Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great pride that I rise to speak today on the Defence Force Retirement Benefits legislation. This legislation is the collaboration of years of hard work and an ongoing determination and commitment by many of my colleagues on our side to recognise the unique place of veterans in our nation. I rise with a tinge of sadness, though, because I look at the benches opposite and I look at the number of speakers and their numbers are few. I question their support of the veteran community in this nation.

This bill has a long and important history and is a firm statement of the coalition's commitment to veterans and their families. For me personally this legislation is of special significance. For anyone in this House or outside of this building, or indeed in the other place, that has any connection with our Defence Force, with our military personnel, whether they be Navy, Army, or Air Force, we understand the sacrifices, the commitment, the dedication, the risks that they take and indeed the sacrifice and the impact on their families.

I have always been a passionate advocate of our veterans and involve myself in every way possible to fight for the best outcomes for them locally and indeed across the nation. I was fortunate and privileged to serve in the shadow ministry for veterans' affairs from 2008 to 2010. During this time I worked hard with my colleagues, the member for Paterson being one, to ensure that these changes were put at the front and centre of the coalition's agenda. At this point I would like to acknowledge that there were many of my colleagues prior to me stepping into that particular position, during my time serving in that position and since who have fought for this legislation to become a reality.

This legislation is also the result of important contributions from key veterans organisations. In particular I would like to acknowledge the Returned Services League National President, Rear Admiral Ken Doolan AO RAN. I would also like to acknowledge the Defence Force Welfare Association, which worked tirelessly to advocate for their members, in particular Colonel David Jamison. This is not to exclude other ex-service organisations. They worked tirelessly as well to advocate and lobby various governments of the day for this change.

This legislation has been long awaited and the benefits will be felt by our veterans community immediately. The key part of this bill is that we will index the Defence Force Retirement Benefit, DFRB, scheme and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefit, DFRDB, scheme pensions in the same way as age and service pensions are indexed. These new arrangements will apply to superannuants aged 55 and over from July this year. I am pleased to note that in the electorate of Macquarie, 604 DFRB and DFRDB superannuants aged over 55 will immediately benefit from these changes come July. In New South Wales alone there will be 13,699 veterans better off because of these changes.

While in government Labor made promise after promise to the veterans community but they never kept those promises. In fact, Labor are on the record as actually opposing the introduction of fair indexation on two occasions—in the Senate in 2011 and in the House of Representatives in 2012. The coalition has played no such games with the veterans community. The veterans community and their families deserve nothing less than the facts. They want it straight. They want you to keep your word—if you say it, do it; if you are not going to do it, do not promise it.

I was proud to be in attendance in Penrith when we first announced this measure prior to 2010 with the then Leader of the Opposition. We took this commitment to the 2010 election and once again to the 2013 election. It is such a privilege and an honour to be able to stand in this place and speak of the commitment of this side of the House to keeping our promise. We are committed to ensuring that the people who serve and have served our nation will get the utmost respect and honour in a tangible and real way. They, more than anyone else in this nation, deserve to live out their lives in the knowledge that they have financial security.

This bill recognises overall that military service is unique—there is no other service and no other job in this nation like it—and, as such, deserves unique solutions to ensure that Australia's service personnel, past and present, are looked after in their retirement. I commend this bill to the House.

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