Radio Interview – Triple M Townsville, CK and Kate for breakfast

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TRIPLE M, TOWNSVILLE
CK & KATE FOR BREAKFAST
TUESDAY, 30 JUNE 2026

SUBJECTS: New, simplified veteran claims system; Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency

KATE JEBOULT, HOST: From this week, the Federal Government is rolling out significant reforms aimed at simplifying how veterans access support. To tell us more, we're joined by the Federal Veterans' Affairs Minister, Matt Keogh. Good morning to you, Matt.

MATT KEOGH, MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Good morning, great to be with you guys.

JEBOULT: Can you tell us a little bit about this support and what's sort of changing this week Matt?

KEOGH: Sure. So, look up in Townsville you've got about 14,000 current or former serving members of our Defence Force. Many of them at some stage will need to put in a claim with DVA because they've been injured or they've got some condition as a result of their service. At the moment there's been three different schemes for different veterans that served at different times, depending on what they did during their service. Very complex for people to understand how it worked. We want to make it simpler for veterans. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide said we needed to make it simpler, we needed to harmonise. We've changed those laws. So, from the first of July there will just be one system. Easier for people to understand and importantly easier and therefore quicker for DVA to process people's claims as well.

CLIFF “CK” KERN, HOST: Matt, why do you think this overhaul of the system is important now?

KEOGH: I think it's important because we should have a system that's easier for people to use. The Royal Commission itself said that the complexity, the stress that it caused was contributing to the rate of suicide that we were seeing in our veteran community, which is much higher than we see across the ordinary general population. And so we need to make the changes to make the system work better for people so they can get access to the healthcare they need, to rehabilitation and to compensation as well.

JEBOULT: Because that transition, you know, from the military into civilian life, we know firsthand how difficult that can be in terms of accessing services and support. How much of a, sort of, day to day impact do you think it's going to have people on the ground here in North Queensland?

KEOGH: Well, I think it'll make it easier for them to get access to the support they need DVA to provide. But also on the first of July, we also open our new Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency. And that is about in particular supporting those people that are transitioning from full time Defence service into civilian life. Making sure we don't have gaps open up between what they might get through Defence and what they can get from DVA. And being a point of connection to a range of other services that are out there to support our veteran and family community.

KERN: Well, mate, this is fantastic, especially for our beautiful garrison city. I guess, final question, too, what's the one thing you might want every veteran listening to the radio this morning to know about these changes?

KEOGH: Well, I think for everyone who's listening, it's also important to know that with these changes coming in from the first of July, any veteran who's already receiving benefits, payments from DVA, nothing changes in that no one goes backwards. You keep getting what you're already getting. Some will see some increase in some allowances and payments because of these changes. So that's a good thing, but they don't need to do anything. Those changes will just flow through to them.

JEBOULT: That's amazing. Matt Keogh, Federal Veterans’ Affairs Minister, thank you so much for your time and all of that information this morning.

KEOGH: Thanks for having me.

ENDS

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