ALP withdraws its own Bill following Senate and community pressure
ALP withdraws its own Bill following Senate and community pressure | Australian Greens Skip to main content Search Get Involved Join Donate Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Get Involved Join Donate Search Our plan Toggle Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Toggle Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Toggle Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement Toggle About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news ALP withdraws its own Bill following Senate and community pressure 2025-11-24 Today, the Albanese Government withdrew the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal Bill 2025, after sustained pressure from the community.
This Bill sought to make significant backward changes to Defence Honours cases before the Awards Appeals Tribunal. It would have seen a 20-year time limit for reviewing honours and a separate 6-month appeals period for challenging decisions. The Bill would also remove the rights of extended families and experts to appeal decisions or seek awards to recognise past bravery and service.
The Greens co-authored a motion in the Senate in the last sitting week seeking to remove this Bill from the notice paper, sending a clear message to the Government. The government’s action today recognises the hard political reality that this Bill had zero support in the Parliament outside the Labor Party. You can read the Greens' full dissenting report on this Bill here Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Spokesperson on Defence and Veterans Affairs, said: “This is a victory for common sense against a Government that has been determined to ignore the Senate, and the entire veterans community.” “We have seen routinely over the past year the Albanese Government treat opposing voices with disdain and hostility.
This means even when the entire Parliament was pointing out that one of their Bills will hurt veterans, they didn’t want to listen. “There have been positive and welcome developments concerning the treatment of veterans over recent years, however, this Bill represented a step back. “We will continue to work with the Government to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, but we will not wave through bad laws.
“In recent history, we have seen rank-and-file Australian soldiers face horrible abuse in the military only to be abandoned by the higher-ups once they leave. This Bill represented a Defence leadership that gets what it wants with no pushback, until today.” Facebook for the Australian Greens YouTube for the Australian Greens X for the Australian Greens Instagram for the Australian Greens Bluesky for the Australian Greens Privacy Members website Your safety Contact us Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action In your language 2025 policy platform Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Federal portfolios Federal media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Upcoming events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Green Magazine All news Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Members website State/territory parties Contact us The Greens acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
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