Rob Mitchell
McEwen · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“As family, friends and our community gather at Hidden Valley right now, I rise to acknowledge the passing of my dear friend Jeremy Scrivens, co-founder of Love in Action in Wallan.”
“Through Love in Action, Jeremy and Sue quietly and humbly supported those facing hardship across the community. His loss will be felt by many. His family—Sue, Sarah, Michael and Ruby—have all lost a devoted husband, father and grandfather.”
“Don was a founding member of the committee for the Woodend Winter Arts Festival and played an essential role in the establishment of the words and ideas event, attracting big thinkers like Barry Jones, Don Watson and David Marr. Let me tell you, it was always a challenge to speak after one of those three.”
“I rise today to acknowledge the passing of a remarkable member of our community, Mr Don Drummond of Woodend. Don and his late wife, Sheila, were founding members of the re-established Woodend ALP branch in 2004. They welcomed members into their home with great hospitality, mulled wine and lively conversation.”
“But sadly this behaviour was becoming increasingly widespread, in part because DVA's allied health arrangements were uncapped, which allowed these businesses to claim much more for services that some veterans didn't need. So the government is making an adjustment to a $5,000 amount rather than a visit based calculation.”
“Those who need the care will get the care. It is very simple. By removing overservicing, we are restoring integrity to the system. Importantly, by doing this we increase the fees that will be paid to allied health professionals by $169 million. That means it's easier for veterans to access health care without being taken advantage of.”
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“The Diamond Creek pool upgrade, the Hilltop Park playground and the splash park in Doreen show the differences a government with integrity and purpose can make. Our community asked for these facilities. Labor listened and Labor has delivered. House adjourned at 20:00 The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Sharkie ) took the chair at 10:30.”
“We got overpromising and underdelivering that became a trademark of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison mess. Local families were left waiting, in some cases for years, for projects that were never funded properly, never prioritised and ultimately never delivered. Our community deserves a government that treats its commitments as obligations, not as publicity opportunities. They deserve investment that actually gets it done, not grant schemes built on colour-coded spreadsheets. They deserve to see the work that's happening on the ground—Diamond Creek, Doreen, right across McEwen. We are proud that we're backing local councils to deliver community infrastructure, proud that our parents, kids and grandparents alike will soon feel the benefit of these projects. And we are proud to say when we promise something we will deliver it and we do.”
“Just like the Diamond Creek pool, community voices were central in shaping the splash park and the playground. Today we see the results—a fantastic vibrant space that's designed for everyone. But these projects don't happen by accident. They're happening because our government, the Albanese Labor government, made commitments, budgeted for them and delivered them, just as we said we would. There was no fanfare, no political theatre, no splashy promises that disappear as soon as the camera is turned off. There was just hard work, proper planning and genuine follow through, and that's a real contrast. For too long, under the former Liberal and National government, communities like ours got plenty of announcements but never any action. We got photo ops and media releases instead of progress.”
“The Hilltop playground and splash park features an interactive water play area, accessibility-friendly design and facilities, shaded seating, and upgraded landscaping to support a welcoming family-friendly environment. Projects like this strengthen our community, boost participation and improve liveability for the long-term. It's a really important investment for our community. I want to acknowledge here the support of Councillor Deb Gunn and Councillor Jarrod Lappin in getting this done. As I said, it relied on the Victorian government as well and thanks to the great advocacy of Lauren Kathage, the member for Yan Yean. We all got together and got this thing delivered in such a way that it has given an amazing rejuvenation to the Hilltop Park area.”
“This project has delivered a vibrant and inclusive outdoor area where kids can play, cool off and simply enjoy being kids. It's exactly the kind of infrastructure our community deserves and will be a drawcard for people from surrounding communities as well. We already know that there are plenty of parties taking place, with more being planned. It's somewhere where kids can do this and do it for free. The $1.5 million funding from the Albanese Labor government under the Invest in Our Communities program with an additional Victorian government and Whittlesea shire council contribution is a perfect example of what happens when federal, state and local governments come together and deliver the right things in our community.”
