Matt Keogh
Burt · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“I thank the member for the question. Clearly, as we've articulated, the purpose of the cap is to replace the current treatment cycle system where veterans are going back time and time again to a GP after every 12 referrals in order to access allied health services.”
“The proposal you're making would make the entire system a nullity, which is not what we want to do. We're actually trying to provide better outcomes for our veterans in overall wellbeing.”
“We're working to make sure defence and DVA systems are contemporary and fit for purpose and that those systems have the wellbeing of our people at the forefront.”
“We can better support them through the reforms in this bill—through improved information sharing and better integration across defence, DVA and other portfolio agencies, including the newly established, from today, Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency; through establishing more robust frameworks for defence health services by enhancing fam…”
“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the debate on the Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill 2026. This bill reflects the Albanese government's ongoing commitment to responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.”
“This bill directly implements 15 recommendations of the royal commission and supports the implementation of a further 20 recommendations focused on improving health and wellbeing outcomes, improving suicide prevention and information sharing, supporting defence families, enhancing transition, continuity of care and modernising governance…”
The complete record
Every one of 327 lines we hold for Matt Keogh, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 7.
“The proposal you're making would make the entire system a nullity, which is not what we want to do. We're actually trying to provide better outcomes for our veterans in overall wellbeing. Another key part of what we're doing here with these changes is making the biggest increase in fees that are paid to allied health professionals in two decades. We've heard from the veterans and we've heard from the allied health professionals that, if we don't pay them more, they won't be servicing our veterans. We can't allow that to happen. We want to improve our veteran community's access to allied health services, and that's what these policy changes will be delivering.”
“I thank the member for the question. Clearly, as we've articulated, the purpose of the cap is to replace the current treatment cycle system where veterans are going back time and time again to a GP after every 12 referrals in order to access allied health services. We're replacing that with the $5,000 allocation, which means around nine in 10 won't be going over that allocation and won't have to continue going back to GPs. What we're trying to do here for the one in 10 is engage properly with those veterans to make sure that they're getting the right level of health care to meet their allied health needs as well as where there are other needs so they can provide them with the best overall wellbeing outcome whilst maintaining integrity in the system.”
“We're working to make sure defence and DVA systems are contemporary and fit for purpose and that those systems have the wellbeing of our people at the forefront. I want to thank the opposition and the crossbench for their engagement on this bill to date, as well as the many ex-service organisations that we've been engaged with and everyone who's contributed to the debate on this bill in the House for sharing their own experiences of engagement with our ex-service community, veterans and families. I look forward to the support of the entire parliament in the future as we progress this bill through the Senate inquiry and its passage through the parliament so that we can get on with the business of implementing these 35 recommendations supported by this bill. I commend the bill to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.”
“We can better support them through the reforms in this bill—through improved information sharing and better integration across defence, DVA and other portfolio agencies, including the newly established, from today, Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency; through establishing more robust frameworks for defence health services by enhancing family supports; and, vitally, through ensuring people who have been imprisoned for serious violence and sexual offences can never serve in our Defence Force. Together with other reforms we're implementing from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, this bill delivers further practical, system-wide change aimed at reducing harm, supporting families and ensuring defence is better equipped to intervene earlier and more effectively when members, veterans and families are at risk.”
“This bill directly implements 15 recommendations of the royal commission and supports the implementation of a further 20 recommendations focused on improving health and wellbeing outcomes, improving suicide prevention and information sharing, supporting defence families, enhancing transition, continuity of care and modernising governance and accountability arrangements. Broadly, the reforms put forward are about people—the current and former serving members of our Australian Defence Force and their families—and making sure that they are all looked after when in need. Our priority is their health, wellbeing and safety.”
“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the debate on the Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill 2026. This bill reflects the Albanese government's ongoing commitment to responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. On 9 September 2024, the royal commission delivered its final report, making 122 recommendations. The government agreed to or agreed in principle to 104 of those recommendations. I'm really pleased to see that this bill is progressing rapidly through the House with the support of the opposition. It's important that we progress this at pace.”
“So we'll work with the veterans and with the Allied Health service professionals around a system to make sure there's a good approval system with no gap in delivery of service to a veteran that has a clinical need to receive it.”
