ADDRESS TO RSLWA STATE CONGRESS

Thank you for the invitation to speak today. It’s a pleasure to be here. 

I would like to begin today by acknowledging the traditional owners on whose land we meet and pay my respect to their elders both past and present. 

I’d also like to acknowledge:

• The Hon Peter Tinley AM MLA, Minister for Housing; Veterans Issues; Youth, representing the Premier of Western Australia;
• The Hon Tjorn Sibma MLC, Shadow Minister for Government Accountability; Community Services; Youth; Seniors & Ageing; Volunteers; Veterans Issues;
• Commissioner Donald Spinks AM, representing Ms Liz Cosson AM CSC, Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs;
• RSLWA State President Mr Peter Aspinall AM as our host today;
• Distinguished guests; and
• All members of the RSLWA who are here today.

This is my first address to the RSLWA as the new Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel.

I know you have a strong tradition of military service here in the West, much like my home state of Queensland.

It’s an honour and a privilege to be appointed to this position and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work with our veterans, including organisations like the RSL. 

There is no greater service than the defence of our nation, and no greater honour as a Parliamentarian than to advocate for the welfare of our service and ex-service personnel.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor Amanda Rishworth for her work and sage advice. 

Amanda did an outstanding job working with the veterans’ community to develop a platform on how we can better support our current and former serving personnel and their families.

I look forward to building on the great work shehas done. 

As the Federal Member for Blair for the past 12 years, I have had a longstanding relationship with RAAF Base Amberley in my electorate, the largest Air Force base in Australia, and have been proud to advocate for the interests of the many Defence personnel and veterans who live in the region. 

Growing up I had the sons and daughters of Defence personnel in my class at school, as friends, in my sporting teams. 

I served on local committees with Defence personnel and we worshipped in the same church. 

I was actually at a Bomber Command Commemorative Service at Amberley when Labor Leader Anthony Albanese announced my appointment. 

The veterans’ community is a very important part of the fabric of life in Ipswich – as it is here in Perth. 

In Ipswich and the surrounding area alone, there are some 17 RSL Sub Branches and they make a huge contribution to the local community, as they do here and right across the country.

As the Opposition spokesman for Veterans’Affairs, I can assure you      I’ll make a point of listening to our former service men and women about what they think is best for them, their families and their communities.

I look forward to working with the Government and the Minister in a bipartisan way to ensure our ex-service personnel have a strong voice in Parliament, and get the best possible care and support.

However, I’m sure we’ll have some points of disagreement from time to time. 

Obviously the issue of veterans’ mental health and suicide rates has been front and centre this week – and rightly so.  

The high number of veteran suicides is a national shame and a personal tragedy.

This is an issue that has been the subject of many reviews in recent times. 

We have seen report after report, whether it’s the Senate inquiry, The Constant Battle report, the National Mental Health Commission review, the Pathways to Care report, the recent Transition and Wellbeing Research Program report – part of an ongoing longitudinal study – and the Productivity Commission review into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans’interim report, all of which made strong recommendations.

We have identified the issues. We know what the problem is. And yet we see little progress. 

So much so that this week, the Prime Minister has come out and admitted his government’sagencies are failing our most vulnerable veterans. 

I welcome his commitment to fix this and Labor is willing to work together with the Government to address this crisis.

But we will continue to hold them to account to ensure the recommendations of these various reports are implemented.  

What has become clear in conversations with veterans and the ex-service community is that military and veteran’s families are not always being heard when it comes to discussions of support and assistance.

The critical role families play in supporting and caring for their loved one can’t be overstated but the nature of military life is unique and families can also be deeply affected by military service.

This is why Labor took to the last election a policy and funding for a National Family Engagement and Support Strategy to better engage and support families who experience suicide, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder and major issues pre and post military service. 

This is because the research shows that mental health issues during service are the best predictor, and often a precursor to, mental health issues post-service. 

It’s also why Labor committed to improving access to mental health treatment and boosting research into veterans’ mental health.

Further, Labor committed $31 million to develop seven veterans’ wellbeing centres across Australia, including one in Ipswich my electorate. 

I was happy to see the Government embrace this policy and would encourage them to consider other policies Labor brought forward at the last election.

The health and welfare of our veterans is a highpriority for Labor. 

We owe a duty of care, not just for the time these people serve, but it needs to continue beyond people’s service.  

To that end, it was an extraordinary admission by the Minister this week that the Government doesn’t know how many veterans there are. 

We need to have the very best information available if we’re going to provide the best possible care and support for our ex-service personnel. 

This is why before the election, Labor committed to improving recordkeeping, data collection and information sharing to address current gaps in the health of our personnel and veterans. 

Veterans of war or warlike service need a system that’s fit for purpose. 

It’s time for action.

Following his reappointment as the Minister for Veterans, the Minister put out a media release listing his priorities for the first 100 days of his next term. 

However, there were a number of important issues missing from the release. 

Firstly, the final report of the Productivity Commission’s review into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans’ that I mentioned before is expected to be released at the end of June.

As many in this room will be aware, the PC’s interim report released at the end of last year recommended the dismantling of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or DVA. 

While there are a number of recommendations in the draft report which should be given serious consideration, such as the lifetime and wellbeing approach to supporting veterans and their families, other recommendations such as moving policy into a division within the Department of Defence should be immediately ruled out. 

Many veterans who access services through DVA have expressed their concern to me over this, so I’m calling on the Minister to stand up for the veterans’ community and ensure DVAcontinues as a standalone entity. 

Secondly, there are the reviews currently underway into DFRDB commutation and the above general rate of the Special Rate Disability Pension.

While Labor supports these reviews, it’s incumbent on the Government to treat their release and response as a matter of priority.  

These are significant issues in the veterans’community and veterans deserve to know the outcomes and what actions will be taken as soon as possible. 

And the Minister should also prioritise legislating the Military Covenant, which was introduced into the Parliament before the election, but lapsed when Parliament was prorogued. 

In closing, I’d like to thank you for inviting me here today. 

I look forward to working with you and the wider veterans’ community, to deliver better outcomes for our ex-service personnel.

I want to assure you all that Labor has yourback and we will fight for a fair go for our returned service man and women always. 

I would like to acknowledge all you do for veterans and the wider community. 

Thank you for your tireless devotion to looking after those who have served our nation and their loved ones. It does not go unnoticed. 

Thank you.

ENDS