In the electorate of New England, there are almost 2,000 veterans and their families who will suffer as a result of Peter Dutton’s plan to gut the public service.
The Opposition, which has so far remained tight lipped about where cuts would come from, have said that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Department of Health and the Department of Education are all on the chopping block.
When the Coalition was last in government, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans’ Suicide found they failed veterans after they oversaw a backlog of claims blow out to almost 42,000.
This backlog was the result of job cuts and outsourcing.
Peter Dutton’s plan would mean a return to these backlogs and to delays for veterans and their families.
Quotes attributable to Melissa Donnelly, CPSU National Secretary:
“Cuts to public services will have devastating consequences for millions of Australians, including the almost 2,000 veterans who live in the New England electorate.
“Unfortunately, we have seen exactly how this plays out. Under the last Coalition Government, jobs in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs were cut and outsourced, leaving veterans lost in a backlog of almost 42,000 claims.
“Veterans were left waiting years for support they desperately needed and not getting it had devastating consequences.
“Peter Dutton’s plan to gut public services will take us straight back to these delays and backlogs.
“These veterans have bravely served our country and they, and their families, deserve to know that they can access vital support when and where they need it.
Background information on Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide
“We know that the long wait to receive entitlements can have a terrible impact on veterans mental health and in some cases lead to suicide and suicidality…Behind each claim is a veteran who needs support and it is gravely important that this assistance is provided as quickly as possible – lives and livelihoods depend on it.’
-Chair of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicides Nick Kaldas
“In the case of DVA, we believe the Australian Government of the day failed to resource its policies efficiently. It failed to ensure that its public sector workforce, inclusive of labour hire staff, was ‘structured for maximum efficiency and productivity’. And it failed veterans by pursuing a policy that substantially contributed to claims processing delays.”
-Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Interim Report
Media Release: Community and Public Sector Union
    
|
0 Comments