2 years ago
GOVERNMENT FAILURE IN VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
SHAYNE NEUMANN MP
This Federal Budget looks like another case of marketing, mismanagement and missed opportunities when it comes to Veterans’ Affairs under this Liberal-National government.
For eight long years, this government has presided over a crisis in veteran mental health and suicide, and a chronically under-resourced Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) that is failing veterans and their families.
The 2021-22 Budget is an attempt by the Morrison Government to play catch-up and provide band-aid solutions to problems it has created, rather than deliver the fundamental reform needed to improve the veteran support system.
Funding for a Royal Commission into defence and veteran suicide is critical, but the reality is the Morrison Government was dragged kicking and screaming to this after Labor first called for it in 2019.
Additional funding and staffing for DVA to support claims processing is a clear admission of failure, given wait times and a backlog of veteran compensation claims have blown out in recent years.
Unfortunately, the Government has failed to abolish its staffing cap for the public service, which means DVA will continue to rely on labour hire workers to deal with the huge spike in claims.
The Budget makes provision for two new Veteran Wellbeing Centres but missed the opportunity to expand the program more widely and fast-track the delivery of a number of centres promised at the 2019 election that are now two years behind schedule.
Despite loud calls from Labor and the veteran community, there is no funding in this year’s Budget to address the terrible plight of homeless veterans, when we know homelessness is a significant factor in veteran suicides.
Finally, the Government has brought forward the payment of rent assistance for Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) pensioners in this budget from September 2022 to January 2022 following its flawed review of the TPI payment.
This is just window-dressing given disabled veterans are disgusted that most of them will miss out on this assistance, and this is something Labor has sought to examine by establishing an independent Senate inquiry into the adequacy of the TPI pension.
This budget reflects again that when it comes to veteran support, it has been Labor that has led the way in so many areas while the Government has followed.
Australian veterans have endured eight long years of inaction and neglect, and this Budget does nothing to change that. It’s just more of the same from a tired old government.
For eight long years, this government has presided over a crisis in veteran mental health and suicide, and a chronically under-resourced Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) that is failing veterans and their families.
The 2021-22 Budget is an attempt by the Morrison Government to play catch-up and provide band-aid solutions to problems it has created, rather than deliver the fundamental reform needed to improve the veteran support system.
Funding for a Royal Commission into defence and veteran suicide is critical, but the reality is the Morrison Government was dragged kicking and screaming to this after Labor first called for it in 2019.
Additional funding and staffing for DVA to support claims processing is a clear admission of failure, given wait times and a backlog of veteran compensation claims have blown out in recent years.
Unfortunately, the Government has failed to abolish its staffing cap for the public service, which means DVA will continue to rely on labour hire workers to deal with the huge spike in claims.
The Budget makes provision for two new Veteran Wellbeing Centres but missed the opportunity to expand the program more widely and fast-track the delivery of a number of centres promised at the 2019 election that are now two years behind schedule.
Despite loud calls from Labor and the veteran community, there is no funding in this year’s Budget to address the terrible plight of homeless veterans, when we know homelessness is a significant factor in veteran suicides.
Finally, the Government has brought forward the payment of rent assistance for Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) pensioners in this budget from September 2022 to January 2022 following its flawed review of the TPI payment.
This is just window-dressing given disabled veterans are disgusted that most of them will miss out on this assistance, and this is something Labor has sought to examine by establishing an independent Senate inquiry into the adequacy of the TPI pension.
This budget reflects again that when it comes to veteran support, it has been Labor that has led the way in so many areas while the Government has followed.
Australian veterans have endured eight long years of inaction and neglect, and this Budget does nothing to change that. It’s just more of the same from a tired old government.