QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr KEOGH (Burt—Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel) (15:10): I thank the member for his question. In the process of developing these reforms, I engaged with all of the members of the ex-service organisation roundtable. We also put these reforms forward at a previous Senate inquiry before the last election.

I have engaged with many ex-service organisations around these issues. I'm not going to go into chapter and verse of every individual conversation I have, just to satisfy your ego. If you don't want to engage collaboratively with the government around these important reforms— The SPEAKER: Has the minister concluded his answer?

I'll take that as no. The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order? Mr Hawke: I notice the Leader of the House was about to jump with his policing of the 'you' and 'your'—his long-term ode to all of us.

The minister has used several 'you' and 'yours' in his response, and I know the Leader of the House has a very significant concern about that language. The SPEAKER: It would assist the House greatly if the minister would follow the standing orders and direct all comments through the chair. The manager is correct.

Mr KEOGH: And I thank the member for raising it. As I said before, I have had lengthy engagement in respect of the Defence Amendment (Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal) Bill 2025 that will make sure that we have a tribunal that is modern and able to look after the concerns of our veterans, and it will make sure that the tribunal is able to consider relevant evidence that is easily available to it.

That's why we have these reforms. There is a committee considering these reforms right now in the Senate, and I look forward to engaging with the opposition and all members on how we can deliver important reform to modernise the work of the tribunal.