ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT - BILLS - Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024 - Second Reading

Much of what the member for Moreton just spoke about I agree with, but I will clinically go through the legislation and some of the points he raised in relation to the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024. This is, as the member for Moreton correctly pointed out, important legislation, and it comes as a result of the findings from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which, in August 2022, warned that legislation governing compensation and rehabilitation for veterans and their families was 'so complicated that it adversely affects the mental health of some veterans' and 'can be a contributing factor to suicidality'.

The last thing that we want to do is place any more stress or anxiety on our veterans. They did, after all, do what was expected of them, what was asked of them and what was required of them, and that was to put on a uniform and serve our nation. For that, we owe them a huge debt of gratitude—a lifetime of gratitude. For as long as they live, we should not just be eternally thankful but do what's right for them in a financial way so that they can be their best selves—noting that every person who leaves the Australian defence forces is not broken. Every ex-ADF member still has much to give. Some of them come out of their service in different shapes and forms than others. Some are, quite tragically, very much affected by their experience—by what they have seen and what has been done to them. But many are ready for their next journey in life, the next chapter in life's journey.

This bill intends to act as a single, all-encompassing piece of legislation under which all veteran compensation claims will be dealt with, regardless of when the veteran served, and that is important too. I note the member for Moreton talked about Vietnam veterans. I come from Wagga Wagga. It's the home of the soldier. The 1st Recruit Training Battalion Kapooka Army base, Blamey Barracks, is where every recruit does their initial training, and we thank them for that. Not only do we have a very important strategic Army base; we also have the Royal Australian Air Force base at Forest Hill, where it states quite clearly on one of the hangars which overlooks the initial runway there at the Wagga Wagga Airport: 'Airpower begins here.' And it does, right there at Forest Hill.

In conjunction with RAAF Wagga, we have a very important Navy base. We're a long way from the nearest drop of seawater at Wagga Wagga, but those 80 personnel who serve our Navy do it because they are asked to do it. They do it with every pride, with every service and with every commitment that you would expect. They are very pleased that they are learning what they need to at Wagga Wagga, in conjunction with the Air Force and, at times, with our local Army base. We are a tri-service garrison city, and we are very proud of it.

That service goes back, stretches back, for decades, and, given the fact the former coalition government, honoured by the now Labor government, are spending upwards of $1.4 billion at both the RAAF Wagga and Kapooka military base at Wagga Wagga, that service, commitment, dedication and presence will last not just for many more decades to come but forever. The price of peace is eternal vigilance, and the training begins at Wagga Wagga. So I'm very aware of the commitment that we need to make to our veterans. I'm very aware of the necessity to ensure that they are well looked after, and, indeed, the royal commission visited Wagga Wagga. It held a hearing over three days, from 28 November to 1 December 2022, at the Mercure Hotel in our city. It heard some harrowing evidence, I have to say. It truly did.

I am pleased that we have two very good centres looking after the needs and expectations of our veterans. I would place on the record the work being done by many, including so many volunteers at RSL LifeCare's Riverina Veteran and Family Hub on 240 Baylis Street, right on the main street of our town. We have not only the RSL but also Pro Patria Centre, a community based centre which is located at 19 Morshead Street, Ashmont.

Just recently, on 3 October, Charles Sturt University, which is also based at Wagga Wagga, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pro Patria to bolster initiatives to enhance the quality of life of veterans, first responders and their families. The MOU supports recommendations within the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, handed down on 9 September. The landmark collaboration between CSU and Pro Patria represents a significant step forward, a giant leap, in addressing the critical health and wellbeing needs of contemporary veterans. I said at that landmark signing, and I say it here, that we do owe a debt of gratitude to the Carmelite sisters, the nuns, whose premise is in Ashmont where the Pro Patria Centre now stands and stands proudly to continue to serve our veterans, as they served us.

The MOU focuses on initiatives to enhance veterans' quality of life, which is so very integral and vital. The MOU also speaks to the tragic numbers of deaths by suicide amongst members of the ADF, which were recently outlined within a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The report outlined that there were 1,677 certified deaths by suicide of ADF members between 1997 and 2021—1,677. One would have been too many, yet there were 1,677, and it is an eternal shame for us as a nation to have that number of people who put on a uniform and who died so needlessly. They are missed by their families. You can imagine. We're only a few short weeks away from Christmas. At each of those 1,677 tables, this Christmas and every other Christmas to come, there will be an empty chair, and that is so heartbreaking. That is why the royal commission was such an important gathering of people from all over the nation to come and tell their stories, but, more importantly, for this place to listen and to act—and act we must.