“Locals came to us before the 2022 election and let us know how important the upgrade to this beloved community asset was and we listened with a $1.5 million commitment. I particularly want to acknowledge here the advocacy of Councillor Peter Perkins, who was a hard-working local councillor. This funding saw improvements to the existing toilets and changerooms to improve accessibility, façade and painting works, updates to the plant room, with a new heat pump to come, and upgraded walkways for access around the complex. This $1.5 million commitment came from the Invest in Our Future program, and that's exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing in our communities. Now, over in Doreen, the Hilltop Park playground and splash park is taking shape and is already proving to be extremely popular, as I found out Saturday first-hand.”
“I rise tonight to talk about two terrific projects delivered in McEwen, projects that demonstrate exactly what happens when a government stops making excuses, stops issuing media releases and actually gets on with the job of putting communities first. In Diamond Creek the upgrade to the much-loved community pool has finally been delivered. These upgrades give the local families a modern, accessible and safe facility that our growing community deserves. It's not just about fresh tiles and new changerooms; it's also about giving everyone in our community from young children to families and our seniors an accessible and affordable place to swim. It's about making sure that the communities of Nillumbik have the kinds of recreational facilities that keep a community healthy, active and connected.”
“I want to congratulate President Jayson Munro, Vice President Celina Mott, Secretary Wally Mott and of course Treasurer Sarah Foggie, who just put this whole thing together, with a bunch of volunteers. It really just shows how great it is to live in the seat of McEwen and why we love it so much.”
“The Whittlesea Men's Shed and Whittlesea Women's Shed were also heavily involved, selling their wares or just opening their doors so that people could see what great organisations they are. Wherever you looked across the showground, it was just a fantastic day. You had kids on horses and kids on motorbikes; there was the grand parade—a whole heap of things happening. No matter what you were into, whether it be crafts, photography, history or whatever, there was something there for everyone. This show, as I said, has been going since 1859. It was the Labor Party's 23rd year of being at the show. Our Liberal mates haven't been there for 16 years, but we still turn up, rain, hail or snow.”
“Well, as the member for Goldstein was home, sooking about having to work four days this week, on the weekend we were celebrating the Whittlesea Show. The Whittlesea Show has been going since 1859, and it's run by a great bunch of volunteers who deliver a fantastic show that's close to Melbourne but gives you all the elements of a country show and all the elements of a fair. Every community group is there, whether they're selling food or goods or even just presenting animals. Of course, you get the custom—you've got to have a wood-chop at a good show. There are the vintage machines, the cars. Whatever you want, there is something there. The SES and the CFA put on some fantastic examples.”
“We've delivered more roads, more road funding and more project results in three years than those opposite could muster up press releases in nine. It is an absolute joke, and, seriously, the member should apologise.”
“But, of course, the member didn't get up and say, 'Look, I was part of a government that froze that funding 10 years ago and caused backlogs for years and years.' It is a bit like the electricity bills. Those opposite complain about electricity bills but never once have you heard them get up and say, 'We are so sorry that we hid the price rises from the Australian public.' It is simply part of their DNA to be disrespectful to the Australian people by sneakily hiding price rises, because they did not want to go to an election and face the fact they had done nothing. This is an absolute failure of a government and that's why we're sitting where we are today. On every single measure on road funding, you can see our government has been delivering.”
“What have we done? We have doubled the funding to Roads to Recovery. Since coming to government, Roads to Recovery has gone from $500 million to $1 billion this year. It's worth noting that, when we formed government in 2002, we learned that the coalition government, again through the sneakiness and the mischievous work of those opposite, had frozen maintenance to highways all the way back to 2013. That was the contribution the coalition government made towards essential maintenance on the highways that we all rely on. So what we've got is an absolute joke put up here by the member for Mallee about road funding and needing maintenance for potholes and all these other things.”
“A little known fact is that the three car parks they promised were already built. All they did was give money to Victoria to cover the work that was already done. Then they promised to build new lanes on the Hume Freeway, and what did we get? We got a $50 million announcement with big fanfare. They even sent one of the National MPs down—that was the first time he'd been down to the Hume Freeway to see what was going on—promising $50 million for a new lane on the freeway. We know it was a zombie promise. If they think they can deliver 23 kilometres of dual road for $50 million, they have rocks in their heads. It wasn't going to happen, and they didn't deliver a single thing. They went to that election and the 2022 election lying to the people of McEwen, Nicholls and Indi about getting these things fix. They never delivered a thing.”
