Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee 
Department of Veterans' Affairs 

20 November, 2013

Senator WRIGHT: I am just interested to know: is the issue of expanding compensation for veterans of the nuclear testing at Maralinga in the 1950s and 1960s under consideration by the Department of Veterans' Affairs?

Mr Lewis: Not that I am aware of.

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee 
Department of Veterans' Affairs 

20 November, 2013

Senator WRIGHT: I have some brief questions on veterans mental health. I understand the department runs eight veterans-only psychiatric facilities around the country. Is that correct?

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee 
Department of Veterans' Affairs 

20 November, 2013

The Australian Greens have called for the Coalition Government to urgently respond to rising suicide and PTSD rates in the Australian Defence Forces.

Spokesperson on mental health and veterans' affairs, Senator Penny Wright, urged Defence Minister David Johnston to reveal his plan to improve mental health support for servicemen and women.

Australian Greens spokesperson for Veterans' Affairs Senator Penny Wright has praised the advocacy and community campaigning which has led to the inclusion of peacekeepers on the Honour Roll at the Australian War Memorial.

Speaking at the unveiling today, Senator Wright said tens of thousands of Australians had been involved in this campaign to properly commemorate peacekeepers who have fallen in the line of duty.

Queensland's Mates4Mates veterans' program would be expanded nationally to assist the new wave of servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a new approach to caring for veterans announced by the Australian Greens today.

Spokesperson for Veterans Affairs Senator Penny Wright and Queensland Greens senate candidate and former Australian Defence Forces Colonel Stuart Yeaman AM today announced a range of initiatives to improve care for Australia's current and future veterans and their families.

The Greens believe that if we are prepared to send men and women to serve Australia on our behalf, we have a responsibility to care for them properly when they return.

This means ensuring they have access to proper support, including mental health and wellbeing services, and making sure service personnel who are injured are not financially disadvantaged while they are being treated.

Australian Greens spokesperson for veterans' affairs, Senator Penny Wright, has used Vietnam Veterans Day today to call on the Australian Government for better recognition of veterans' mental health causes.

Senator Wright said it was important Australia applied the lessons learnt from the Vietnam War and recognised the significant and long-lasting impacts of war experienced by veterans and their families.

The 2013 Labor Budget will do little to ease the stress on Australians. Senator Penny Wright talks about what was in the budget and what more could be done in each of her portfolio areas.

Education

What's in the budget:

• $9.8 billion in new school funding
• $3 billion in next the next four years, $6 billion to come in the following two years

What I think: