Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan has welcomed a successful urgency motion in the Senate this evening, highlighting the need to scrap Labor’s $5,000 cap on Veterans’ allied health care.
Senator Canavan said the Senate had sent a clear message to the Prime Minister, that Labor should listen to the Veterans’ community and abandon this policy before it ever takes effect, after the crossbench sided with the Coalition to vote for the urgency motion.
“Only Labor is defending a policy that turns the health and welfare of Veterans into a $748 million Budget saving,” Senator Canavan said.
“I really don’t think the Government thought this through – Labor certainly haven’t discussed it with the Veterans’ community.
“The best thing they could do to show good faith to the Veterans’ community is to put these decisions to the side, scrap the cap and then go out and do the consultation.”
Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Michael McCormack said Veterans should not be made poorer, pushed into gap payments or forced through another layer of bureaucracy to receive treatment for injuries sustained in service.
“This move by Labor is insidious, unjust, unfair, unnecessary an un-Australian,” Mr McCormack said.
“This policy should never see the light of day and we urge Labor now to scrap the cap.”