“When you look at every one of their seats, they have problems with education, with health and with jobs. The one consistency is re-voting in Nationals. That's why they are down to four per cent of the national vote—because they do not deliver. They're just a little tail on the back of the coalition dog, and all they do is wag and deliver nothing. I look forward to the member for Riverina coming in and talking about how he looked at the Watson Street ramps as being so important in rural and regional Victoria. He promised it. He wanted to get behind it. But, of course, the knifings saw him removed for the member for New England—now the One Nation member for New England, I think. They saw that gone. We saw him go to the election under the Urban Congestion Fund, the car park rorts fund, promising to build car parks in specific areas.”
“Now, suddenly, it's: 'Oh, look at this. It's a big problem.' You can't expect all this backlog to be fixed in five years. But what you can expect is a government to be out there working for rural and regional Australians, and that is why there are more Labor MPs in rural and regional seats than the National Party—because we got rid of those that sit around and do nothing. We got rid of those who just enjoy themselves here, creating havoc and delivering nothing. We saw more press releases on every single road project in Victoria than we did shovels or action. The number of times they went to an election promising to fund this and to fund that and to do all these things for rural and regional Australia—they didn't do a thing. The National Party is the absolute most disgraceful party you can think of for rural and regional Victoria.”
“You won't find much more hypocrisy in this place than when listening to the Nationals complaining about road funding. I say this in absolute honesty. We've just heard five minutes of whining and complaining about something that was actually done by them. In 2018, the then deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, the member for Riverina, had this specific plan laid out; as part of the National Road Safety Action Plan there was a commitment to lower speed limits. That comes on top of the fact that you would have thought a member from Victoria would have stood up during those nine years and complained about Victoria only getting seven per cent of the infrastructure spend nationally. But, no, there was absolute silence. It was okay to build a backlog of potholes and road repairs with no investment in Victoria because they were in government.”
“We are helping not only hospitality but the broader tourism industry. Across Australia, we're inviting people to enjoy the vibrant and diverse experiences our venues have to offer. These bills further support community venues by providing pricing stability. The Albanese Labor government will always stand up and advocate and legislate for the interests of workers and those doing it tough. These bills are consistent with our view that small business is the engine room of our economy. Supporting them is supporting our nation as a whole. We are legislating cheaper beers, more opportunities for local enterprises and better community experiences. Much like a nice beer, this policy is smooth, refreshing and pairs well—not with food but with our dedication to making a better country for all. I commend these bills to the House. Cheers!”
“These places have a special, binding effect. Over a beer, people make friends, find partners and become part of a social group. In the digitised world, with more and more interactions behind the screen, community venues are a place of connection, and they deserve our support. With a pause in the custom duty rates, not only will people walk into their local watering hole; they will travel further to seek these experiences out. If we protect our local venues, we can help them become destinations for domestic and international visitors. Take it from the Restaurant and Catering Association. According to them, more premium, domestically reduced products allow for a more vibrant, exciting dining scene that is more attractive to domestic and international tourists visiting Australia.”
“But, when there aren't enough workers to meet demand, it can be overwhelming, with the physicality of carrying trays and cleaning floors, the mental challenge of catering for so many people at the same time and sometimes dealing with less courteous patrons. The pause on CPI indexation will reduce the strain faced by hospitality workers while putting our pubs and clubs in a position to put more hands on deck. We're enhancing the community experience. Pubs and clubs are a community focal point. These venues are meeting places for old friends or where families go for a good dinner. They host everything—pub trivia nights, stand-up open mics and end-of-season sporting functions. They sponsor the local footy team or the local netball team and host barbecues and raffles for charities. These places bring members of a community together.”
