Radio Interview - 2SM Sydney, Breakfast with Ron Wilson

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
2SM SYDNEY
BREAKFAST WITH RON WILSON
TUESDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2025

SUBJECTS: Veterans Legislation Reform (VETS Act); Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

RON WILSON, HOST: Today marks an historic moment for Australia's veterans as Parliament has passed the most significant legislative reform to the veterans’ support system in a century. The new Veterans Entitlements Treatment and Support Act will overhaul the current veterans’ compensation and rehabilitation system, streamlining the processes, improving entitlements and introducing independent oversight through the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission. It follows the handing down of the Interim Report from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Now, these changes will ensure veterans and their families receive faster, clearer and more effective support, addressing critical needs and delivering better outcomes for generations to come. Matt Keogh is the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and he's on the line right now. Matt, thank you for holding on. I appreciate it very much.

MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL, MATT KEOGH: Morning Ron. Great to be with you.

WILSON: Look, these are some pretty significant reforms. What issues were veterans encountering in attempting to understand and receive their entitlements with the previous system?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, Ron, you mentioned the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide there. And in its Interim Report, the Royal Commission found that the system we've had, which has got three different schemes, was just inducing anxiety in veterans. It was complex, it was difficult to understand. Some veterans fell into multiple, or indeed all three different schemes, and that meant that it has been taking way too long to process claims, but made it very complex because people have had to understand multiple different systems. These reforms will mean that we move to having one system going forward in the future. And that means it's easier for veterans to know what they're entitled to, but it also means it's easier to get their claims processed as well.

WILSON: Well, we're now going to see oversight from the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission. Why is that independent oversight so important?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, the Royal Commission, in its Final Report, said that one of its key recommendations was that there needed to be a body following the Royal Commission to provide oversight for the whole veteran support ecosystem looking at suicide prevention, but also veteran wellbeing. And we've accepted that recommendation. And so we have now legislated the establishment of that Commission and that will have a role for oversighting the entire ecosystem of support that's there for Defence personnel and for veterans looking at the very important issue of suicide prevention, but also wellbeing more broadly. So, that goes beyond just the legislative reforms that we've just introduced here, moving to a single ongoing scheme which simplifies and harmonises the system and looking at broader wellbeing issues as well.

WILSON: Well, it's all going to get underway pretty quickly. From April 2025, veterans will be able to appeal claims decisions through that Veterans’ Review Board. How might that avenue for appeal change the claims process for veterans who feel that, you know, that they've been unfairly denied?

MINISTER KEOGH: Yes. So, because we've had these different schemes, there's been different appeals processes that have applied and in particular, for one of the schemes, it was quite a litigious way of appealing or reviewing a decision of the Department. It would go to the AAT and sometimes onto the Federal Court as well. Other veterans under other schemes have had access to the veteran friendly Veterans’ Review Board. It uses alternative dispute resolution and mediation. It's easier to deal with, it doesn't involve lawyers. And we've now made that Veteran Review Board apply across all of the systems so that it is easier, where a veteran does want to review a decision from DVA, to have that decision reviewed in an easily accessible way.

WILSON: Is this open to all veterans or are there any limits and how do they go about getting their cases reviewed?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, the Veterans’ Review Board is supported by the Department. The changes that make it available for all veterans that are accessing DVA kick in in a couple months time, as you said in April, and the processes that already apply for the Veterans’ Review Board will now just apply across the board for all veterans seeking a review.

WILSON: Well, it's a significant step forward for veterans. Is there anything else that they need or anything else that can be done?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, certainly the Royal Commission, in its Final Report, had 122 recommendations and we agreed or agreed in principle to 104 of those. And we've also established a task force to now do the work on working through, implementing those recommendations, making sure that that we meet the needs of our veteran community and also the changes that need to happen in how we support our Defence Force personnel and families going forward. So, we are doing that work on implementing those Royal Commission recommendations. We've stood up the task force, we've now already legislated that oversight body and of course, we've made this important reform to simplify and harmonise veterans’ entitlements legislation.

WILSON: Yes, it's a fantastic step forward and congratulations for it. Matt Keogh, thank you.

MINISTER KEOGH: Thanks, Ron.

WILSON: Matt Keogh on the line there, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and those major reforms for veterans and their ability to appeal when they feel that they've been unfairly denied their claims.

END

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides 24/7 free confidential crisis support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families on 1800 011 046 or the Open Arms website. Safe Zone Support provides anonymous counselling on 1800 142 072. Defence All-Hours Support Line provides support for ADF personnel on 1800 628 036 or the Defence Health Portal. Defence Member and Family Helpline provides support for Defence families on 1800 624 608