MATTERS OF URGENCY

Senator MARIELLE SMITH (South Australia) (16:37): I also rise to speak on this matter of urgency moved by Senator Cadell. From the outset, I want to put on the record my utmost respect and gratitude for our nation's veterans. I'm sure many people in this chamber share a similar family story to mine.

My family is deeply proud of our family members who have served in both world wars and more recently in the Middle East. My husband is a former member of our defence forces, and we know the impact that service has on both the individuals who bravely serve in our name and on their families, not just in the immediate aftermath of that service but with impacts that can last many months, many years and many decades.

I know that none of us in this chamber would ever seek to diminish that service or to diminish the respect we all share for our veterans. We know that those people in our country who bravely put themselves forward to serve do so at great sacrifice for their own wellbeing and great sacrifice which has ongoing impacts for their families. Today I want to use my contribution to simply place some information, some facts and some context on the table, because the truth is, when the Albanese Labor government came to power, we began the work that meant that we now have better funded and resourced the Department of Veterans' Affairs than it has been in three decades.

Since day one, our government has worked to improve the lives of defence personnel, veterans and families in Australia, with significant funding increases. The truth is that veteran support funding when we came to government was in a dire state. Under the previous government, DVA was underfunded and underresourced.

This meant veterans weren't getting access to the services and supports they needed and deserved, and I think many on the other side of the chamber would agree with that now. There was a huge backlog of almost 42,000 new veterans claims that had not been looked at by anyone in DVA. As a result of the funding we've invested, we've cleared that shameful backlog, and that has had a big impact on people's lives.

I know it was a source of incredible frustration, disappointment and upset, and it's a good thing that that backlog has gone. We're continuing to resource DVA to provide that funding for healthcare support and compensation that veterans need and deserve. With respect to the current changes that are under way, again, some information I think is helpful to lay on the table, but obviously, our goal must be to ensure that those who serve our country have the support that they need, have the support that they deserve.

The government is making a substantial increase to the fees paid to allied health professionals providing services to veterans to improve access to those services. This was a key recommendation of the royal commission. It was recommendation 71.

These reforms are about trying to reduce the burden on veterans to go back to their GP every 12 months for a new referral. Not everyone has the same GP and it's not easy for everybody to go see a new GP, to share their story, to share their pain and to share why they might need an allied healthcare service. Then there is the review point.

This is meant to be about reducing the time and the financial burden that veterans experience when they do have to go back to their GP every 12 months; rather, having a different system which avoids that kind of burden. Critically, we're ensuring that further care will be available if there's a clinical need beyond that $5,000. It's important to say as well that veterans approaching the threshold will have their treatment reviewed with their healthcare team, but they will be able to access those services.

There will still be continuity of services while DVA considers any requests for additional care so there is no unnecessary interruption to that treatment. Again, that's an important piece of information that should be laid on the table in this debate; so, too, that these changes will not impact veterans on the special rate disability pension or on the totally and permanently incapacitated pension, or have been determined to be catastrophically injured.

Also, there is ongoing consultation and it's important that that consultation is able to take place. It's important that people are able to have their voices heard in that consultation, and I'm confident that the minister and our government are listening closely to that. We are committed to ensuring veterans receive high-quality care.

I think everyone in this chamber would never diminish the commitment of others to our veterans and to the armed services. There is more work under way here in terms of that consultation, but having the facts on the table about what these reforms do is important too.