“This allows them to offer a wider range of options and gives more Australian owned breweries footholds in our bars. Here, we are giving local breweries and publicans a chance to grow their businesses. This will have tangible and far-reaching effects across Australia, particularly in the regions, peri-urban towns and suburbs. In our community, hospitality jobs provide many of the skills that set young people up for adulthood. Behind the bars of our clubs and pubs, many young adults learn to manage tasks quickly and to work as a professional team—not to mention the timeless art of pouring the perfect pot or pint.”
“Pouring and serving pints is a gateway for young adults to develop social skills, leadership abilities and professional experience. By mitigating the price increases we pass on to consumers we promote visitation at the local club or pub. By encouraging price stability we build trust between patrons and the places they go to relax and promote Australian jobs. Second, we prevent local breweries from going under. Similarly, by pausing the automatic CPI indexation, we make it easier for local brewers to grow in the Australian draught beer market. Emerging local breweries face an uphill battle. Without the reputational advantage the bigger companies enjoy, it's much harder to get tap space at pubs. By pausing the excise on draught beer, we give our bars financial breathing room.”
“Not only do these bills foster growth; they also protect against harm. In particular, this legislation protects venues against hikes in drink prices and protects local breweries from being bullied by the international ones. So, first, we prevent cost increases. When the duty rates increase, the venues without a cushy profit margin must factor that into the cost of a pint. Expense costs go up for mum-and-dad owners who sleep in the residence upstairs and don't have other revenue streams, so they are forced to mark up their drinks. The consumer wears the cost increases, or they see the prices and choose not to go to a pub altogether. Hospitality has an essential role to play in Australian communities, particularly the jobs they provide in regional areas. Our government is committed to protecting these jobs.”
“Secondly, we are pushing for stability in the industry as a whole. Approximately 160,000 workers are employed in the hospitality sector, many relying on the viability of these businesses. We saw that when we were in Woodend talking to the hotel owners about the apprentices they were putting on and the great results they were getting. The first thing they said to us was: 'Clientele is dropping back. When things are a bit tight, people don't come in. As the cost of beer keeps going up, fewer of them do it.' So they were rapt when they saw that we were doing this. They know that what we are doing is putting our bit in to help them through the tougher times and to be with them all the way through. We want businesses to grow, employ more locals and expand their market share. But that's not all.”
“They are in our town venues, from Woodend to Bridge Inn Road, from Gisborne to Diamond Creek, Whittlesea, Beveridge and Wallan and everywhere in between. The Albanese Labor government is committed to small business. These bills are the next tranche in that support, in line with our other commitments, such as providing $207 million over two years from this year to continue the stabilisation of Australia's business registers and undertake targeted uplifts. This includes: linking director identification numbers to the company register; cutting red tape by working with states and territories on national licensing for electrical trades; and streamlining commercial planning and zoning and removing barriers that inhibit the take-up of modern construction methods, which is backed by the $900 million National Productivity Fund.”
“For two years, we are encouraging price stabilisation, building the trust between consumers and the local watering hole. Small business needs certainty in order to invest more in their operations. We are providing them with that certainty and reducing the number of sleepless nights spent calculating long-term profitability. When the excise does resume, in August 2027, it will resume at the frozen rate, not the higher rate that would have been applied had indexation continued. This will result in a permanent reduction in the duty trajectory. This will have direct and indirect effects on groups across society. Firstly, we're making it easier for approximately 10,000 hospitality venues. Of these pubs, clubs, taverns and bars, about 75 per cent are small businesses.”
“We do this without undermining public health objectives or the broader alcohol taxation framework. This is a very targeted measure. It's balanced and responsible. It's an intervention that applies specifically to individual containers of eight to 48 litres designed to connect to a pressurised gas pump or pump delivery system. These are the kegs that are used across the country in many of our pubs and clubs—for example, individual containers of more than 48 litres, which are the kegs used in commercial hospitality settings. We are making it easier for function spaces to cater for large crowds. With a million things on the go at the same time, these venues should be able to worry less about what they will charge for drinks or whether they have enough.”
