QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
Senator COLLINS (New South Wales—Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate) (15:03): I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. Well, I must admit that I am growing increasingly disappointed with the Labor government and the way that it continues to back in its ministers that are failing the people of Australia.
We asked today about Minister Keogh, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs—and, quite frankly, what a disgrace he's been for our veterans. We have seen a pattern from this government since the start of the year. Let me run through all the insults that they have hurled at our veteran and serving community.
First they released the Defence estate audit report, which told all the veterans and serving members in Australia that they were going to sell our key defence assets, like Victoria Barracks Sydney, which is the birthplace of the Australian Army and the heart and soul of the Australian Defence Force. They didn't do any consultations on that. They didn't do any consultations on Lancer Barracks, which is a place that people call home, a place veterans have called home for decades and decades and a place where they ask to have their ashes spread.
They ask to return home to their barracks. This Labor government doesn't care. They want to sell it and put apartment blocks there.
They want to sell it to the highest bidder because the Minister for Defence can't get the money he needs to pay the bills. Then they brought the most bizarre bill to parliament about medals and the tribunal, which told veterans that they now had a time limit to get their applications in for a medal or an appeal for a medal. They had to pay for the application, and they restricted the people that could apply on their behalf.
Of the 63 submissions that went in on this particular bill, 62 of them said: 'What on earth are you doing here? Why are you doing this?' There was also a clause in that bill that gave the minister the power to remove a medal from a veteran, and no-one could appeal it. Not one person could appeal that.
It was a political decision. Guess what happened with that bill? They had to remove it because there was such public outcry and backlash.
Then they tried to cut funding for Invictus, which is such an important institution for our veteran family right across the world. The things it does for the mental health of our veterans—they tried to cut that, but they've withdrawn that. Then they tried to take the funding away from the Baird family who go around Australia and teach our children about our Victoria Cross recipient and his brave heroism for our country.
They backflipped on that too. Now they're trying to put caps on allied health for our veterans. We had veterans come down here just this week to tell our minister that this is not okay.
He did not receive them. He did not shake their hands. All he did was roll his eyes at them.
What an absolute disgrace. I say to the Labor government that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept, and you have all backed him in. It's a disgrace and it's an embarrassment.
I want to say to all the veterans out there that I am truly sorry, on behalf of this government, for how they've treated you.