Mr NEUMANN (Blair) (16:43): I rise today to speak on the third ministerial annual statement to parliament on veterans and their families. As the shadow minister, I'm pleased to have an opportunity to respond to this ministerial statement. At the outset, I want to join with the minister in recognising the sacrifices of those currently serving and those who have served before, and their families who support them, including those present in the chamber today who are members of the ADF Parliamentary Program. Just the other day I had the opportunity to address the members of that program on the challenges and vicissitudes of being an MP, and I want to thank them for the sage and insightful questions they put to me in relation to those experiences. We must ensure that they know that we value the sacrifices that these serving personnel and their families and those who have already served have made, and that we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and their loved ones. To do this, governments and communities must ensure that veterans and their families are supported during their service, through transition to civilian life and beyond. While we might disagree from time to time in this chamber on the best means to achieve that end, wherever possible Labor want to work with the government and the minister in a bipartisan way to ensure our ex-service personnel get the best possible care and support. We want veterans to know that we value the sacrifice they've made and we want to help them in their transition to civilian life. But we must do better in this country, as even the minister has acknowledged in his ministerial statement. When a veteran leaves the ADF, they do so with a wealth of practical and desirable skills. However, despite this, there are too many veterans struggling to find work upon their transition to civilian life. We must ensure veterans are well placed to move into employment post service and that industry understands the many benefits of employing a veteran. Labor believes that we can do better in this space and that we need to see programs better targeted and coordinated. In addition, Labor took a number of policies to the last election which were designed to ensure veterans' skills and experience are better valued and appreciated by the wider community. There are still barriers to veterans' skills being properly recognised, and this hampers the transition from military to civilian life, causing roadblocks that fail to recognise the many skills, talents and abilities of our ADF members. This is not about charity at all; this is about ensuring veterans' experiences and skills are not lost to our local communities. They need to be valued and appreciated in the civilian employment market. Labor wants to see greater collaboration with state and territory governments and with peak civil professional bodies to achieve greater automatic recognition of the many skills and qualifications of our ex-ADF members. We believe this is a useful first step in ensuring that those working in the ADF can move into meaningful employment in civilian life and make that transition to civilian life. There are other key elements of transition that are critical for veterans. They include mental health and wellbeing, an issue which has received a lot of publicity lately. It is a major focus of the government now, they say, and rightly so. The high number of veteran suicides is a national disgrace. This is an issue that has been the subject of many reviews in recent times, including the Transition and Wellbeing Research Program, part of an ongoing longitudinal study, and the Productivity Commission's inquiry into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans, which made strong recommendations. We've identified the issues. We know what the problems are. Yet we still see too little progress, so much so that the PM has admitted the system is broken and the government agencies are failing our most vulnerable veterans. According to the Productivity Commission report released on 4 July, we spent $13.2 billion in the Veterans' Affairs portfolio in 2017-18—about $47,000 a year per Department of Veterans' Affairs client—and it is still not working properly. I welcome the PM's commitment to fix this, and Labor is willing to work with the government to address this terrible crisis. We welcome the minister's mental health and wellbeing roundtable in June and the proposed strategy and action plan, but we need to see more urgency. I note the government is in its third term but still doesn't have an action plan and strategy, although I do welcome the minister's commitment to deliver one by the end of the year. The Productivity Commission's final report, A better way to support veterans, would be a good place to start. This is a damning report, released in July this year, which found veterans' compensation and rehabilitation systems are not fit for purpose. They're out of date, convoluted and hard to navigate and they don't serve the interests of veterans, their families and the wider Australian community. That's the finding of the Productivity Commission. There are a number of recommendations in that report that should be given serious consideration, such as moving to a simplified system and a lifetime wellbeing approach to supporting veterans and their families. Getting one single act of parliament to cover all veterans would be a good start as well. I should note that, while the Productivity Commission review's final report had a number of worthwhile recommendations, it included others, such as abolishing gold cards as we know them now and outsourcing much of DVA's services to an independent veterans' services commission. This could be a prelude to possible privatisation. This should be ruled out, as should any changes to the gold card in terms of cutting entitlements to veterans. Many veterans who access services through DVA have