PRIME MINISTER
UMME AATLVnTT T T 1Z R3Aqfl UNTTL fl LTrTTV, y
or FOR TEE PR3IM NX6TU
OPUnD( OF NEW THEUR BLOCK
R. C. R. CONBRD 7 NM 1990
Ladies and gentlomen
The planning for this now theatre block at the Concord
Repatriation Hospital began in 1983 an important year of
cous for my Government as well as for the Concord
Repatriation Hospital. I am very pleased to be here as
Prime Minister to mark the successful culmination of the
project. I firmly believe that the Auatralian community would want
any Australian Government to recognise in practical ways
like this the debt which Australia owes to its veterans.
X may this despite the fact that today, 18 years after the
withdrawal of Australian troops from Vietnam, 50 years since
our troops were engaged in World War II, and 73 years since
the landing at Anzac Cove, there are some in the ex-service
cmunity who express concerns about whether the
repatriation system is in jeopardy.
Some wonder whether cars and compassion for veterans is
waning with the passage of time, an more and more young
Australians, not having first or even second-hand experience
of war, take on responsibility for veterans' care.
I went to address those concerns today and in so doing place
on record my Government's position on the future care of
veterans. Ladies and gentlemen
I an talking to you, of course, in the midst of an election
campaign. But I do not intend to talk politics today. I
would like to think that the question of our debt so a
country to our veterans is beyond Party politico. What I
wish to do, therefore, in to speak only in a positive waY
about our commitments as a Government, oommitments to the
veteran which I believe would reflect the wish of all
Australians. 1; h
Australia in a secure country for today's generation in
large part because of the sacrifice made in the past by our
veterans.* Of course we must never slacken in our efforts to
remind young Australians of the achievements of our service
and ma-service men and woman. And we must always keep alive
the fundamental values for which they were prepared to die.
But I strongly believe that these ae messages which will be
quickly anid readily recognised and understood by young
people. If attendance by young people at Anizac Day ceremonis
throughout Australia, and visits to Australian war graves
overseas are any measure, there seem if anything to be a
rasurgence of intezvot. And the number of people visiting
the Australian War Memorial each year, many of them of a
generation not exposed to war, is not dwindling.
It is in large pert for Its educational potential that I
agreed without hesitation to send a group of Gallipoli
veterans, accompanied by a small party of war widows and,
importantly, Junior Legatees, bark to Turkey for this year' u
Anniversary of the landing at Anzxac Cove.
As well as honoring that fine group of Australian vaterans
and I'm delighted to may that we have emus of them, along
with their tour leader, 3i11 Hall, with us hare today the
visit to the Gallipoli Peninsula will enable the Junior
Legatee group to pass on first hand observations to their
contporaries. I do believe that projecta such an the Gallipoli pilgrimae
and other Initiatives enjoy widespread comunity support.
Australians, I = m sure, also support our decision to index:
all major pensions and allowances for veterans so that their
real value is not eroded. The same is true of the
Increases, over anid above indexation, to bring the rate of
service pension to 25 per cant of average weekly earnings.
The overall real increase in funding for veterans of p" r
cant each year of this decade represents a comitment made
by the Governmeant on behal f of the community as a whole.
Ladies w4i gentlemen,
In Veterans Affairs, as in all other areas of Government
activity, there in a place for continuity ar" there is a
place for change.
I cnow that continuity in the administration of Veterans'
programs in an issue about which the Veteran-' commity
feels strongly. I wish to repeat, therefore, what I said
last year when opening a new ward block at Heidelberg
Hospital1 my Government is absolutely committed to
maintaining a separate Department of Veterans' Affairs,
answerable to its own Minister. () 4
Further, on behalf of the Government, I guarantee the
retention of a full time Repatriation Commission with at Lo
least three Commisioners ame of whom is nominated by the
OR-service Commnity and the retention of a Veterans' 0)
Review Board which incl. udes service members. * Ie u)
As to change, we must assa Government recognise that the
issues confronting veterans are not static. The needs of 1
veterans now are not those that applied at wars' end. We r
will therefore continue to look to the Repatriation n
Commission to provide advice on the most effective means of t)
responding to the changing needs of our veterans an they
grow old and to ensure that necessary changes e canivassed
with, and clearly explained to, those affected. I
We mest look ahead, and aly Minister for Veteranis' Affairs,
Ben Humphreys, has been doing just that. T at
Already in the pipeline for consideration in the
Government'sa next term Is a number of reports which Ben has I
oumnimsioned These include a maj or review of the Veterans' t.
Affairs Health Program, an evaluation of the accessibility
of services to aged veterans and war wds, an inquiry into
merchant mariners and allied veterans and a review of the
free limbs scheme administered by the Department.
Each of these review. covers a vital area of interest to the a
veterans community.
However, at the top of our agenda for our Fourth term will p
be a determination to build on the prograss my Government t
has Initiated which are designed to ensure that aged
veterans end war widows are able to live with dignity in I
their own h me for as long as possible. L
Programs such ts " Outreach", the pilot OVtarann'
Independence Support Initiative", health promotionI
activities dealing with eafety, nutrition and fitness, end
the very popular Joint Ventures scheme are concrete
reflections of this philosophy.
In this context there in within the veterans' community one IC
group which carries a burden, uncomplainingly, and with 3
little recognition. I speak of the wives of our veterans
who receive the Extreme Disablement Adjustment introduced by
my Government last year. In many cases, these women
constitute the difference between a veteran living at home
or requiring hostel, nursing home or hospital care.
