STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator SCARR (Queensland) (12:25): I should say at the outset, in terms of women representing the coalition in this place, that one of the reasons that Senator Mulholland was able to make the cheap crack she just made was that so many of the women serving the coalition in the Senate are on the front bench: Senator Cash, our leader; Senator Ruston, the deputy leader; Senator Bridget McKenzie; Senator McDonald; Senator Chandler; Senator Hume; Senator Henderson; and Senator Nampijinpa Price.

So the coalition has outstanding women on the front bench in the Senate. Senator Farrell: Why aren't you there? Senator SCARR: As a backbencher I'm proud to serve behind them.

Senator Farrell. I'm proud to serve behind them on the back bench. There is outstanding female representation of the coalition in this place.

Having said that, I would like to commend Senator Mulholland for her comments in relation to endometriosis, and I would like to commend one of those women on the coalition side, Senator Anne Ruston, for her advocacy in relation to endometriosis. Some people very close and dear to me have suffered from endometriosis, and their voices need to be heard. I think all senators would be acutely interested in progressing an appropriate response to endometriosis in this country.

I have the opportunity to give this statement because Senator Jacqui Lambie ceded her position on the speaking list to me because she was unable to attend proceedings today. I wish Senator Lambie all the best. So it is appropriate for me to use this opportunity to talk about some of the evidence that was received in the additional estimates hearing from the Department of Veterans' Affairs in relation to its engagement with the medical profession—in particular those members of the medical profession providing health services to our veterans.

This is something which Senator Lambie is passionate about and something which I have previously spoken out in this place. I must say that the evidence we received in additional estimates on Tuesday 10 March 2026 underlined the concerns that have been reported to me by members of the health profession who are seeking to provide health services to our veterans.

I want to quickly walk through some of the issues which were covered in Senate estimates. The transcript of the hearing is now online for anyone who wants to read it in its totality. The first issue that I raised, which had been raised with me by the Queensland Branch of the Australian Medical Association, the AMA, was that a number of medical practitioners had received letters from the department which they felt were treating them as criminals.

They were raising legitimate questions with respect to what invoicing amounts they should make, and, instead of having an opportunity to engage with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and alleviate those concerns, they were receiving letters which had a paragraph in them talking about potential references to the Australian Federal Police—totally inappropriate.

I raised those questions during estimates with the secretary and deputy secretary. I'm looking forward to their further responses. Similar concerns were raised by Senator Shoebridge from the Greens party and also Senator David Pocock from the crossbench.

This is a real concern with respect to the Department of Veterans' Affairs conducting itself in such a way that medical practitioners who are doing their best to support our veterans feel that they're being communicated with as if they're doing the wrong thing and potentially should be referred to the Australian Federal Police. That's the first point we discussed.

The next point that we discussed during this estimates hearing was whether or not the Department of Veterans' Affairs pays the same fee to all providers for compensation medical assessments. So the concerns being raised with me are that there are small practices seeking to charge a fee that are getting those fees questioned et cetera, and then we find out that there are larger practices—in particular, mlcoa—that are charging fees at different rates and getting paid for those higher fees.

This raises the question of whether we are operating in a two-fee system. I raised these questions with the department, and, I've got to say, the answers that were given on the evening of the additional estimates were unsatisfactory. I was referred to a schedule.

Sure, the schedule has been published, but the question is whether or not there are different fees being paid to different providers providing the same service. And those questions linger. So I'm very much looking forward to the Department of Veterans' Affairs' further explanation on those matters.

Another issue that was raised was with respect to the different fees which are paid by, for example, WorkCover Queensland, for medical assessments, as opposed to the fees paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Why is it that, as to a medical assessment performed by a medical professional on behalf of a veteran, that medical professional is paid less than what WorkCover is paying for a similar sort of medical assessment?

In many cases, the veteran's medical health assessment is far more complicated, because you're dealing with a longer history and multiple conditions. Again, we haven't received a satisfactory answer to that question, up to today's date. So, again, I encourage the department to give us the data and provide us the further information and explanations, because these issues are being raised with us.

Senator David Pocock raised a concern, in terms of what is referred to as the treating doctor issue, as to the department wanting to make sure that whoever is providing a medical assessment is the treating doctor. Senator David Pocock raised an issue of a contact with a medical practitioner, just during the course of this month, which asked for all clinical notes in relation to a patient, from April 2023 all the way up to 2026!

What an administrative nightmare! Why are we imposing this administrative nightmare upon our health practitioners, who are trying to provide a service to our veterans? Again, this is something which needs to be further prosecuted.

So I've raised these questions. I've put additional questions on notice. I also note the comments that the Department of Veterans' Affairs made: that they benchmark the rates that they permit to be charged, in relation to this work for our veterans, to national AMA rates.

Well, can I tell you that at no time was the Australian Medical Association Queensland consulted, and nor were the members of AMA Queensland, and AMA Queensland has confirmed that with me. So I will be pursuing that issue as well. Also I will be pursuing the multiple issues that have been raised by medical practitioners and veterans with me, directly, since I asked these questions in estimates.

That's given me every confidence—not in the system as it's currently working, but in the concerns. It has given me every confidence that there's substance in the concerns that are being raised with me. And I will continue to pursue these issues, as I'm sure Senator Lambie will.

On Saturday night, I had the opportunity to celebrate Nowruz with our wonderful Iranian Queensland community. Nowruz is the celebration of the New Year which occurs in Iran. It's thousands of years old.

And there is no place I'd rather have been on Saturday night than with our Iranian Queensland community, celebrating Nowruz. I am inspired by that community. I'm inspired by the way our Iranian Queensland community has, weekend after weekend, protested in favour of human rights and spoken up for freedom and democracy in Iran.

I'm inspired that they've had the courage to do that, notwithstanding that the long arm of the existing, evil regime in Iran extends its way into Australia, through foreign infiltration, and seeks to intimidate—to instil fear in—members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia. I'm inspired that our Iranian Australian community is still advocating for freedom, democracy and peace in Iran.

I was left to reflect on the fact that, since we gathered for the previous year's New Year celebrations, tens of thousands of Iranians have perished. They have been murdered by the evil regime in Iran over the course of the last 12 months. I reflect on the sacrifices they've made for freedom and democracy in their homeland, and I'm sure all senators would agree with me that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Iranian Australian community as they advocate for peace and democracy in Iran.

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