expressed to me their concern over this. I'm calling on the minister to stand up for the veteran community and do the right thing in relation to these matters. The health and welfare of our veterans is a high priority for Labor. We owe a duty of care, not just during the time these people serve but beyond their service. To that end, we have seen an extraordinary admission by the government in recent times that we don't know how many veterans there are. We need to have the best information available if we're going to provide the best possible care and support for our ex-service personnel. That's why before the last election Labor committed to improving recordkeeping, data collection and information sharing to address current gaps in the health of our serving personnel and veterans. I note the calls from some state governments—and I've met with ministers at the state level as well to talk about these issues—to improve information sharing between Defence, DVA and other agencies, and for the next national census to include a question on military service, to better inform delivery of support services for veterans. I wish the minister well in his submission on the census question to the government's ERC. These recommendations are worthy of support. Our veterans need a system that works for them. It's time for action. I hope the minister is successful on the census question. Of course, when an individual serves, in many ways their family serves with them. Serving families are routinely faced with the choice between packing up their lives to move with a loved one or spending significant time apart. Post-service lives are changed again as individuals and their loved ones reorient their lives. This is felt more acutely by those who are medically discharged, with family members often taking on a carer role. What has become clear in conversations that I've had with veterans and the ex-service community is that military and veteran families are not always being heard when it comes to discussions of support and assistance. The critical role families play in supporting and caring for their loved ones can't be overstated. The nature of military life is unique, and families can also be deeply affected by military service. Labor have welcomed and supported the government's initiatives for supporting families, but we think developing a national family engagement and support strategy is critically important. This government doesn't have one, to its discredit. This is why Labor took to the last election a policy and funding to better engage and support families who have experienced suicide, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder and major issues pre and post military service. This was a direct recommendation from the National Mental Health Commission's review into suicide and self-harm among our military personnel. It is important to give families a voice and a seat at the table when it comes to the support they need. The fact is we need to better understand the impact that service and sacrifice by defence personnel and veterans has, including on their families and loved ones. We know service in the defence of our country touches the lives of many, not only those who serve and those who know them but also their family, friends and colleagues. It's important to acknowledge the unique nature of military service, as I have said, and the sacrifices made. This is something the Productivity Commission highlighted in its recent inquiry into veteran support systems, and it's something Labor fully supports. The latest research, particularly from the Transition and Wellbeing Research Program report, shows that mental health issues during service are the best predictor of, and often a precursor to, mental health issues post service. This important longitudinal study highlighted the need for early intervention as well as ongoing monitoring of current veterans and further research into long-term trajectories as they return to civilian life. This is why Labor is also committed to improving access to mental health treatment and boosting research into veterans' mental health. In the last election campaign Labor committed to developing seven veteran wellbeing centres across Australia—in Perth, Darwin, Townsville, Ipswich, Adelaide, Nowra and Wodonga. Labor understands the desire of many ex-service organisations to deliver coordinated support and services to fellow veterans and their loved ones locally. Veteran centres would provide a space for veterans services and advocacy organisations to coexist and provide greater holistic support to current and ex-service personnel and their loved ones. The government embraced such a policy with its six veteran wellbeing centres, although the details, I think, remain sketchy. Disappointingly—I can speak as a local MP—Ipswich, in my electorate, was left off the government's list of centres when they reneged on an earlier commitment, at the 2016 election, to deliver one. I understand there's been some interest in expanding the commitment to other locations—and I welcome that from the minister—including in South-East Queensland. The minister is open to this, and I look forward to working with him in this regard. I would strongly recommend that he consider additional centres for Ipswich and Brisbane, where RAAF Base Amberley and Gallipoli Barracks Enoggera are located. In terms of other priorities in this space, the government should fast-track the veterans' covenant, to which the minister referred. This was another good Labor policy that the government was happy to adopt. It was first introduced into parliament before the last election, and in July, following the election, it was passed by the Senate. Yet we're still waiting to debate it back in the House after amendments. Labor supports the current enabling legislation, and we will work with the government to progress it. So I say to the minister: let's