“On 3 May 2025, small operators of licensed venues made their choice. They placed their trust in Labor, the only party that would deliver them the much-needed support. In August, the Assistant Treasurer moved a motion to freeze the increase on beer taxes for two years. Brewers across Australia rejoiced. Through that, we sent an important signal—a signal that we are here for pubs and clubs in particular. We hear you and we are here for you. The bills are a ratification of a government's decision. They clarify our commitment to local businesses. For the first time in 40 years, we are pausing the automatic CPI indexation of twice-yearly increases in duty rates. This directly responds to cost-of-living pressures by backing in Australian businesses.”
“With high overheads, strong regulations to meet and a host of other costs, profit margins for many owners can be slim. For these cornerstones of our community, the cost-of-living issues we inherited from the previous government brought many to the brink. It's a delicate balancing act. Charge too little for drinks, and the venue operates at a loss. Charge too much, and no-one comes in. Throw in a couple more facts and the fact that these businesses are operating at all becomes more impressive. Many hospitality venues are still recovering from the pandemic era disruptions. The lack of trade and the ongoing costs of leases, insurance and utilities depleted savings, and many did go out of business. There were nine years of economic mismanagement by those opposite. When the economy goes down, it pulls small businesses down first.”
“But once Labor came out with it and committed to it, after we had a great report from the committee last year—a bipartisan report—that looked into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia, suddenly the fighting over this stopped momentarily to support something we were doing. And that's the important thing. This is about a government that leads—a government that has brought people from all walks of life under one roof. We're lucky to have venues in our electorates that bring people from all walks of life together. They are those crucial spaces where members of a community can meet, relax and spend time together and, more often than not, have a nice, cold, frothy one. However, as we know, many of these venues have been doing it tough.”
“It’s great to rise tonight to support the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. It's great to do that because what we've seen is this government come to office and actually do things that help people with their cost of living. We heard someone rattle off just before about the cost of living, but what the member opposite never mentioned is that, every single time there's been a cost-of-living amendment, they've opposed it. Even this, going into the election, was not a bipartisan supported program. In fact, the shadow Treasurer made it clear that they were not doing it.”
“We heard an extraordinary contribution earlier about bringing in workers to build this country. We have a skilled migration list for electricians, construction workers and engineers. All these things have a shortage. You closed the technical colleges that actually made these people get jobs!”
“I watched manufacturers in my electorate who had been working for decades building automotive parts have to go offshore because the ability to continue making those parts and keeping it profitable with the economies of scale was gone. These are the things that happened under their watch. There has never been a manufacturing industry that they haven't wanted to get rid of. The only industry they care about is the one that fills the bank books, and that's the mining industry. They've never cared about any sort of manufacturing, whether it be the rag trade or any form of construction, automotive, shoes, tires—the whole lot. Whenever there's a manufacturing industry going offshore, you can guarantee the coalition government has its finger on the button that says 'eject'. That's thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs that people lose.”
“He stood up in this place very bravely and said: In 1947 Joseph Benedict Chifley went to watch the first Holden leave the line at Fishermans Bend. The question was: was Joseph Benedict Hockey going to watch the last one? That was on the day that the former coalition government went and told the industry to leave. In fact, if I read from a Phil Coorey article—something I don't normally do—it says, 'Hockey dares GM to leave,' and it says the federal government had accused Holden of being the problem. The problem was that, during that time, it was the federal government that knocked off the industry. It wasn't the Labor Party; it was the federal government of the Liberals that went out. The quotes at the time were all about it being a few thousand jobs at Ford or a few thousand jobs over here, forgetting the ancillary industries.”
“Ford, of course, went through and did XA, C, D, F—right through to the FGX, which was the last car produced in Australia. Why? It was because those opposite told Ford they would not support manufacturing in Australia and were scrapping support for the car industry. It's been an amazing journey when you sit there and think about Sophie Mirabella—that wonderful human being, I say sarcastically—out there telling all those manufacturing workers and ancillary businesses they were not welcome in this country. They were not. I'm going to quote from something that happened many years ago, from a good friend of mine, the now minister for housing in South Australia who was the member for Wakefield, Nick Champion.”
