Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

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

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

I am pleased to present legislation that will give effect to a number of Veterans' Affairs 2015 Budget measures.

Since coming to office, the Government has honoured its commitment to recognise the unique nature of military service. We are focussed on early intervention to ensure veterans, and their families, get the help and assistance they need when they need it. The Budget, which invests more than $12 billion in services for veterans and their families, has a strong focus on early intervention. Our investment in the expansion of case coordination for those with complex needs, as well as the measures in this Bill to assist those undertaking vocational rehabilitation, are designed to give our veterans the best opportunity in their post-service lives.

The first measure in the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (2015 Budget Measures) Bill will benefit veterans through enhancements to the Veterans' Vocational Rehabilitation Scheme under the Veterans' Entitlements Act. The Scheme is voluntary and is designed to assist veterans to find or continue in suitable employment. The Scheme also provides incentives for participants in relation to the work thresholds for Special or Intermediate rate disability pension and the treatment of income from paid work on invalidity service pension.

The enhancements to the Scheme will expand the range of services to include medical management and psychosocial services. They will also result in certain Special and Intermediate rate disability pensioners having a smoother step down in disability pension whilst in the Scheme and will encourage veterans to remain or continue in the workforce.

The second measure in the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (2015 Budget Measures) Bill will simplify and streamline the appeal process under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act by changing to a single appeal path. Currently, a claimant may seek a first tier right of review through either, but not both, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission or the Veterans' Review Board. They then have a second tier right of review to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Following the changes in this Bill, the first tier right of review will be to the Veterans' Review Board. The second tier right of review to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal is not changing. The change to a single appeal path will avoid the complexities that claimants currently face relating to different time limits for the submission of appeals, different times taken to determine the review and the choice they make impacting on entitlement to legal aid and the awarding of costs for appeals that progress to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

I want to acknowledge the very strong support for these changes from the veteran and ex-service community.

Finally, the Bill will amend the Defence Act to enable the repatriation of the remains of eight service dependants buried in Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia, if requested to do so by the families of the deceased. On 25 May 2015, 50 years after the arrival of the first troops of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in South Vietnam, the Prime Minister offered to repatriate the remains of 25 Vietnam veterans from Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia and Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore, to the families of the deceased. This offer was also extended to the families of three other servicemen and eight service dependants also buried in the Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia. Until 21 January 1966, the bodies of Australians who died in war were buried in War Cemeteries close to where they fell. From that date, remains were (with the consent of families) repatriated to Australia. The decision was not retrospective. Of the 521 Australians who died in the Vietnam War, 25 remain buried overseas. The families of those 25 Vietnam veterans now have the opportunity to bring their loved one home. Because of the limited access for families of the deceased at Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia due to the cemetery being on a large high-security military base, the offer of repatriation has also been extended to the families of all Australians interred in the Terendak Military Cemetery. This includes the families of the eight service dependants who died whilst accompanying their father or husband on service in Malaysia. The amendments in this Bill will enable the war graves Regulation made under the Defence Act to authorise the repatriation of these service dependants if requested to do so by their families. The Government acknowledges the Malaysian Government's offer to provide any assistance toward repatriation. The Government also thanks the Malaysian Government for their care for and maintenance of these graves over many years.

Debate adjourned.