Address to Parliament - Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2022

Australia's First World War historian, Charles Bean, was struck by the futility of what was referred to as the Great War. I said in my contribution earlier on the defence home ownership bill that there is nothing great about war. Writing after Pozieres, he said:

… there is only one way out of this war for an infantryman and that is on his back; either sick, wounded or dead. There is no going back to cheering crowds—no marching through the London streets and ovations in Australian ports. They will be put at it to fight and fight and fight again—until, if not in this battle, then in the next each man gets his bullet … They are looking down the long road straight to the end—they can see it plain enough now, and they know that there is no turning.

It is an awful cost that Australia has paid for our freedom. I know, as we all do, that the price of peace is eternal vigilance. We have to be ready. We have to be prepared. Sometimes we have to do what it takes. I am proud to come from an electorate and a city which have a proud military history like so many country communities, so many communities right across this nation, which has that long line of khaki back to Gallipoli in 1915 and even beyond. Indeed, as the member for McEwen just noted, Wagga Wagga is the home of the soldier. Blamey Barracks, in honour of Sir Thomas Blamey, who was born at Lake Albert, served our nation very well. Indeed, every recruit does their 13 weeks of basic training to join the Australian Army at the Army Recruit Training Centre at Wagga Wagga.

We have an Air Force base, originally the Allonville property. The Royal Australian Air Force has had a presence in our city since 1930. Forest Hill airbase was established in 1940 at the height, perhaps, of the Second World War, a global conflict in which Australia was very much under threat. More bombs were dropped on northern Australia than were indeed dropped at Pearl Harbor, and that's a fact perhaps not taught enough in our schools these days.

Our Navy also does an amazing and remarkable job and we all know that, and it too has a presence in Wagga Wagga through the Air Force base at Forest Hill. About 70 or 80 personnel from the Navy are stationed at Wagga Wagga, so it is the only regional inland centre with all three arms of the Defence Force. In our city we are very proud of that fact and may that long continue. I know how hard I fought, as the editor of the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser back in 1997 when it appeared as though RAAF was to going be taken away from our city. I know the member for Riverina at the time, Noel Hicks, joined the save our base committee—in fact, he helped form it—and that was followed by Kay Hull, who succeeded him in 1998. We managed to save our base. When I was the assistant minister for defence in 2016 and we were doing the white paper into Defence at the time, we managed to ensure that Wagga Wagga had two bases. Military bases were enhanced for the future, so we provided that necessary infrastructure, that necessary funding that is going to secure the future of our bases now and into the future forever more.

This bill is important. It delivers a one-off increase of $1,000 per year, $38.46 per fortnight, to veterans who receive the totally and permanently incapacitated, TPI, payment commencing 1 January 2023. I gave that bit of history of Charles Bean writing after Pozieres of Wagga Wagga's involvement in the military because it's important to remember always, with Armistice Day, Remembrance Day just two days away now, we need to look after our people who proudly put on the uniform, not just when they're wearing the uniform, not just when they are marching on 25 April or November 11, but each and every day after the service, just as importantly as when they are in service.

This bill must pass before the end of 2022 to take effect from 1 January, New Year's Day, next year. I appreciate that the now government, in opposition, made an election commitment to deliver a one-off $1,000 annual increase to recipients of the TPI payment. Approximately 27,000 veterans receive TPI payments. I'm proud to say that in my electorate we have 3,800 veterans, of whom 1,426 reside in Wagga Wagga. The increased payment has been provided for in the recent federal budget that the member for Rankin delivered for 2022-23. The TPI payment is formally called the special rate of disability compensation payment, and it is offered when a veteran's injuries from war or defence service are assessed under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act as preventing them from having a normal work life. This is so important because often those people who have served in the military find it difficult to adjust to civilian life, to normal work life, when their military careers have finished. And, just as they placed their lives on the line for us in the service of our nation, we—and especially we here in the parliament—should look after them when that service is done.

