I commend our amendments to the amendment to the chamber.