I’m always pleased, Deputy Speaker, to rise in this place and speak on veterans’ affairs.

We all come to this place with a mix of different motivations and interests, and for me, getting a better deal for our veterans is part of what drove me to serve in public life.

This isn’t just because I am a veteran.

It’s not only because I believe that the sacrifices that our servicepeople make for our country should be properly recognised and supported.

My efforts to get a better deal for veterans in this place are driven first and foremost by the poor treatment they consistently receive.

It is appalling how our veterans are treated.

We are in the ninth year of a Liberal-National government, Deputy Speaker.

Nine long years.

Over nine years, we have had six Ministers for Veterans Affairs.

Six. In nine years. That’s an incredibly significant turnover.

In any other workplace, you might think that there was a problem, that there was a reason for this.

But on the eve of an election, its worth reflecting on it.

Why have there been six ministers for veterans in nine years?

We started back in 2013 with Michael Ronaldson, a former member of the other place.

That was back when Tony Abbott was Prime Minister. Remember him?

We then moved on to the Member for Fadden, the Member for Wannon, the Member for Riverina, the Member for Gippsland, and now we have the Member for Calare.

At three whole years, the member for Gippsland was the longest serving Veterans Affairs minister of the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison government.

When someone decides to write a history of the past nine years of government, political management of veterans’ affairs certainly won’t be remembered on any list of wins.

But, Deputy Speaker, we have a bill before us.

Part of being a member of this place is treating and judging each piece of legislation introduced by the government on its own merits.

This is a good bill, a sound and appropriate piece of legislation.

This positive and evidence-based policy has been something that we in the Labor Party have been calling for over a long period of time.  

This is a piece of practical support for veterans and their families – not more empty words or gestures, but real practical support.

We will of course support this legislation, as has been established in this debate.

This bill will expand and extend eligibility and services available to more families of veterans, including widowed partners.

The inclusion of widowed partners here is important.

The bill will provide support for widowed partners from the date of their acceptance into the program, and not from the time of the death of their veteran partner.

The range of services that will become available under this legislation will include child care, child psychology, and home help services.

Ultimately this will allow greater choice and flexibility in how these services are accessed and utilised, putting agency back in the hands of veterans and their families.

This will enable families to themselves choose what support they need, in part by removing limits on childcare, counselling and household support.

The expansion of these supports will include garden maintenance, meal preparation, support with financial literacy and mental health first aid training.

These supports will be critical to aid families in their transition to new life circumstances.

These are important, practical measures.

I know when I talk to veterans and their families, I’m often told that they don’t feel like they are being listened to, particularly when they describe the additional supports they need.

I hope that some of these changes will address those concerns.

At the end of the day, giving veterans and their families more support and the power to make their own decisions is a positive thing.

I am confident that this bill will yield some positive changes.

While eligibility requirements are being relaxed, the support package will be directed at families and veterans experiencing crisis.

Similarly, the support will be directed to veterans under the age of 65, to target the families of working age veterans.

Broadly, these are positive changes.

But there is a larger issue here.

It speaks to the general posture of this Government when it comes to veterans’ affairs.

This is important and positive legislation. No one questions this.

But if its so important and positive, why are we debating it now?

This could well be the second last sitting day of this Parliament.

The issues that this bill address are not new – in fact, the government has been aware of them for some time.

The issues that the bill seeks to address have been made clear through inquiries, reviews, and reports.

The testimony at the Royal Commission that’s happening right now is full of stories of the need for enhanced support for veterans and their families.

Anyone who has ever bothered to speak to a veteran in distress, or their family, will know what the issues and challenges are.

There is nothing new in any of this.

So then why are we only coming to this important bill now?

Has the Government finally come to the painful realisation, after nine years and six ministers, that they have been completely failing veterans and their families?

Is that why now, on the eve of an election, we are debating this bill?

It is extraordinary and unacceptable that this important bill has been left to the final hours of this Parliament.

Deputy Speaker, it will not shock you to hear that I’m working hard to ensure that there will be change of government at the coming election.

If there is a change, then this very debate will be a fitting and appropriate capstone to the last nine years of Coalition management of Veterans’ Affairs.

Six ministers over nine years.

Dragged kicking and screaming to call a Royal Commission into the suffering of our veterans.

A Minister having to publicly threaten to resign in order to be taken seriously through the budget process.

And now this.

An important piece of legislation that will actually help our veterans and their families, up for debate in the twilight hours of this Parliament, and hopefully this Government.

You couldn’t make this stuff up.

This Government’s management of veterans’ affairs has ranged from incompetent to neglectful.

There needs to be a major change for the sake of our veterans and their families.

I still can’t believe that the present Minister had to publicly threaten to resign to get his department’s submissions to the budget process to be taken seriously.

It is an extraordinary thing that frankly he has yet to fully or satisfactorily explain.

He may be Minister Number Six but he has already made one major contribution to our understanding of the management of veterans’ affairs under this government.

He has brought into stark and public view the utter failure of this government, and the lack of seriousness with which they approach veteran affairs.

This may be a good bill, but this is a bad government, and it is long past time that they go.