Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I really do welcome the opportunity to speak on this bill tonight. I spent 15 years in the Army and I have met so many veterans and ex-service men and women out there who really believe that this is a measure way past its time. This will be a historic moment. We often hear in this place people talking about a 'historic moment', but this is about a promise, a commitment and keeping faith with people who have pulled on the uniform and been prepared to put their lives on the line for this country. It is time that this job got done; it is going to get done now, and I am very pleased about that.

When we look at what is coming as part of this bill tonight, it is for DFRDB pensioners over the age of 55 and it is about fair indexation. I remember very clearly back in 2007 meeting with some peak veterans' and ex-service organisations in Perth, and they were talking and delighting in the fact that Kevin Rudd had promised them fair indexation. It was hard going to counter that. It was a point made very clearly to me. There were those in the veteran community who were still with us, but many decided that this was the point they would swap sides and go over to the other side—the Labor side—and they were betrayed. There is no doubt about it. They were told clearly what was going to happen, and Labor just never delivered for them.

I was very happy that we made that commitment to people in 2010 and were prepared to back it up. We bargained in good faith. We made commitments in good faith to the veteran community and, after 2010 when we did not quite get there, we came through. We had said we were going to do it and we came through with two bills in this place—one here and one in the other place—where we demonstrated our commitment to the cause.

We are keeping faith tonight with the veteran community. People like Mike Gilmore, the president of the Ballajura RSL. Graham Woodford of the Perth North branch of the Naval Association, and Wendy Tuffin of the Wanneroo-Joondalup RSL. We are keeping faith with those ex-service people, and I applaud the government for that and thank the Prime Minister for his strong support.

I said before that we had bargained in good faith when we had made that commitment in 2010 and that there were attempts to bring it in the House and then in the Senate. I contrast that to the lack of good faith shown by the member for Denison who came in here, attempted to highlight himself and tried to springboard some sort of political favour in the veteran community. If he were for this in good faith, committed to this and in doing the right thing, he would have gone to the minister and said, 'Minister, I am in favour of this, but I think it should be extended and I think it should be different,' but there is no evidence of that happening, and it did not happen. So what we have when he comes into this place is nothing but political grandstanding and self-promotion. I think it is very bizarre for a former serving officer to have those sorts of character problems. It is disappointing.

Again, this is legislation that is past its date. It is important that we do this. It is about keeping our commitments and keeping our promises, which is exactly what this government has done. We will be judged by what we say and do in the future. Tonight is a good night because this job is going to be done tonight in the House of Representatives. I thank the Prime Minister and the minister for their efforts for veterans and ex-service people.

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