Source : Perth Now news
Tasmania senator Jacqui Lambie has lashed out over a controversial $5000 annual cap on allied health services for veterans announced in the 2026–27 budget, asking the government how many widows and Vietnam veterans it expects to “drop dead”.
Disability Minister Jenny McAllister and departmental officials were grilled on Tuesday over changes to veteran entitlements.
The Albanese government has defended the measure, as well as a fee increase to providers, as providing “more assurance for treatment effectiveness”.
However, in a lengthy and personal tirade against the changes, Senator Lambie grilled the government over where it was going to save $94bn.
“Let’s be honest here, just say this is how many war widows we expect to drop dead, this is how many Vietnam veterans, because we’re losing them at a rate,” she said.
“I mean, be bloody honest with the veterans here. How did you work the money out? How can you save that much when we’re not getting what we need?”
Senator Lambie, herself a veteran, said she had already “gone through” the $5000 in about 10 weeks.
“I’m wearing it,” she said.
“When we are down and out and we are trying, we’re using multiple services, and I’m not even using all of mine because of my own experience and because I’ve got mates that’s giving it to me for free on the sidelines.”
Senator Lambie said physio was costing her $450 per week and she was “trying out peptides because I’ve got nothing left”.
“So, when it comes to complex pain management stories, do you want me to go and beg and borrow for more hours to you?” she said.
“You want me to wait another week or two to get a tick off because it takes me that long when I’ve got to go to the hospital. This is what I’ve experienced over the last 10 months. I can’t even get into hospital the next day even if there is a position because DVA take too bloody long.
“That is putting my health, and many other veterans … it is taking too long and its putting it at risk.”
Speaking over officials, Senator Lambie said the government was “scaring the hell out of us”, and as veterans were trying to get back on their feet, “then you are mucking around with our lives”.
In response, Ms McAllister said some of the veterans’ frustrations “are really directly addressed through this measure”.
“We don’t want people needing to return to their GP through the treatment cycle on such a regular basis, and the initiative actually seeks to remove that problem for veterans,” she said.
“We do wish to assure veterans that for people with complex needs and higher needs, they will continue to receive care, including when they’ve reached that $5000 threshold,” she continued, adding that 90 per cent of veterans do not meet that threshold.
The inquiry was told the government was consulting with veterans requiring more than $5000 in support in August.
“We will be taking into account the examples and instances you shared with us and other veterans with a view to making that as streamlined and simple as possible for them to access the supports they need,” an official said.
However, Senator Lambie was unsatisfied, probing the officials about when she would get a response.
“Are you going to promise me in 24 hours that you will get back to me and every other veteran out there … because that is where you are failing miserably,” she said.
