MATTERS OF URGENCY
Senator McDONALD (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (16:16): Our veterans are Australians who put on the uniform, who serve this country and who are prepared to put themselves in harm's way to defend our freedoms and our way of life. Yesterday, on Vietnam Veterans Day, a number of veterans came here to be heard by their government. As a senator based in Townsville, one of the largest veteran communities in the country, I was appalled to hear their stories.
This minister has developed a pattern of behaviour that neither he nor veterans nor the Prime Minister should consider acceptable. This is not just one bad meeting. This is not one mistake.
This is a pattern of behaviour. He makes the decision, he ignores the veterans, he waits for the outrage, and then he retreats. This week, we heard from former RAAF pilot and GP, Dr Tim Nelson.
He said the meeting 'confirmed for us that lack of trust'. This is a meeting they had requested and only received as a result of Michael McCormack MP, the member for Riverina, calling out the minister for not meeting with veterans in question time. Very hurriedly, a meeting was organised.
Donna Manton, a Defence veteran, advocate and longtime Labor supporter said she was heartsick to be calling out this government for not caring about veterans. Former Australian Navy diver John Armfield said, 'I enlisted under the navy values of courage, honour, honesty and loyalty, yet the minister failed to demonstrate any of those values.' This is the verdict of veterans who are completely aligned on scrapping this tax.
But this did not start this week. There was the medals debacle. Minister Matt Keogh tried to impose a 20-year limit on retrospective Defence honours and awards.
Veterans condemned it. Major veterans organisations opposed it. Former lieutenant colonel George Hulse described it as 'a regressive, repressive and oppressive' action.
Eventually, the government was forced to withdraw the legislation. Even then, Minister Keogh blamed it on an inflammatory misinformation campaign from the veterans. Veterans object, the minister gets it wrong, and, somehow, everybody else is to blame.
Then came Doug and Kaye Baird, the parents of Corporal Cameron Baird VC, MG. Minister Keogh withdrew their longstanding travel support. Doug Baird said the minister had 'failed us badly'.
Public outrage followed, then another reversal. Invictus Australia had funding removed. Veterans pushed back, and the funding was reinstated in another backflip.
But now this, the $5,000 allied health threshold—again, announce first, consult later. There was a hastily convened, late in the day meeting where they were treated so disrespectfully, with not even a handshake on greeting. That is the Australian way to greet people, but the minister, apparently, had so little respect for veterans, he couldn't even bother with that.
Renee Wilson, CEO of the Families of Veterans Guild, said the first she heard of the minister's discussion paper was in question time. What did the minister tell the parliament? He said that consultation with the veteran community will be starting soon—starting soon when the policy had already been announced.
Veterans are already fighting it. Only now does the minister decide it might be useful, perhaps, to listen to them. This is his record: medals, a forced retreat; the Baird family, a reversal; Invictus, a reversal; the $5,000 threshold, announce first, consult later, and there are already veterans on suicide watch; and on refusing to meet veterans, 'I got it wrong'.
How many times can one minister get it so wrong? How many veterans can he fail? How many veterans' families can he fail?
Instead of attacking the messenger, Labor should finally listen to them. Our veterans have fought for Australia. They should not have to fight Minister Keogh as well.
They say they have lost trust in him, but what about the Prime Minister? When is the Prime Minister going to take action on this minister who has lost the trust of our most revered people in Australia, our veterans?