“We're replacing that with the $5,000 allocation, as we mentioned, but, importantly, our commitment is that any veteran that has a clinical need to go over that amount will be able to access additional allied health services. Now, to put that $5,000 in context, the median use of allied health services by veterans is $1,900. Around one in 10 veterans may go above that $5,000 amount, and we've committed, as you would expect, to working with the veterans community in consulting with them about the best method for obtaining those approvals where they may need more, because we understand that some veterans have very complex needs. For different allied health services, that may work in different ways, recognising the diversity of allied health users.”
“I thank the member for the question, because it's important to be able to provide the House with the full suite of information about the package that was announced on budget night. At the moment, we know many veterans are having difficulty accessing allied health services because, historically, DVA has not paid those allied health professionals enough. And so we announced that we'll make the biggest increase in 20 years to those fees. As part of that, we're also scrapping the treatment cycle that meant that veterans would have to go back to a GP for a new referral every 12 sessions with an allied health professional, which was of course adding to the administrative burden and the complexity for those veterans as well as for GPS.”
“Above all, it ensures that Defence and DVA systems are fit for purpose, designed to protect the health, wellbeing and safety of those who serve, have served and those who support them, and to give practical, lasting effect to the findings and intent of the royal commission. I'd like to acknowledge, in the complexity of this legislation, the need to get this right, and I thank the opposition and the crossbench, as well as ex-service organisations, for their engagement on this bill and continued engagement. We will be referring this bill for a Senate inquiry. I commend the bill. Debate adjourned.”
“These changes improve transparency, strengthen accountability mechanisms and ensure that inquiry powers and reporting processes function as intended. This bill represents a considered, comprehensive and necessary response to the findings of the royal commission. It supports better health, wellbeing and safety outcomes for members, veterans and families. It strengthens information sharing to support prevention and early intervention, modernises Defence health governance, improves support for families and ensures service entry and exit arrangements are grounded in safety, integrity and accountability.”
“These reforms provide greater clarity for members and decision-makers, reduce the risk of inconsistent and ad hoc outcomes, and ensure that decisions to enter, continue or leave service are made in a way that is transparent, fair and aligned with contemporary standards. Critically, these changes strengthen fitness for service and end-of-service provisions to make clear that anyone who is imprisoned for an act of serious violence or a sexual offence will automatically be separated from service and will not be accepted back into service in the Defence Force. Schedule 5 — Other amendments Schedule 5 makes a number of minor amendments that support the independence of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission and its ability to undertake its role consistently with royal commission recommendation 122.”
“It implements royal commission recommendation 22 by establishing more transparent and consistent arrangements for mandatory end of service where members are convicted of certain offences, while preserving appropriate safeguards and review mechanisms. The royal commission emphasised that Defence decision-making affecting a person's service must be clear, proportionate and consistent with contemporary community expectations. Schedule 4 responds by modernising legislative arrangements governing acceptance into service, continuation of service and termination, ensuring decisions are made on a sound statutory footing and with appropriate procedural protections.”
“Schedule 3 responds by ensuring systems are in place to communicate directly with families about available services, payments and supports. It allows for information sharing so that families are better informed and better supported and ensures that former partners impacted by family and domestic violence are not excluded from assistance during separation. In practice this will enable provision of a payment or benefit to a former partner in relation to family or domestic violence to assist the safe separation of the former partner and the member. Schedule 4 — Requirements to serve in the Defence Force Schedule 4 introduces clearer and fairer end-of-service provisions to strengthen integrity, accountability and procedural fairness within Defence.”
“It gives effect to royal commission recommendations 102 and 103 regarding family and domestic violence and support for Defence families by improving support, communication and services provided to Defence families, including through the Defence Strategy for Preventing and Responding to Family and Domestic Violence. The royal commission identified a clear nexus between family and domestic violence and suicide risk and emphasised the need for Defence to address family violence as part of its broader suicide prevention framework. Service in the ADF can place significant strain on members and their families. Family and relationship breakdowns, particularly when compounded by the pressures of service life, can increase the risk of harm, including suicidality, for serving and ex-serving members.”
“For example, key decisions about which health conditions to monitor, what quality assurance activities to undertake and how state and territory requirements apply in the Defence health system are decisions made by the Surgeon-General of the ADF as the ADF officer with responsibility for delivery of the Defence health system. These reforms respond directly to the royal commission's finding that data relevant to suicide, suicidality and health is often fragmented or unavailable when needed. Schedule 3 — Information sharing to support ADF families Schedule 3 of the bill strengthens legislative support for Defence families, recognising their critical role in the health, wellbeing and safety of Defence members.”
