Albanese Government; Attempted Censure

Opened the debate

Thompson moved the motion to censure the government, arguing that the $5,000 cap on allied health services represented a $748 million cut that forced veterans to fight bureaucracy for treatment. Thompson cited messages from veterans expressing severe distress, including suicidal thoughts, due to the potential loss of physiotherapy and mental health support. Thompson argued that the government was betraying the covenant owed to veterans and ignoring bipartisan calls to scrap the cap, which was not a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Thompson urged the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to resign if the cap was not removed.

Government response

Keogh argued that the policy enhanced allied health support by increasing fees paid to providers, which was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Keogh stated that the $5,000 threshold would replace the previous 12-session treatment cycle, reducing administrative burdens and applying only to one in ten veterans, with exemptions for those with complex circumstances. Keogh highlighted that the Department of Veterans' Affairs was the best resourced in three decades, noting that service provision had received an extra $15.9 billion since the government took office. Keogh urged parliamentarians to follow Mindframe guidelines when discussing suicide and to focus on constructive policy debate rather than mischaracterising the reforms.