RESPONSE TO PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION DRAFT REPORT DEC 2018

VETERANS GOLD CARD TARGETED FOR REMOVAL BY 2025

VETERANS REVIEW BOARD TO BE AXED 

PETITION TO THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The productivity Commissions report ‘A Better Way to Support Veterans’ has been a long time coming, and it is about time the plight of our serving and ex serving ADF personnel were given a fair deal. The anomalies identified within all three legislations, and in particular the SRCA/DRCA and the MRCA have yet to be fixed. A fairer and more beneficial legislation for service and ex service personnel must eventuate, and the sooner the better.

It is obvious the draft report is the result of quite some investigation into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Defence. It is good that some poor practices have been identified and brought to the fore. Hopefully these problems will be fixed in the not to distant future, especially the Transitional Management of our veterans, and their Rehabilitation.

This report has some very good recommendations with regards to combining the legislations into only two by 2025, claims procedures, heads of liability brought into line, as well as the one standard of proof for all service and ex- service people. One legislation to cover all veterans no matter where or when they served.

SOPS,(Statement of Principles) to be standard use in any legislation. These are very excellent moves if this is acted upon and implemented. I am sure this will lead to a better, simpler method of administration of veterans’ claims. If these recommendations are implemented, it would mean a fairer deal for veterans by being simpler to navigate, and a bonus for the DVA staff as well, providing better productivity outcomes in terms of saving on costs through duplicitous practices. 

There are some disappointing recommendations in relation to the Veterans Review Board. If implemented this would see an end to the VRB and leaving our veterans in the hands of the bureaucrats within the DVA and DOD. It means the removal of another appeal path for our veterans. The VRB should remain sacrosanct, and should never be removed. The VRB is the independent unbiased watchdog which gives our veterans a level playing field.

The removal of the Gold Card is another disgusting effort to remove our entitlements from the veteran support system. It is a conscious attempt to remove the well- being of our veterans and their families. It is a disgusting effort to remove this major entitlement from our veterans. All the health recommendations within this report are only leading to a negative outcome for our veteran population. It is an attempt to bring the veteran support system into line with Medicare and the NDIS.

Overall, we think that these recommendations should be quashed without further talk on removing the benefits we have. How is the removal of the Gold Card going to improve our veterans’ and their family’s health? There are other ways to reduce health costs.

When conducting the forum on this draft report, all veterans present were very suspicious of the outcome of this report, and what the government is really up to. They believe this is another attempt to remove the hard-earned benefits they are receiving or have received in the past. Dollars ($$$) is what this is all about. Saving money at the expense of our very special people, our veterans. Doe’s the government really care about its very special people? (government’s description)

We request the Productivity Commission have a good rethink of their ‘Health’ recommendations and the ‘Veterans Review Board’. 

To the Australian Federal Government, Minister for Veterans Affairs -

We the Australian Military Veterans demand the ‘Gold Card’ remain as a unique benefit for our military veterans.

We the Australians Military Veterans demand the government retain our existing ‘Appeals Path’ for rejected claims. Veterans Review Board to remain.