Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As I rise to speak on the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Legislation Amendment (Fair Indexation) Bill 2014, I cannot let it pass that for the speakers list for this legislation the Labor Party have found three speakers. One is the former minister. To put it frankly, their silence says more than any of us ever can.

This legislation, the Defence Force retirement benefits legislation amendment bill before the House, is very close to my heart. But, far more importantly, it is close to the hearts of the 1,046 veterans in my community, who have spent years fighting for a fair go on their military superannuation pensions—a fair go which the Labor Party has refused to provide. This legislation represents a deserved victory, at long last, for these local veterans and their families.

The coalition has stood shoulder to shoulder with them. And now, in government, we are delighted to be able to deliver. The changes give effect to a key coalition election commitment and, on a personal level, come after a protracted campaign to secure Longman veterans a fair go, via correspondence, meetings, representations in parliament and veterans' forums with the then shadow minister and now Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Ronaldson. During one such event at the Bribie Island RSL last August, Senator Ronaldson and I signed a pledge that we would deliver rightful indexation after all those years of Labor shunning our ex-service men and women.

Currently, 57,000 veterans aged 55 and over have their Defence Force Retirement Benefits Scheme, or DFRB, and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme, or DFRDB, superannuation pension increases tied to the consumer price index only. Twice the coalition tried to pass legislation through the last parliament to achieve fair indexation for them. Each time, the Labor Party, the Greens and the Independents combined to stop that move.

But from 1 July we will index DFRB and DFRDB pensions for superannuants aged 55 and over in the same way as age and service pensions. That means a calculation based on a formula that factors in growth in the CPI, male total average weekly earnings and the pensioner and beneficiary living cost index. The fair indexation provisions will also extend to widow pensioners aged 55 and over.

This commitment recognises the unique nature of military service. It recognises that those who have served our nation should not be treated differently from age and service pensioners. And this commitment is yet another example so far as this government's record on trust is concerned. Making sure our veterans were treated with fairness and respect was an article of faith for us when we took up the treasury bench.

Caboolture-Morayfield and District RSL Sub Branch president Mr Bruce Miller told me, upon hearing that this legislation was a reality, that many veterans had been short-changed thousands of dollars by inadequate indexation. He said:

We're glad that the government has stuck to its election promise and carried through on this …

… It's been a long time coming.

It has indeed. And yet the coalition has sustained the logical argument that, if it is inadequate to lift Centrelink pensions just by the consumer price index, it is even less fair to apply only that index to those who have risked their lives for our country.

In the lead-up to the 2007 election, prime ministerial candidate Kevin Rudd also promised fairness to the recipients of DFRB and DFRDB pensions. But instead, with Mr Rudd's election, veterans got nothing except another broken Labor promise.

We of the coalition have long acknowledged the unique nature of military service and the sacrifices military personnel and their families make on behalf of all Australians. We believe that Australia should protect and watch over its veterans and their future in the same way that our veterans have protected and watched over our country. We have stood by our pledge. We have kept our word. Australia's veterans, who have risked life and limb, deserve better than a government that says one thing before an election and does another thing after.

We now call upon the opposition leader and the Labor Party to finally do what they should have done three years ago and support this legislation. It is an honour to commend this bill to the House.

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