“You would have thought it was Christmas. It's been a week of division, derision and infighting over there, so what do they do on the last day? They bring in an MPI that embarrasses them even worse. It's like looking at the Mos Eisley Cantina across there when we talk about manufacturing and what's happened. This government came into office backing manufacturing, and I'm surprised; the member for Capricornia might want to remember the report from the committee that she was deputy chair of. It talked about sustainable, sovereign and smart manufacturing. It was not like they do over there. You see old mate from Canning over there, sitting up the back next to a 1969 XW Falcon and in G paint code! He talks about how he wants to bring back 1969 cars. Even Ford moved on from that.”
“Keep a good eye on her, because I reckon there's a fair chance we're going to see her compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. The sporting champs grants are a great idea that this government works through to support young people with great talent right across different sporting codes. It's important that we keep these sorts of programs going, because the grassroots stuff that we do now will deliver the champions of the future. I know that, for people like Kirra, this money goes a long way to helping her and her family get to these events but also to helping her reach her dreams. I think it's great that we can see people from small country towns get out there, compete on the world stage and be the best. Again, great job, Kirra. Good luck with the future and keep up the great work.”
“At home in Diamond Creek, we will have one that will be open with extended hours for seven days a week and no appointment needed. Lastly, I want to recognise Kirra Wright of Wallan for her fantastic performance in the World Para Athletics Championships. She put Australia on the board, recording our first medal of the championships, thanks to a silver in the women's shot put F36 competition. Backing that up, she finished strongly in the 100 metres T36 final, coming in fifth. A former Wandong Primary School student, Kirra is a role model for our community, and we are very proud of her success. She is also one of the winners of the Local Sporting Champions grant in McEwen, receiving $1,000 earlier this year to help with this year's Australian track and field championships in Western Australia.”
“Because of the Albanese Labor government's historic $8.5 billion investment in Medicare, all patients who walk through the doors in Gisborne can be assured of the sort of access and treatment we all should have. All they will need for an appointment is their Medicare card, not a credit card. This is on top of the new practices we've seen open in places like Mernda that are fully bulk billing and others in the area that are extending their bulk-billing because of the investment we put in. It's important that we keep remembering that our health system is one of the best in the world. It's envied by many, many people wherever you go. We've got to make sure we keep delivering on it through our 50 Medicare urgent care clinics, including one in McEwen.”
“Back at home, over the last few weeks, I've had the great pleasure of seeing firsthand the work that Labor is doing to strengthen our healthcare system. I had the pleasure of joining my good friend the member for Macedon and Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas MP, at the Neal Street Medical Clinic in Gisborne. The clinic is now a fully bulk-billing practice. This means that locals can come and see their GP and be assured that they will get quality care without out-of-pocket costs. The Neal Street clinic is well known in our community, and this has reinforced the good work that it is already doing. I know that the committed team of doctors, nurses, allied health and reception staff will continue to provide compassionate and professional support.”
“He's running these great programs for veterans refusing to deal with mental health and he's supporting people. But veterans threatening to give back their medals because they feel their country isn't helping them is not on. It's got to be stopped. That's why I've continued to push and fight to get as much done as we can as quickly as we can to help these people. As I said at the beginning, when we ask them to put on a uniform to do things for our country, it is our obligation to make sure that, when they return and finish their service, we look after them.”
“It's about actually doing the right thing. I think about when my grandfather came back with shell shock. He got the hard nut: 'You'll be right. Out you go.' Like many veterans of World War II and many veterans of Vietnam, he took the hard way out through the bottom of a bottle, and that's not right. We've all got to pull our socks up and really work hard to get this done, but we've taken these first steps on the journey to fixing that. No more should we hear of the Julie-Ann Finneys of the world. I want to give a big shout-out to Jeb Summers, a young bloke from the seat of Hawke. He was in McEwen, but, unfortunately, the AEC downgraded him to Hawke. He runs Save our Services. He stood at an Anzac Day ceremony and threatened to hand back his medals—that was shocking—because he couldn't get the support. Now he gets that.”
