Adella Beaini

🚨 Media Statement 🚨 Bin the Band-aid Bill - Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh’s Royal Commission Fail Stuart McCarthy, former Australian Army officer, Brisbane, Wednesday 3 July 2024 Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh is today expected to table the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024, claiming this is an effective fix for the “not fit for purpose” legislation slammed by the Royal Commission and dozens of other inquiries before it. Mr Keogh's Band-aid Bill only kicks the “reform” can down the road to the next generation, perpetuating the toxic, adversarial Department of Veterans’ Affairs culture that the Royal Commission and DVA's own research identified as a key factor in veteran suicidality. Every MP and Senator should oppose this shameful Band-aid Bill, because it completely fails to meet the intent of the Royal Commission's first “urgent” recommendation from its interim report two years ago, which explicitly rejected “piecemeal, incremental” reform. Our message is - Bin this Band-aid Bill. Mr Keogh’s so-called “consultation” process for this Band-aid Bill was a disgrace. Sending an online form to DVA asking DVA to fix DVA is not genuine “consultation.” Mr Keogh or Mr Thistlethwaite saying “this is what you get, anything else is too expensive” is not genuine “consultation.” Another band-aid on an existing pile of band-aids is not “reform.” michaelwest.com.au/veterans-affai… A billion dollars flushed down the drain on so-called “veteran centric reform” window-dressing with the explicit aim of avoiding fundamental legislative reform does not justify Mr Keogh’s perverse Catch-22 response to a Royal Commission recommendation. Retaining the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (MRCA), with only Band-aid Bill amendments to the liability-based, inherently adversarial and complex legislation and calling that “reform” is a pathetic response to the Royal Commission's recommended reforms. What we urgently need is proper reform, based on first-principles, to produce a simplified, needs-based system that eliminates wasteful bureaucracy and delivers veterans and families the streamlined care they urgently need, instead of treating them like fraudulent criminals every step along the way. If Mr Keogh continues to be incapable of conducting proper consultation, Prime Minister Albanese should replace him with someone else who can. There are more than a million Australians who have either served in the Australian Defence Force or are closely related to someone else who has, right across the country in every electorate. Veterans’ votes count, and we will use those votes to change the government next year if they refuse to undertake the fundamental reforms needed to properly fix this mess that has resulted from decades of government apathy and neglect. ______________________________ Stuart McCarthy is a former Australian Army officer whose 28-year military career included deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Ethiopia & Eritrea, Bougainville and Indonesia. He was one of the key advocates for the establishment of the Defence and Veteran Suicide Royal Commission and he has testified to numerous parliamentary and other official inquiries since 2015 on matters affecting the health and wellbeing of Defence force personnel, veterans and their families.

Thank you, @adellabeaini. Tomorrow is a big day. We will prevail. Thank you for holding my hand through so much of this walk. 💙💔

We’re delighted to announce Bridget Brennan will be my new co-host on News Breakfast. Bridget has been such a breath of fresh air since joining the show late last year. @bridgeyb takes over over from Lisa Millar, who is off to do other ABC projects, on Monday Aug 26.

Popular Aussie retailer Kookai is accused of making its low-paid staff wear its pricey label at their own expense couriermail.com.au/news/national/…