Productivity Commission
Compensation and Rehabilitation for Veterans - 2018
Compensation and Rehabilitation for Veterans - 2018
Submissions started from late April 2018 until mid December 2018. 153 submissions in all were submitted.
Victims of Abuse in the ADF lodged two submissions -
1. sub133-veterans (Submission on behalf of Victims of Abuse in the ADF) andRead it here
2. sub137-veterans (Servants of the Crown).Read it here
Productivity Commission Releases Draft Report
On 14 December 2018 the Productivity Commission released its Draft Report.
A 704 page report released two weeks before christmas!
Their Blog
"The key message of this draft report is that the current veterans’ compensation and rehabilitation system is not ‘fit-for-purpose’ – it requires fundamental reform."
Draft Recommendations...read draft report here
The Commission is also recommending:
- a single Ministry for Defence Personnel and Veterans
- an independent Veterans’ Advisory Council to provide advice to the relevant Minister
- the Australian War Memorial take responsibility for all commemoration functions and the Office of War Graves.
Under the new governance arrangements, the Repatriation Commission, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, and DVA would cease to exist upon the establishment of the VSC.
Victims of Abuse in the ADF Reaction to this Draft Report
Dear Member of the House of Representatives,
I am sorry to bother you in the last working week before Christmas but I, our Association and Veterans who have contacted us are gravely concerned about the misconduct of the Productivity Commission.
We are gravely concerned for the following reasons:-
1. Timing –
By releasing their draft report they are ensuring that Veterans and their Ex Service Organisations (ESO) will not have a proper opportunity to scrutinise and respond to the report because of Christmas and the holiday period.
As we all know there is no such thing as a coincidence in Politics.
It begs the question, why does the Productivity Commission fear genuine feedback from Veterans and their ESO’s?
2. Key Errors in the draft report, even from a limited scan are:-
- Ignores Lack Of Funding / Staff For DVA
- Many Recommendations Ignore Fact That They Require Legislation / Funding
- PC Wants To Replace Independent Umpire With Biased Umpire
- Ignore OHS Real Issues
- Ignores Facts Of Different Standards Between Military Superannuation And DVA
In addition, there are the issues of the Productivity Commission of:-
- Showing absolute contempt to our Association and
- Attempting unauthorised use of our Computer Systems.
Productivity Commission By Its Actions Admits That The Draft Report Is A Croc!
If the Productivity Commission actually thought its Report was fair dinkum they would allow Veterans and their ESOs a genuine opportunity to consider and give feedback.
I have attached a copy of our initial response for your consideration.
Yours Respectfully
Jennifer Jacomb
Secretary and Public Officer
Reaction from the Public to this Draft Report
[Click image to read news article - courtesy ABC News]
QUOTE FROM THIS NEWS ARTICLE - "Some veterans groups do not seem to like this idea.
Ken Foster, who spent 21 years in the Army, is the president of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia.
He believes putting the Defence Department in charge of veterans could backfire.
"People being discharged from the military don't want to be back under military control; they want to separate from the Army, the Navy or the Airforce," he told The World Today program.
"They want someone independent from Defence — who they don't trust anymore in a lot of cases."
He said the Department of Veterans Affairs has its problems, but getting rid of it is not the solution.
"And a lot of the reason the DVA haven't been able to do it in the past is that the government hasn't given them the money to upgrade their systems," Mr Foster said.
Victims of Abuse in the ADF - Initial response - 18 December 2018
The draft report has already caused great distress and concern to the Veteran Community through its flawed recommendations (Based upon anecdotal evidence)
Many of the recommendations in the draft report are flawed e.g. when its says the Department of Veterans Affairs should do this and that when it really is an issue of Government and the Parliament modifying allocation of funds so that the Department 0f Veterans Affairs can implement the recommendation
The report ignores the appalling track record of Defence on Occupational Health And Safety
It ignores the real issues
Far from helping the Veterans it actually, with its ill considered recommendations, hurts them!
The authors should apologise to the Veteran Community, the trees that have been producing oxygen for them, and redo the report correctly!