Theirs is a personal sacrifice. willingly made, and It in I
also a community service. In order to recognis that
sacrif ice, I wish to announce today that the Government will r
henceforth automatically provide these wives with the War
Widows pension on the death of the veteran. They will not
have to prove an entitlement; it will be theirs re a right. t
This will bring EDA widows Into line with our TPI widows.
It will ensure consistency between the two groups.
La-dies and gentlemen,
Obviously there is little point in pursuing the goal Of
keeping veterans in their own homes if that home is
unsuitable. I am proud of our innovation as a Government in
providing new facilities to veterans through the December
1987 Change. to the Defence Gervice Home Loans Scheme.* These
reforms Introduced a number of flew4bilities Mn benefits
not available to veteran. who received subsidised loans from
the Government prior to December 1987.
We can n~ ov carry the innovation further, and I am pleased to
Inform you that my next Government will move to provide
loans portability to the large number of veteans, war
widows end serving membera who held loans in December 1987.
That means that a veteran salling his home and buying
another will nov not lose the subsidised loan.
In addition we will extend this scheme to enable OSH loans
to be used for entry into Retirement villages. We recognise
that, with our veterans Increasingly in need of the kind of
care and lifestyle that retirement counities an offer,
this in an important new Area of demand. Veterans
considering the Retirement Village option will therefore
have a greater range of choice than ha. previously been
availeble. I am aware that theme initiatives have been Zatters of high
priority within the major ex-service organimations. I wish
to give credit to those organinatione for the work which
they do for veterans, not least of it in co-operatively
helping Government identify and target areas of need.
L-adies and gentlemen,
It in appropriate at Concord Hospital today that I address
some concerns which I know exsist about the integration of
Repatriation Hospitals into the State Hospital system.
And at this point I pay tribute to Mary Hason, our
candidate In Lowe, who has been working hard to present
local views on this matter.
MY Government is comitted to ensuring that the veteran has
access to care at the highest level in the local community.
We believe, in line with professional medical opinion, that
treatment in the local ciuity is what most elderly
patients se, and what offers the beat results.
That is the major reason behind our decision to integrate
Raptriation Hospitals into the state systems. Integration
will ensure that veterans continue to have eccese to the
best medical staff and equipmtent, at the same time providing
them with a greater choice, Inriluding placement in hospitals
closer to their homes. 1; () 43
We are offering an enhantced schem which recognIos that
most veterans do not now, " n will not in the near future,
vant to travel considerable distances, away from. their
families and friends, to a ceztralised hospital. To
facilitate high quality, responsive local treatment we have
therefore proposed for discussion, a system which amounts to
a private health care scheme for veterans.
And let me say that I believe that anybody who ozamine. the
integration question seriously will acknowledge that
integration in inevitable and ia crucial f or the viability
of thin and other Repatriation General Hospitals.
For ezample, Concord nov only treats 30 percent of Now South
Wales veterans and has 35 percent -unity patients. The
hospital is under increasing pressure from many veterans to
ease the requirement to be treated here.
But this in not a develomnt which should or need be
rushed. Just when integration occurs will depend on the
patioular local circumstances facing veterans and the
hospital, and will be settled by discussion. We are
committed to full consultation at every atep. I well
understand how important this is to the veterans community
and to hospital staff.
Both Ben Humphreys and, I have guaranteed on a number of
occasions that
no Repatriation General Hospital will be transferred to
a State until a eatisfeortory agreement has been reached
on matters such as priority of access and quality of
health care for veterans and war widows, and unless the
interests of hospital staff have been adequately
safeguardedy en
no final decision will be taken if the RBL has
reasonable cause for dissatisfaction with the proposed
arrangements.
Ats I said at Heidelberg last Apil there is nothing
equivocal about these guarantees and no secret agenda
underlies the initiatives. I stand firmly behind the
guarantees. And let me add that our commitment to no diminishment in
quality of care is important not only to patients and their
families but also to those who work within the system and
who are naturally interested in job security. The need
throughout the health system is for more hospitals and not
fewer, and integration is capable of opening doors to better
career prospects for staff.
1
Ladies anid gentle n
I referred earlier to the Australian war Memorial an a vital
mnama of keeping our young people aware of the sacrif ice of
veterans end awae too of the horrendous cost of wars and
the continuing need for strong deence.
eWorm Closing today I wish to announce that we will, over
the nMat two years in Government, provide the Memorial with
funids for the first stage of a new technology pavilion which
will enable some of its larger pieces currently in storage
to be put on display. We will invest $ 5 million to cover
the cost of this first stag.
Ben Huzphraya has also re-allocated resources to provide a
subtantial increase to the Memorial staff. Together, these
two initiatives will ensure that the War Memorial retains
its status as a national symbol of the sacrif ices made by
veterans for this nation' s freedom and for its future.
Ladies arid gentle n
The various propos als which I have announced today are
estimated to cost 018.6 million over the next three years.
This is not Merely a wishful intention; it is a fully
funded commitent. And of curse it is additional to the
ongoing proograms end projecats which we are undertaking.
The $ 31 million proj ect which I have the honour of openina
today Is but the latest projeoct in an Australia-wide program
which has, since 1983, seen more than 0100 million upent on
new or refurbished buildings and new medical equipment at
Repatriation Hospitals.
It stands as tangible proof of the way in which the
Government, with community support, continues to hanour the
debt owed to those who fought for this great country. It Is
the rebuttal in bricks and mortar of any suggestion that we
would ever run down facilities for veterans, We shall never
do so.
Ladies and gentlea
I have much pleasure in declaring these new facilities open.