MOTIONS

Ms COMER (Petrie) (11:21): I'd like to start by thanking the member for Herbert for his service, particularly in Afghanistan. Yesterday's Afghanistan commemoration service at the War Memorial was very moving and well overdue. I want to thank any members in this House who have served in the military and, particularly, the member for Herbert, who served in Afghanistan, as did the member for Canning.

I'd like to make something very clear. When veterans raise concerns about their health care, we have a responsibility to listen—not just to nod along and thank them for their time and their service but to take those concerns seriously and do something about them. When the proposed changes to veterans' allied health arrangements were announced, I heard from veterans across Petrie who were deeply concerned about what this might mean for them.

These are people who have served our country, who live with the physical and mental impacts of that service and who depend on allied health services to manage their conditions. They were worried about their access to treatment and whether the support they needed and relied on would change. I shared those concerns.

I wanted them to know that their local member would make their case and would not just send a standard response and leave it there. I committed to meeting any and every veteran who wanted to speak with me about these changes, and I kept that commitment. I sat down with veterans, listened to their experience and heard firsthand why they were worried.

Some of those conversations were really difficult. People were frustrated, and they have every right to ask questions about the decisions affecting their health. Those conversations informed the position I took.

I brought their concerns back to the government and made my view clear: the proposed $5,000 threshold needed to go. I understand what our government was trying to achieve. The proposal was intended to reduce how often veterans need to return to their GP for referrals by replacing the existing 12-visit treatment cycle with a new review threshold.

Just to put that into context: 12 visits to, say, a physio is just under $1,000. There was a threshold of about $1,000 for a 12-visit referral, and that's a barrier for many veterans. But it's important that people can understand the changes, and I support the changes that we have since made.

These changes were accompanied by the largest proposed increase in allied health provider fees in 20 years, and clinically necessary treatment could have continued well beyond that threshold. But the veterans had serious concerns about how it would work in practice, and that is very valid. When people relying on a service tell you something isn't right, you have to be prepared to reconsider it.

That's why I argued alongside colleagues—including the member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, and the member for Spence, Matt Burnell, and many others who were hearing the same concerns. We made the case directly to the minister that the threshold needed to be taken off the table. A proposal meant to improve a system can not succeed if it leaves the people relying on it feeling unheard.

The minister listened and acted in the best interests of veterans, as he has always done. I'm proud of the role I played, and I'm proud to be part of a government that is prepared to listen when its members bring their community's concerns to Canberra. When veterans in Petrie raised concerns about the proposed allied health changes, I listened.

I met with every veteran who asked to speak with me and I took their concerns back into government. Alongside colleagues including the member for Solomon and the member for Spence, I pushed for the $5,000 threshold to be taken off the table, and that is exactly what happened. The minister listened and the government acted.

I'm proud to have helped deliver that outcome, but the real credit belongs with the veterans who spoke up. On 17 September, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh, announced that the government would withdraw the proposed threshold. That was the right decision and it is an important outcome for the veteran community.

I acknowledge the veterans, the advocates and the ex-service organisations who spoke up, including those who engaged with members on both sides of this House. Their concerns led to action—and that doesn't mean our work is finished. The government remains committed to increasing allied health provider fees from 1 July 2027 to help veterans access the care they need.

We're continuing to implement recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and make the veteran support system easier to navigate, and we'll keep working with veterans and healthcare providers to improve that system. An important part of being a local member is making sure that the people you represent have a voice here in Canberra.

Sometimes that means difficult conversations. Sometimes it means pushing for a different approach even within your own government. That's part of the job, and it's a responsibility that I take seriously.

To the veterans who contacted me, met with me and trusted me to continue to take their concerns forward, I thank you. Your voices were heard, your advocacy made a difference and I will continue to stand up for you.