“Statutory authority is provided for uses that support member health and operational readiness. This principled approach reflects the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide's recognition that ADF members' right to privacy and confidentiality must be respected alongside the health and operational needs of the force. The bill also supports alignment with the National Model Clinical Governance Framework, enabling Defence to actively manage clinical safety, monitor effectiveness and improve service quality in line with national standards. These arrangements for Defence health services align with civilian settings and are tailored to the unique requirements of the ADF.”
“The schedule allows Defence to collect, use and disclose health information for population-level monitoring and evaluation while embedding safeguards and strengthening legal protections for health practitioners involved in approved quality assurance and improvement activities. This ensures clinicians can engage openly and candidly in safety and quality assurance processes, mirroring best practice in civilian health systems. This will, for the first time, provide a clear statutory framework governing how health information may be collected, used and disclosed within the Defence health system. It ensures members receive earlier, better coordinated care, while enabling command to make safe and appropriate fitness-for-duty decisions based on limited, relevant information. Critically, the framework is calibrated to member interests.”
“The royal commission found that the legal framework governing this system has not kept pace with contemporary clinical practice, particularly in relation to mental health, data use and clinical governance. Schedule 2 addresses this by clearly defining the Defence health system, those who work within it, the services it provides and the information it generates, and by clarifying how that information may be collected, used and disclosed. This clarification will improve access to timely mental health screening and enable the appropriate use of health information for system monitoring, quality assurance and continuous improvement.”
“The new wellbeing and transition support functions will enable the Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency to connect individuals with tailored supports and services appropriate to their individual needs whether or not they have started a claim with DVA. Schedule 2 — Defence health services Schedule 2 modernises and clarifies the legislative framework for Defence health services in direct response to several royal commission recommendations, including recommendations 67, 68, 76, 78, 113 and 116 regarding clinical governance frameworks, beneficial disclosures, postvention, moral injury, continuous improvement and research. The Defence health system performs a unique role. It ensures members are fit to serve, supports operational capability, and underpins long-term health and wellbeing.”
“Defence and DVA are only able to collect personal information where it is reasonably necessary for the performance of their functions. Use and disclosure will be limited to legislative purposes and safeguards—primarily health, wellbeing and safety of members, veterans and their families. These reforms will enable Defence and DVA to better understand suicide risk factors and deliver a more responsive and integrated experience for those across the Defence and DVA ecosystem, supporting earlier, proactive interventions for individuals assessed as vulnerable. Faster access to ADF members' information will mean DVA can process claims from those members as they arise. This will directly address recommendations 94 and 98 of the royal commission regarding data sharing and DVA claim processing times.”
“Schedule 1 supports the implementation of several royal commission recommendations, including 74, 80, 87, 107, 110, and 116 regarding privacy legislation, transition, wellbeing, a national veterans data asset, Defence data and research, by striking the right balance between protecting privacy and enabling disclosure of information where a member or veteran may be at risk or in distress, supporting wellbeing during transition from service and underpinning the operation of the new Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency and the new National Veterans' Data Asset. It will also enhance research and data capabilities, improve timeliness of information sharing between Defence and DVA to support claims-processing efficiency, and strengthen the quality, integration and use of data, particularly in relation to preventing suicide and suicidality.”
“The royal commission identified that Defence and veterans systems hold critical information, but systemic deficiencies in information sharing and data integration have led to information siloes, delays or gaps in access. These issues have been significant barriers to identifying risks and providing proactive support where needed, evaluating what works and strengthening suicide prevention. Schedule 1 addresses these issues by creating clear, transparent and proportionate authority for information sharing in critical areas of focus for the royal commission.”
“Schedule 1 — Information sharing to improve wellbeing, health and safety outcomes Schedule 1 of the bill inserts a new part in the Defence Act 1903 focused on health and wellbeing support for Defence Force members, veterans and their families, and amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to enhance the Repatriation Commission's functions to include the provision of wellbeing supports for Defence Force members, veterans and their families, including during transition out of the Defence Force. It establishes new arrangements to support the lawful, ethical and proportionate collection, use and disclosure of information to enhance health, wellbeing and safety outcomes for Defence members, veterans and their families.”