I commend this legislation for what it does, but, in saying that, I note there has been some criticism. I will raise those criticisms in a short while. But, just getting back to the MOU between CSU and Pro Patria, it aims to collaborate on the following:

Develop education programs specifically tailored to the needs of veteran and Australian Defence Force (ADF) students, to support them when transitioning into higher education—

which is good—

Research on veteran health and wellbeing, focussing on post-transition experiences in Australian veterans, especially those in regional and rural areas—

where services perhaps aren't as great as those in our metropolitan areas—

Sharing best practices in veteran support, including mental health counselling and career guidance—

not everyone will require mental health support, but I'm pleased to say that every one of our veterans who has served even a minute will be entitled to access to mental health counselling, and this CSU-PPC collaboration also goes to enhance that—

Raising awareness and understanding of veteran experiences within the University and the wider public, to foster a more supportive community for veterans in the Riverina region.

This is good. I commend Professor Megan Smith from the Faculty of Science and Health, as well as Jacqui Van de Velde and many others, for the work that they have done to bring about this important MOU and the work that they will continue to do through it.

I also think it's important to acknowledge Colonel Stone, the commandant at Kapooka. What he has done at that facility is to continue the efforts that previous commandants have gone to. Being the commander of the Kapooka base, I think, is the most important position in Army and, indeed, in the ADF, because the trust and responsibility that is bestowed upon them is so very significant. We thank Colonel Tim Stone for what he has done. I know he's moving on from his post, but I wish him every success, and I'm pleased to say he's going to continue in the recruiting space.

There has been some criticism of certain elements of this bill. It would be remiss of me not to point out that RSL Australia has said that the various provisions in the bill do not adequately refer to 'veterans' but merely to 'persons who have served'. These are their words, not mine:

The RSL expresses its concern that the proposed legislation enabling members and former members of the ADF to access DVA benefits identified the necessary qualifications of various categories of 'persons' who have served in the ADF. It makes no mention of 'veterans'. The view of the RSL is that the word 'veteran' should be visible and should be inclusive, as identified in the definition in Section 4 of the Australian Veterans' Recognition (Putting Veterans and their Families First) Act 2019.

I understand that, being a former veterans' affairs minister. I get that.

Legacy Australia said it lacks a clause to enable data exchange with Centrelink to avoid overpayments—we don't want to see that—and then provisions going to getting those remittances repaid. Further, Legacy suggests that this opportunity for major reform should be fully embraced with other changes, including that veterans should be reimbursed for medical evidence costs. They talk about inadequate DVA medical fees. Legacy regularly hears from its clubs of the difficulty that families of veterans have in accessing medical treatment, including for mental health, due to the medical practitioners not being prepared to provide medical services at the rates paid by the DVA. These rates need to be reviewed and at least raised to those paid by the NDIS. There is probably no argument there.

The Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Association mentioned that the legislation, in its view, was too complex and not enough reform. While the association supports the government's aim of simplifying the administrative arrangements for providing support arrangements for defence personnel, veterans and their families, they believe that the proposed legislation remains too complex. It also excludes whole classes of veterans and has not been drafted to reflect the nature of current and future operations. That's what the association said.

When finalising this, the ALP needs to take those constructive criticisms into account because, as the member for Moreton quite correctly pointed out, we owe our veterans no less. He mentioned the fact that the very front doors of the—newly refurbished, I'm proud to say—Australian War Memorial lead right along Anzac Parade, right through the front doors of the parliament, right through the cabinet table and right through to the Prime Minister's desk. That is not just symbolic; that is necessary. Every leader of this nation understands how important our veterans are. Every member of this place should do everything they can as members to help constituents. I'm proud to say that I have a fine veteran community in the Riverina. I'll just finally say a big thank you to Bob and Gladys Bak of Bethungra, who do more than many to help our veterans, as they should and as we should.