Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs Senator Ronaldson, by no later than 3.30 pm on Monday, 12 October 2015, the following information relating to the 2014 Client Services Survey conducted by ORIMA Research for the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA):

(a) any contractual restrictions placed on the Minister releasing the survey methodology by the third party company, ORIMA, which conducted the survey;

(b) all questions asked in the survey;

(c) the sampling methodology;

(d) the format(s) of how the survey and results are stored by DVA;

(e) aggregated results for each question (including in an electronic format);

(f) aggregated results showing which areas of DVA's performance are regarded as:

(i) strong,

(ii) poor, and

(iii) in need of improvement;

(g) a copy of each set of survey responses with any personal identifiers redacted (including in an electronic format);

(h) a breakdown by age group of all who responded;

(i) a copy of all 'client commentary' provided and examples of which are published on the DVA website; and

(j) the criteria used by DVA in selecting the summarised interpretation of the results on the DVA website.

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is simply asking DVA to produce important documents which shine a light on the way veterans view the performance of the department. Up to today the department has been reluctant to produce these and other documents. I have received figures today which show that this year alone 21 veterans have killed themselves, three in the past week. It is important that every effort be made to improve the performance of this important department and the production of these documents will help improve the performance of the department, which has been described as dysfunctional and dangerous by some vets who have contacted my office.

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

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

The government will not be opposing the motion. We note that the order relates to the same material requested in question on notice 2547 which was tabled on 18 August 2015 and which was responded to by the due date, which is today.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a very short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for a very short statement.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens support this motion for an order for the production of documents. This data is very closely related to the current Senate inquiry into veterans' mental health. Often the Department of Defence and DVA quote from this study in relation to things such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and without getting the detail of how that study was put together it is very much a snapshot in time and it is hard to verify some of their statements. So we support the motion.

Question agreed to.