get on with it. Similar in nature to the United Kingdom's Armed Forces Covenant, the veterans' covenant will acknowledge the unique nature of military service and formalise our solemn commitment to providing support and assistance to those who put their lives on the line in the service of our country, especially those who have been wounded or injured or who have become ill as a result of their service. This will ensure that our serving men and women know in no uncertain terms that we value their service and remain committed to looking after them. Like the minister, I've attended many commemorations since I've been given the honour of serving in the shadow portfolio. I want to thank those who've welcomed me, but more particularly I want to thank those who've faithfully kept those commemorations going, whether in my home city of Ipswich, in Melbourne or in other places I've gone to. These are important ways to ensure that we send a message that we appreciate the service and sacrifice made by our many service men and women. For over a century, we have used these commemorations to remember those who've died in the service of our country, those whose service has changed them forever and those who've been affected through the generations. We know that, in many ways, every community is given the opportunity to commemorate thanks to the work of ex-service organisations around the country. I thank the RSLs and the ESOs for the work they do. We can all go down to a local memorial and pay our respects on Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and Vietnam Veterans Day because of the work of volunteers in these many ex-service organisations. I want to thank them for allowing the wider community to make sure that we do not forget—that we always remember and we always pay tribute. Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day, is coming up on 11 November. I encourage all members in this place, and the wider Australian community, to participate in a commemorative service on 11 November. We'll remember those in that war who sacrificed so much and paid the ultimate sacrifice. It's important that we take the time to remember and reflect. This is an important part of our commemoration activities. It's important that we consider how we keep alive the memories of the men and women who have served and who have died. Whilst we don't have with us now anyone who served in World War I in any capacity, it's critical to remember their experiences and their sacrifices, as well as of those who've served in subsequent conflicts. With that in mind, Labor supported the government's Australian War Memorial redevelopment project, which will ensure that the memorial remains a solemn place of remembrance for future generations, especially in its mission to recognise and deepen our understanding of more recent conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq and peacekeeping missions to the Solomon Islands and East Timor. The Australian War Memorial holds a very important place in the hearts of Australians. It's an important marker of the sacrifice our armed forces have made to keep our country safe. On that note, I want to thank Dr Brendan Nelson for his outstanding service as director. I hope the government employs someone of the same distinction and note in his place to serve the War Memorial in the same way that Dr Nelson has—with honour, with capacity and with vigour and commitment. Thank you, Dr Nelson, for what you've done. The government should continue to ensure that our veterans are receiving first-class care and support. We should do everything we can to make sure our veterans do not fall through the cracks. The Productivity Commission review following on from last year's Senate inquiry into veteran suicide and several other reports on mental health, transition, suicide and self-harm all provide clear recommendations on how we can do better, and I would urge the government to get on with the job of implementing many of these important recommendations. We await the government's response to the PC review. However, we do not believe waiting for the recommendations should be a barrier to the government taking immediate action in some areas—low-hanging fruit, if you will—such as the impact that the veterans allied healthcare cuts the government recently instituted and the Medicare rebate freeze are having right now and will have on veterans. We'd urge the government to reconsider their position on these matters. There is ample evidence that both of these things could have an impact and will have an impact not just on veterans' physical health but on mental health as well, and they put in place referral barriers for veterans as well. The government should deal with these things immediately and reverse their position. We clearly need to act also on the sad situation of the plight of homeless veterans and those in aged care. The recent royal commission report into aged care has revealed the sad plight of many veterans in the aged-care sector, particularly in residential care and in-home care. There wouldn't be a member of this chamber who wouldn't have had someone in the wider community in their electorate who's been on a waiting list for home care. But, in addition to that, there is the sad plight of those who've served who are waiting for home care. This is a terrible blight on the government, and they should fix this situation. In conclusion, as the minister has done, I want to say thank you to all those who are serving and have served our nation and to those family members who support and have supported them. We have asked so much of you, and it's incumbent on this parliament to continue to ensure that we demonstrate our gratitude. Thank you very much. We will work as much as we can with the government in a bipartisan way. I thank the minister for the cooperation he's shown in briefing the opposition in relation to matters.