STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:36): Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide tabling its final report in parliament. Many Australians, me included, feel deep and unwavering gratitude towards our veterans. These men and women who serve and have served make an extraordinary sacrifice for us, and that service must be met with the right support and care at home.

It is clear that this care has not always been honoured. Veterans and their loved ones told us during the royal commission that there were systemic cultural failures and administrative burdens that, unaddressed, left many surviving members and veterans suffering for years. And what I take from that is that the government must listen to the veteran community.

But the government is failing to do that—specifically, on a cap to allied health services that has been proposed by this government. Veterans in my community feel blindsided by this change. They feel that the policy doesn't actually give them the detail for them to feel confident that they can get the support that they need.

They already do not trust DVA in terms of its services, and, not surprisingly, there are almost 100,000 cases still unresolved at the moment with DVA. There are enormous case burdens in DVA. They don't believe they're going to get the answers in time, and they just don't know if they're going to get the service and the care that they need.

These are legitimate concerns raised by people who have served our country. The government must have better answers to this and serve our veteran community.