The TPI payment is paid for life unless circumstances change—for example, if the recipient returns to work. It is not taxable and nor should it be, and it is not included in means-testing for other income support payments. I do hope—and I mean this earnestly and not politically—that the payment is not absorbed by other cost-of-living pressures brought about by increases in electricity and power prices. I hope that that money does give veterans the relief that they've sought, that they need and that they deserve. I appreciate that there are cost-of-living pressures. And those cost-of-living pressures are very much in the minds of any family doing a budget, any business continuing to open its doors and serve customers, and, indeed, any veteran who finds it difficult—as many of them do—to make ends meet from one pay cheque to the next. It's very, very important that we look after our veterans.

We as parliamentarians on all sides of the chamber have seen all too often in recent times awful stories—horrible media articles—about veterans sleeping rough, about veterans couch surfing, and about veterans living in cars and under bridges. This is not good enough. It's not good in 2022. It wasn't ever good enough. While I disagree with much of what the member for McEwen said in his contribution about the level of support provided under the former coalition government—of which I was for a long time the Deputy Prime Minister—the member did comment on the need to provide a roof over the heads of our veterans. And I'm pleased that the previous bill, the Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme Amendment Bill 2022, passed through this chamber earlier today.

I'm also pleased that the government has brought forward this TPI increase. I appreciate that TPI payments are indexed to male total average weekly earnings and TPI recipients also receive the veteran gold card, as they should. The coalition support the bill. We said at the outset when we returned to opposition that we would support good legislation and that we would support reasonable policy. And, whilst good legislation and policy often comes at a bottom-line expense, this expense is very much warranted, given the fact we are talking about our veterans, and given the fact we are supporting veterans who have supported us. I know how important this is.

As I did in my previous contribution, and as the previous speaker, the member for McEwan, did in his contribution, I would like to mention the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This legislation and that for the Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme help to give veterans hope. We need to ensure that we give veterans a roof over their heads and the support that they need—whether that's TPI or other payments—as well as, obviously, mental health support and care and love. We need to wrap our arms around them, as so many organisations do—organisations such as Soldier On and the Integrated Service People's Association of Australia et cetera.

I want to note that the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is having a public hearing in Wagga Wagga. It will be the eighth public hearing conducted by the royal commission and follows a recent hearing in Darwin. The venue will be the Mercure hotel, 1 Morgan Street, Wagga Wagga. The hearings are set down to be held between 28 November and 2 December. I urge any veteran who wants to be part of that to go onto the net, to contact the DVA, to see if and how they can take part in that. I appreciate that the royal commission website will be live streaming those particular hearings in Wagga Wagga.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established on 8 July 2021 by the coalition government to conduct an inquiry into the over-representation of serving and ex-serving defence members in deaths by suicide in Australia. There are three royal commissioners heading the inquiry: Nick Kaldas APM, who is the chair, the Hon. James Douglas KC and Dr Peggy Brown AO. I would encourage anyone who has a story to tell to reach out to the royal commission. The commission has so far heard tragic stories, and I would urge anyone distressed by material or images at the Wagga Wagga hearing to seek support or to speak to a member of the inquiry's counselling team. This is so, so important.

We heed the words from Charles Bean, who established the Australian War Memorial after his experience at Pozieres. I appreciate the manner in which the government has brought this particular veterans support to the parliament and the good intentions behind it, and that is why we are supporting it. I'll say again: I do hope that the $1,000 one-off increase will not be eaten up by increased cost-of-living pressures, which, let's face it, there are in the community at the moment. I understand how important this is. I recommend it to the House, and I thank the government for bringing it forward.

While I'm on my feet, I also want to wish the member for Burt, the 46th Minister for Veterans' Affairs, all the best in his role. It's an important role. It is one of the most vital and integral roles in the parliament. It should always be in cabinet.

MEMEBER FOR WILLS PETER KHALIL

Yes, I agree.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I'm glad I've got the support of the member for Wills there, because the role is too important not to be in cabinet. The person who is filling this role needs to be around the big decision table when the important decisions are being taken—not for a party's sake but for our veterans' sake. As I say, I wish him well in the role and I offer him every bit of support that I can give, having been a minister for veterans' affairs. I commend this particular bill to the House.