Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Ronaldson. Minister, I refer you to page 180 of your Budget Paper No. 2, which shows a cut of $70 million from veterans' dental and allied health services. Minister, can you advise which dental services for Australian veterans will be affected by this $70 million cut?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his question. I assume that what he is talking about is—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the budget.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the fact that the freeze on indexation will continue and has been extended. But it does give me the opportunity to talk about—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about answering the question!

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have answered the question. It gives me the opportunity to talk about veterans' affairs and to talk about what was done in the budget. What I will say is that this budget delivers $12.1 billion for Australia's veterans. And when I hear those on the other side asking questions about veterans—

Opposition senators interjecting—

and making comments across the chamber, I will remind you again that the Australian Labor Party did not take a veterans' affairs policy to the last election.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. It is on direct relevance: we have asked a question and the question was about the dental services for Australian veterans. Could the minister explain that part of the budget to us?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. I did hear the minister say, 'I assume that is referring to indexation'. I do not know whether that forms part of the answer or not but I will give the minister the opportunity to continue his answer—one minute and three seconds. Minister.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President; I have already answered the question. If you look at the budget paper, you will see it is in relation to an indexation pause for dental and allied health provider fees.

As I was saying, the Australian Labor Party did not take a policy to the last election—what we are doing is this $12.1 billion in relation to this portfolio. And I look at what has happened in relation to support for veterans: some $40,650 per veteran, which is an increase. Under the Australian Labor Party, there was a decline of three per cent per—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Moore.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The direct question—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, if we could get back to the direct question it would be useful.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I remind you of the question. You have 27 seconds in which to answer.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not entirely sure what you do not understand about the indexation pause, Senator Sterle. It is in the budget papers, 'there is an extension of the indexation pause'. Read the papers and have a look—not cuts to services, but an indexation pause.

As I was saying before about this fantastic budget, Mr President, we are addressing some of those key issues asked for by the veterans community. In particular— (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. My goodness me! Minister, could you further advise us how many veterans will be affected and what allied health services they will lose as a result of this—regardless of how you want to frame it—$70 million cut?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not entirely sure what Senator Sterle was doing last night, but I was reading the budget papers. He will see from those that, indeed, this is an indexation pause. He clearly does not understand what is in the budget—and that is the trouble sometimes: when you are given a question and you blindly read it out, not having an iota of understanding about what is in the budget, then you get to ask really silly questions like this.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Order on my left! Your leader is on her feet seeking the call.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my point of order it is on direct relevance. This Minister for Veterans' Affairs is being asked by Senator Sterle how many veterans will be affected by the budget measure at page 180 of Budget Paper No. 2. I think he should be asked to return to the answer to that question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Wong. Minister, I do remind you of the question. You have 33 seconds in which to answer.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is very hard to give an answer to a nonsensical question; I am not going to do so. What I have said earlier on is: there is an indexation pause in the money paid to these allied professionals. This is not about the numbers of people—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Have you read this? 69.6—

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, read the thing. No wonder you left this country in such a parlous state—the worst finance minister Australia has had. This is an indexation pause. Go back and do your homework, have a look at it and then ask me another question.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, doesn't this $70 million cut to veterans health services just build on last year's unfair budget, which scrapped the $900 seniors supplement for veterans, axed three months of backdating for veterans disability pensions and closed veterans access network offices?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I just again reinforce for Senator Sterle—and I will say it really slowly: this is a pause in indexation. Senator Sterle would know, if he bothered to look at it, that this is a pause in indexation payment. Go and have a look at it.

I want to talk specifically in the time left to me in relation to the $10 million which is going into the dedicated case coordination unit. We are absolutely determined to ensure that we put in place, Senator Sterle, some early intervention measures, which are going to address the complex needs of contemporary veterans. That is why $10 million extra has gone into this case coordination, so we can start to meet the needs of these— (Time expired)

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on notice.