“He has worked excessively hard to make sure that our veterans' entitlements are paid in a timely manner and that they get what they're entitled to. Again, I go back to those harrowing words: delay, deny and die. No more should that happen. When you look at how we've been working through this in the 12 months since the royal commission report, you see we are continually working to improve the situations for veterans and our defence personnel. We made a commitment that we would fix these things when we called the royal commission. I give credit to Senator Lambie, who was very vocal as well. To get this done is so important. What it shows is that we do value our veterans, we do value our defence personnel and we're actually stumping up to show that. They're not hollow words. They're not words about trying to find a political advantage.”
“Men and women go into the Defence Force to serve our nation, and they do it well. They don't need to be keeping an eye on their backs the entire time. That's why it is so important we do these accommodations. That's why it is important that we have these systems in place—to make sure that, when they put on that uniform, they know their government has their back and they know they're going to be safe. They put themselves in harm's way enough without having to worry about what's behind. We know that for a lot of the situations we deal with there are issues in the way of the tribunals working. These things have been overcomplicated and made very difficult. I really congratulate Minister Keogh for doing something that no-one else has done.”
“But, when you produce the military medical professionals reports and the military police reports that all show it did happen, two weeks after that meeting—this is after veterans have been fighting for 12 or 18 months—suddenly DVA says, 'Oh, yes, it did happen. We will do that; we'll pay to take you to a psychologist because you've been abused. But we won't pay the psychologist.' The idiocy of that had to stop. I know that some of my friends have been more brave and courageous than I could imagine by bringing forward their sexual abuse in the Defence Force. Hearing their harrowing stories and what that's done to their lives is phenomenal. This is why what we're doing today and what we're doing with the royal commission is so important. We have to stop this from happening again. We can't have these situations happen.”
“But the response from the former government was the government was only prioritising funding to those that had a political advantage, and they're words that should turn everyone's stomach. That's what he said, on 29 May 2024. It should not have happened. It's not about prioritising funding; it's about doing the right thing. I know from my own time being in this place working with the DART, the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, the problems that have happened there. I've had veterans come to me with tonnes of paperwork showing the abuse they had in the Defence Force. They've sat in front of DVA and been told, with the minister—of both colours—that it never happened.”
“We made the commitment that we would listen, and we are acting on that and getting things done. In September last year, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide released its final report. It was seven volumes and had 122 recommendations. I know that when I went to the Doreen RSL, they wanted a copy of it. They wanted to see what was there, because so many of their members have issues that they have faced from their time in service and the problems that happened with that. I took this quote from former minister Gee, who was the Minister for Veterans' Affairs in the Morrison government: when he asked for more money, he threatened to resign because he believed we needed to do more. And he was right.”
“Now we have taken the royal commission and we are going through all the different recommendations, implementing them in principle and actually committing to seeing outcomes done that actually help our veterans and their families, because it is important. You can't speak enough of the importance of what veterans should expect from us. We heard of systems that were toxic and broken and heard that not enough was being done to support personnel during and after their service, and we have acted on those calls. With the many thousands of people that we've spoken to about this when we go to RSLs and talk to them, the No. 1 thing that keeps coming back is that we are just getting nowhere. We are really just pushing it uphill, but no-one is listening. Well, we listen.”
“If someone put their life on the line to defend our nation, our values and everything we believe in, you have an absolute obligation to make sure that, if they're broken, you look after them. You make sure that, if they've got problems, you fix them and you give them the support that they need. As I said, this was something that never happened, and I was a bit miffed this morning listening to the shadow minister talk. I think about what issues were caused during the time that he was minister. Why were things not done quicker and faster? Why were these things that we all stand here and say we should address not addressed? It's not the right thing.”
“The words that really haunt me still are the veterans' view when it comes to DVA and supporting veterans was 'delay, deny, die'. That was what veterans believed was happening. They believed that they were constantly being delayed and denied, and some took the worst-case scenario out. It was something that we had to fix, so we worked extremely hard to push for the royal commission into veteran suicide. We know the issues, and I've met Julie-Ann Finney myself a few times—lovely lady. She is suffering quite a lot with what's happened to her, and she is not alone; there are lots of others like that. When you talk to people through the veterans community, you know that, for a range of reasons, this is not uncommon. It's why governments need to act and do the right thing.”