“This will support timely claims processing, compensation and tailored support for individuals identified as being at increased risk, consistent with royal commission recommendations 78, 80, 87 and 102 regarding moral injury, transition support, a veterans wellbeing agency, and family and domestic violence. Together with other royal commission related reforms, this bill delivers further practical, system-wide change aimed at reducing harm, supporting families and ensuring Defence is better equipped to intervene earlier and more effectively when members, veterans and families are at risk. Specifically, the bill contains five schedules.”
“These powers are balanced by strong privacy safeguards, including compliance with ministerial guidelines, requirements for deidentification where practicable and alignment with the Privacy Act framework. Critically, the bill supports a more integrated approach across Defence, DVA and other portfolio agencies, including the new veteran and family wellbeing agency. It enables more efficient and effective information sharing to support continuity of care, proactive outreach and improved transition arrangements, including the earlier transfer of relevant information from Defence to DVA.”
“Broadly, the reforms in the bill support the health, wellbeing and safety of current and former ADF members, and their families, prioritising these matters in both Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), supporting information sharing for these purposes, establishing more robust frameworks for defence health services, enhancing family supports and ensuring people who have been imprisoned for serious violence and sexual offences can never serve in the Defence Force. The bill provides clear statutory authority for entrusted persons to collect, use and disclose information for research, data analysis and evaluation relating to health, wellbeing and safety outcomes.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I'm pleased to present the Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill 2026. This bill reflects the government's ongoing commitment to responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. On 9 September 2024, the royal commission delivered its final report, making 122 recommendations. The government agreed to, or agreed-in-principle to, 104 of those recommendations. This bill directly implements 15 of those recommendations and supports a further 20 recommendations focused on strengthening health and wellbeing outcomes, improving suicide prevention and information sharing, supporting defence families, enhancing transition and continuity of care and modernising governance and accountability arrangements.”
“I thank all of those that have been part of this important national project and look forward to the final elements coming together by 2028—the pre-1914 galleries and an interactive learning centre—to make sure generations to come can learn our nation's history of service and sacrifice and to never forget the great cost of war. Lest we forget.”
“They've not just expanded what was there; they've painstakingly repaired and replaced what was needed to preserve a memorial built during the Depression for generations to come. This also included the installation of the largest geothermal system in the Southern Hemisphere to regulate the temperature in the memorial and to protect its artefacts—as well as those of us there on a cold Canberra night! Despite the scale of the construction that's taken place over the years, they've kept the doors open 364 days a year, even through the depths of COVID, always being conscious that for anyone who seeks to visit the memorial to learn and commemorate the service of our nation they should be able to do so.”
“The Australian War Memorial shares their stories and the stories of all those who have served in our nation's uniform. This expansion of the War Memorial provides the opportunity to properly tell the stories of modern conflicts, such as Afghanistan, peacekeeping operations and the Middle East, their causes, conduct and consequences. This has been a nationally significant project, supported by the opposition and government. This expansion to the War Memorial delivers on the vision of the memorial's founder, Charles Bean, for a shrine, an archive and a museum. The expansion has been achieved through the work and vision of many. There were almost 2,000 workers on the project, and more than 100 of those were veterans continuing their service through this project that commemorates their mates.”
“I thank the member for his question and his important connection himself to that sacred place, the Australian War Memorial. It was wonderful to welcome so many from across our parliament to the Australian War Memorial last night to mark the official opening of Anzac Hall and the atrium, along with the Governor-General. Most importantly, we were joined by many ADF members and veterans, all with a very special connection to the memorial. The Australian War Memorial is our national home of commemoration, a sacred place. The roll of honour on the walls of the War Memorial features the names of over 103,000 Australians who have lost their lives in war, conflict and peacekeeping operations. Behind each of those names is a person and families who loved them.”
“But it's not just about roads; it's about supporting our community to grow and thrive. The Armadale central park development is now underway. Known as Karlup Journey Place, it'll bring with it a more vibrant and welcoming town centre to Armadale. With this project, we're investing in the places our community lives, works and learns. It'll be a wonderful new space, connecting the new Armadale train station with shops, cafes, Armadale TAFE and the Armadale University Study Hub that was opened earlier this year.”
