MOTIONS
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (15:16): I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Riverina from moving the following motion immediately—That this House: (1) requires the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel to immediately attend the Chamber and be permitted to speak for no more than 15 minutes to explain: (a) why the Government is proceeding with the proposed veterans allied healthcare cap despite widespread concern from veterans, ex-service organisations and allied health providers; (b) what consultation was undertaken with veterans and stakeholder organisations before the announcement of the proposed cap; (c) what modelling, advice and impact assessments informed the Government's decision; and (d) how the Government can guarantee that veterans with complex and ongoing health conditions will not be worse off under the proposed changes; and (2) permits the Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs to attend the Chamber and speak for no more than 10 minutes in response to the Minister's statement.
I have the statement there. Our veterans deserve better, and they have not been treated accordingly by this government. The words 'lest we forget' must carry meaning.
It must just not be on 25 April or 11 November, when politicians stand beside veterans with medals, veterans who have served and veterans who expect better and say the words 'lest we forget'. There are a couple of other terms that are important too. One of those terms is 'for what they have done, this we will do,' and it is the concluding line of the Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant oath.
It's also the line used on the white and gold cards that our veterans so appropriately receive, and so many veterans showed me that card during the past fortnight, when I went to every state and territory and heard from hundreds upon hundreds of veterans at 11 forums. They had a mixture of both anger and sadness, disappointment and betrayal. They feel insulted by this government with its insidious, its unjust and its un-Australian cap on allied health services for our veterans.
There's another line that I want to read to the parliament. It was on a wreath this morning, and it read: 'For those whose battle followed them home.' That wreath was laid down at the front of this building, and it was laid by eight veterans and family members who then, almost unbelievably, laid down their medals, and that was done with a heavy heart—for veterans to take their well-earned medals from their chests and lay them next to a wreath and to say that they do not accept this government's allied healthcare cap.
I shouldn't even use the word 'care', because this government has stopped caring and has stopped listening to veterans. At least the minister today showed the veterans a little bit of respect, just a smidgen. But it's about time, because a fortnight ago, when those veterans came to this place, he wouldn't see them and, when he did see them, he folded his arms, rolled his eyes back and threw his hands in the air, and he did not want to know about their concerns and issues.
So that is why I went right around the country over the past fortnight, and do you know what, Opposition Leader? I thought that probably, in one out of the many forums and among the many hundreds of veterans, I'd get one veteran who would say: 'Hang on a minute. The cap's okay, for this reason or that.' But I didn't hear one—not one.
I did not hear one veteran, out of the hundreds upon hundreds who attended those forums, in their own time and on their own dime, who was prepared to defend the government's policy—a policy, I might add, that was brought in without consultation prior to the May budget. There was no consultation. He came out of left field, and that is so typical of this government—bringing in policy that is going to our veterans.
And here we have the rub. Under the very mischievous and misleading heading 'Continuing to support veterans and their families', the budget 2026-27 information sheet says: The Government will achieve savings of $748.0 million over three years from 2027-28 (and $340.2 million per year ongoing) from the introduction of a $5,000 Annual Monetary Limit for veterans' allied health services.
Further savings of $30.1 million over three years from 2027-28 (and $12.2 million per year ongoing) will be achieved from simplifying referral requirements. Well, tell a veteran that those referrals are going to be any easier. Tell that to a veteran who might happen to live regionally or remotely, far away from the city lights, because it's actually going to make it more difficult.
Whoever came up with that should be reprogrammed and sent over the obstacle course at Kapooka, home of the soldier, at dawn every day for a month, because that is a disgrace. That sentence is an insult to our veterans who've put on a uniform and gone to protect this nation and its people. The government's first responsibility is to protect its people.
Well, they're not protecting the people who protected the nation, and this is a disgrace. This $5,000 allied healthcare cap has been an absolute ambush on our veterans. They expect better and, moreover, they deserve better, but they're not being given any better by a government which refuses to listen.
It was only last week that we saw the minister scrambling and actually making some carve-outs, for TPI and other veterans, from this insidious policy. Do you know what he said this morning when he met the veterans, the Coalition of Veterans' Voices? He said, 'What other groups might you think should be carved out?' That's what the veterans told me.
It's policy on the run. He has absolutely no idea, no care and no empathy for our veterans. That bells the cat.
It's a saving. It's a cut to veterans, who do not deserve it. They have fought hard for this country.
Even if they never left the canteen at Puckapunyal, they have served. They have served our country. They did what was told by this country, they did what was asked by this parliament and they deserve better from this government, which has no empathy when it comes to our veterans.
It's absolutely going against everything this government ever said when it came to office in May 2022, when it said, 'We will not leave anybody behind.' Well, let me tell you: tell that to the half a million veterans and to the 60,000 who are currently in uniform. They're proud of Australia. They're proud of our flag.
They're proud of our people. But I tell you what: they're feeling a little bit tarnished and a little bit less worthy because of this insidious government—and it is—and this minister, who showed them contempt. At least he's given them a meeting today, but he's got his department scrambling now to try to catch up.
He's flown to Sydney—okay. He's got on a Teams meeting and had a photo up with all the stakeholders. Well, he should have done that before the budget.
Do you know what he should have done when that Treasury official came in and said that the Treasury wanted savings from every department? The minister should have banged the table and said: 'We're not going to take it for veterans. We're not going to take any money away from veterans, because our veterans deserve better.' And what we deserve is a minister who stands up for the people he's supposed to serve.
He's not just the minister for Veterans' Affairs; he's the Minister of Defence— Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting— Mr McCORMACK: You shut up, Member for McEwen! You absolutely shut up! And you should, because this is important.
These are our veterans. They cannot— The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Chesters ): The member for Riverina will withdraw that remark. Mr McCORMACK: I'm not going to!
He should be quiet. He is screaming out at me when I'm sticking up for veterans, and I'm not going to withdraw it. There's no way known I'm going to withdraw it.
He should be quiet. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! To assist the House, we do not use that language.
We do not use that language. For the respect of the House, I ask you to withdraw the use of that word. Mr McCORMACK: What he should do is use his voice to stick up for veterans, because they deserve our support.
It doesn't matter what side of parliament you're on. They need support. Ms Kara Cook: On a point of order—under standing order 91, the member has repeatedly disobeyed the presiding officer, and I ask you to bring him back to the matter at hand.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Riverina, you've withdrawn the remark? Mr McCORMACK: I did withdraw the remark. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Riverina can continue.
Mr McCORMACK: What we should be doing is scrapping the cap. What we should be doing is sacking the minister and putting a minister in cabinet who actually understands and has empathy for our veterans, who deserve better. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is the motion seconded?