Interview with Greg Jennett, ABC News Afternoon Briefing

The Hon Matt Keogh MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Minister for Defence Personnel

E&OE transcript
Radio Interview
ABC News

GREG JENNETT: Matt Keogh, great to have you back on the program. This is a really weighty Interim Report from the Royal Commission. I know a lot to digest. I was interested in exploring the scope of what you think lies ahead for you and the government. Because it says, amongst other things, that this Royal Commission is a once in a generation opportunity to make real and lasting change to what is a big and complex program. Do you view it in those terms?

MATT KEOGH: Certainly it is big and complex, and certainly this Royal Commission has been, if you like, the culmination of many, many reviews into issues within Defence, issues with supporting veterans through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. And in that sense, yeah, this is not in any way something to be taken lightly, and it’s set forth in the Interim Report a pathway forward of things that we as a government can now get on with in the short to medium term before we get to the final report in a couple of years time.

GREG JENNETT: In no particular order, but certainly the first recommendation goes to the foundations, the building blocks of the entire compensation and rehabilitation scheme. Do you accept that it alone is in need of sweeping change?

MATT KEOGH: Certainly something has to be done. And in the time that I’ve been the Minister and my engagement with veterans and service organisations, it’s one of the things that comes up time and time again. And we saw it recommended in the Productivity Commission review from a few years ago as well. It is a complex system. It’s legislation on top of legislation on top of legislation. Some veterans picked up by multiple of those pieces of legislation. It means processing within DVA is very complex as well. So if we can crack that nut it will see considerable improvement for veterans and serving personnel.

GREG JENNETT: And do you have any inkling, do you have a leaning on that, a massive simplification process to remove those layers?

MATT KEOGH: Look, it is certainly something that I’ve been mulling over in the time that I’ve been in the job. But now that we’ve got this recommendation on top of the Productivity Commission’s recommendation, there’s details. You know, with anything that’s complex we’ve now got to get into the detail about how can we move it forward to create a more streamlined system, one that is more understandable and navigable by veterans as well.

GREG JENNETT: And being mindful not to inadvertently leave people worse off, which would always be a risk in a big overhaul like this.

MATT KEOGH: And that’s certainly what makes this process complex – is how do we go about a process and what does it mean for people’s existing benefits and entitlements as well as for the entitlements for veterans going forward.

GREG JENNETT: Let’s move to some shorter-term problems confronting the system – the claims backlog. Yes, you’ve put extra staff in and are gradually building up to I think an extra number of 500.

MATT KEOGH: That’s right.

GREG JENNETT: But by when do you think clearance of the claims backlog might be feasible or possible?

MATT KEOGH: Yeah, we’re working through a process with the department about that at the moment so that we can best understand what the rate of claims increase is as well just how many claims each additional staff person will be able to do in combination with some of the improvements we’re making to internal systems of processing within the department. So because we’re in a bit of a state of flux, if you like, in trying to bring in those efficiencies, I don’t have a time line exactly now about when we think those 500 people will be able to bring an end to that backlog. But it’s something I’m working very closely with the department on at the moment.

GREG JENNETT: Okay. And staffing is a feature of many recommendations. The 500 that you are rebuilding, will they be permanent? Permanent allocations to the department?

MATT KEOGH: Yeah, so we’ve committed to that going forward, those 500. And in terms of the other recommendations in here and detail about resourcing, what that fundamentally recognises is that under the previous government, the department was resource constrained, and that has inhibited its capacity to process claims and to support veterans, and that’s obviously a key problem that the Royal Commission has been hearing about in its hearings over the last period in the lead-up to this Interim Report. So very alive to that and looking to get into the detail of those other recommendations that go to resourcing.

GREG JENNETT: And it should always involve human beings, should they, these processes? I imagine there’d be management reviews that say you could have apps and self-help programs to navigate your way through these systems. But it’s your starting position that that it was under-resourced?

MATT KEOGH: Absolutely. So the previous government commissioned the McKinsey review to look at this, and it recommended some efficiencies within the department. But it also identified that it didn’t matter how efficient you made that process, there just needed to also be more people. Now the previous government kept that report secret and under wraps. We released it upon coming into government so there was transparency and clarity around that. But people is also vitally important because this is a people job. We’re talking about veterans. We’re talking about people who have served our nation and they deserve to have the best service delivered to them as well. Now, there can be efficiency through online portals, but there’s got to be people involved as well.

GREG JENNETT: Sure. Now, I’m rather intrigued – and you took some questions on this in your earlier media conference today – but a good number of the recommendations here actually go to I suppose what might be described as frustrations by the Royal Commissioners about administrative and legal blockages. What is that telling us about the project that they’ve embarked on? It didn’t seem in any way that this has been smooth sailing for them, which is perplexing, isn’t it, to say the least?

MATT KEOGH: It’s certainly concerning. I mean, we know the previous government didn’t want to have this Royal Commission in the first place. They eventually got on to holding it. And upon coming into government we had these sorts of concerns raised with us by the Royal Commission and we took those concerns on board. And, as I said, we’ve spoken with Defence, Department of Veterans’ Affairs about the need to make sure that this Royal Commission is understood to be doing the work of government for the benefit of Defence, for the benefit of Veterans’ Affairs, but most importantly for the benefit of our serving personnel, veterans and families.

GREG JENNETT: Is that perfectly understood? I mean, it’s easy to get people nodding saying, “Yes, Minister,” but do you think you in your own small and initial way have been able to remove some of these what we might call institutional blockages?

MATT KEOGH: I think it is well understood. There have been, I think, some processes set up about how various government agencies work through to delivering information to the Royal Commission and the processes of review that are involved in that and making – they could be more fit for purpose given the way we want to treat this Royal Commission. And we’re working through that at the moment.

GREG JENNETT: All right.

MATT KEOGH: But certainly there is an acceptance across government that we’re working with this Royal Commission to get the best results out of it.

GREG JENNETT: Yeah, well, this is only an initial response from you. We do appreciate it, Matt Keogh. Big body of work ahead, and we’ll stay in touch with you on it.

MATT KEOGH: Thanks very much, Greg.

END

Media contact:
Stephanie Mathews (Minister Keogh’s Office): 0407 034 485
DVA Media: media.team@dva.gov.au  

Authorised by The Hon Matt Keogh MP.