“In 2016, a decade ago, when the seat of Burt was first formed, Armadale Road was nothing more than a pothole riddled, congested single-lane carriageway. Now it's been duplicated and has a bridge at the freeway, which has made the journeys of thousands of people in our community faster and safer. We're continuing to build a better Burt. We're upgrading and extending Tonkin Highway. Just recently, the first section of the new underpass structure was installed. This is the first of seven units that will form the underpasses that will support the future road network. The contract has also been awarded to widen Tonkin Highway to six lanes, delivering new grade-separated interchanges at Welshpool Road and Hale Road. That will mean a new path for pedestrians and cyclists as well as safer and faster journeys on the road.”
“Then there are the industries that keep Australia moving, like Specialised Tyre & Wheel, who manufacture agricultural and off-highway vehicle wheels, and those that grow our resources sector, like metallurgical lab Nagrom, who are world leading in lithium testing. Backing agriculture, construction and Australian industry is why the Albanese Labor government launched the largest pro-manufacturing package ever, our Future Made in Australia policy, to see more industries like this. Nearly 10 years ago, I was elected to represent our community of Burt. Since day dot, I've been fighting for the infrastructure funding our community needs and deserves. For too long our community's population was exploding but the infrastructure it needed simply was not keeping up. Just think about Armadale Road.”
“It's great to see wonderful WA representation across all sides of the chamber this morning. A future made in Australia means better jobs for our community, using our resources, knowledge and innovation to make more things here and back skilled Aussie workers. My community of Burt is home to some incredible workers and businesses making and developing things from Kenwick down to Byford. Recently I visited some to see their great work, often hidden away, happening right in the heart of our community. There are companies like AG Trusses in Armadale, who are taking the need to build more houses and making them a reality, turning WA timber into housing frames that can be up within a day.”
“As we work through that, we will then be able to better look at the wide variety of submissions that have been made to government for a further round of hubs and supports to local ex-service organisations—be them RSLs or other organisations—that want to improve how they can deliver better support to veterans and families on the ground. We really want to support that and we want to make sure we work through that in a methodical way as we stand up these big changes that are improving support to our veteran community. I've looked at the business case that's been provided by the member. I very much appreciate it and look forward to working through it after we've stood up the wellbeing agency from 1 July this year.”
“It is going to co-ordinate across those veterans' and families' hubs that we already have up and running, providing an on-the-ground footprint. It will provide a national service online and by phone to help veterans navigate the systems of support in the broader wellbeing areas. It is incredibly important work. We are working through setting that up and the other services that will be provided through that agency and funded by that agency. It's important we get that right moving forward in the near term. That's an important piece of work both in terms of the agency itself and in terms of working with the existing hubs.”
“They are an important part of the broader ecosystem and footprint to support our veteran communities—in particular, where we've got the highest concentration of those veteran communities around the country. From 1 July, we will be rolling out the changes to the veterans entitlement legislation. That's going to be the biggest change in a century. We're moving from three complex systems that were interacting with each other to a single system going forward, improving the system that supports our veterans and making it quicker and easier for their claims to be processed. Also, importantly, we'll be implementing another recommendation of the royal commission, from 1 July, when we stand up the new veteran and family wellbeing agency.”
“I want to thank the member for his question, and I also thank him for having me out to his electorate to meet with the local RSL and to hear what they want to do there in terms of having a hub to support the veterans in their community. They really did an excellent job of explaining the real-world impact—I met with RSL members and advocates working out there—and the support they want to be able to provide on their side of the range. And I thank the member for passing to me as well their business case for how they want to set up that hub and have it running on an ongoing basis. We've been delivering hubs across the country, which we committed to at the 2022 and 2025 elections.”
“We have a new wellbeing agency that will be established and up and running in the middle of this year, and we've expanded the veterans and families hub network across the country. We've increased GP fees, we've increased report fees for GPs and specialists, and we're increasing the fees that will be paid to allied health professionals to increase access for the veteran community. We're continuing to work on the royal commission recommendations. We're also doing the necessary work for a review to ensure that federally funded travel for Victoria Cross recipients and their families, like the parents of Cameron Baird VC, continue on a proper basis. We are doing the work that is needed to fulfil our nation's solemn promise to our veterans and families.”
“With the passage of the VETS Act, from 1 July this year, we will have a single legislative scheme that is simpler for people to understand what they're entitled to and quicker for DVA to process claims. When it comes to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, we acted quickly. We already implemented 32 of the recommendations last year. Two-thirds of the recommendations will be implemented by the end of this year. The Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, a legislated oversight body, is already up and running, and we're taking a broader approach to veteran wellbeing, with proactive engagement with Defence to prevent injury, giving better treatment, so that we can get better wellbeing and lifestyle outcomes.”
“That's why our government made the biggest investment in the Department of Veterans' Affairs in three decades so that we could clear the backlog of claims that weren't even being looked at, so that claims are now looked at within 14 days of being received and so that initial liability claims are now processed within a matter of months instead of years. And, as I've moved around the country and engaged with veterans and ex-service organisations and advocates, it's been really great to hear the positive feedback from those engaging with the system that it is indeed improving. But, of course, more is needed, and through the extensive consultation that we undertook over years with the veteran community, we're making the system simpler as well.”
“I thank the member for Braddon for her important question. It's been great to be able to engage with her in this place, and when she was in the other place, in support of the veterans in her community. I know everybody in this chamber has respect for those who have served and worn the Australian Defence Force uniform, including those who sit here in this place. As a government, we understand the great importance of supporting those who serve our nation—those people who put on our uniform to serve a greater cause who may make the ultimate sacrifice and those who come home with injuries seen and unseen. That is what every government needs to do. In my term as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, I've heard from veterans since day 1 that the claims process was a nightmare, that it was taking too long and that it was too complex.”
“He held a town hall in Hobart, and, as a result of the feedback from the local community, the Defence and Veterans Workshop will remain onsite at the Derwent Barracks. I'm pleased that the Prime Minister was able to confirm this when he was in Hobart with Premier Rockliff the weekend before last. We're working through the divestment of the site and others around the country very carefully. We're going to continue to consult with defence personnel, veterans, reservists, the wider community and of course the families of cadets that may be impacted. It's important that we get this right, and keeping the workshop onsite at Derwent is a key part of doing that.”
“We had already implemented 32 of the recommendations of the commission by the end of last year, and we're on track to, by the end of this year, have implemented two-thirds of those recommendations. The independent defence estate audit found that many defence properties have no clear or ongoing link to our capability needs for keeping our nation safe, and we need to make sure that our defence estate is fit and proper for our ADF. In making sure we get this right, my good friend the Assistant Minister for Defence has been working his way around the country, consulting with those that are impacted by the defence estate audit. They are not consultations that are about setting or forgetting.”
“I thank the member for Clark for his ongoing support for the veterans workshop and the veterans in his community. Of course, I thank him for his service in the Australian Army as well. The Defence and Veterans Workshop, which the member mentioned, at Derwent Barracks, has been supporting our current and former serving defence community for decades. It is a great facility that is providing a place for local veterans not just to go and connect but to learn a new skill as well, and we've discussed that before. We as a government are focused on wellbeing support for our veterans at all life stages, and that is something that was emphasised by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. So I'm pleased to be able to assure the member that our government is fair dinkum about addressing the recommendations of the royal commission.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister. The budget contained an additional $169.7 million to increase the fees going to allied health providers to support our veterans. This is the biggest increase in two decades and will kick in in July 2027. It's going to see physiotherapy services go from being paid $75.10 to $110 so veterans can access better services. The previous government had implemented their treatment cycle to constrain access to allied health services, so veterans had to keep going back to a GP after every 12 sessions. We're changing that to the $5,000 limit to make it easier for veterans, and, importantly, we're ensuring that veterans that have a genuine clinical need to go over it will continue to have access to the allied health services that they require.”
“It's reforms like this that we've achieved together that will support the wellbeing of Defence personnel, strengthen the integrity of the discipline system and uphold community expectations of fairness and accountability. I commend the bill to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.”
“Additionally, the bill enables individuals who are suffering from mental impairment to be treated with respect and dignity whilst being dealt with appropriately under the discipline system. Importantly, the bill will establish a Defence mental health tribunal framework, one of the most transformative parts of the bill. This tribunal will have the power to order treatment, care or detention when a person is unfit to plead or acquitted due to mental impairment. I thank members across the House for your contributions and for your support of the government's work so far to improve the lives of current and former serving personnel and in implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.”