VETERANS and their families in Queensland will have the opportunity to meet with the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester who will be hosting a series of roundtables in the electorates of Bonner, Capricornia and Petrie this week.
Mr Chester said part of the Government’s commitment to put veterans and their families first is to hear directly from the ex-service community, receive their feedback and to update them on how some of the Government’s initiatives are delivering meaningful changes.
“The Government is investing in the largest reform of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in its 100-year history and I am confident we are making great progress in improving support and services,” Mr Chester said.
“I want to take every opportunity to meet with veterans and their families to understand what we are doing right and where we could be doing more for those in the ex-service community.
Each year, the Government provides more than $11 billion for services and programs to support 290,000 Australians.”
Monday, 11 March 2019.
Commentary.
This media release appears to be an excellent opportunity for the ex-service community to attend to have their say on matters that concern them and their family. BUT on further inquiry with the office staff of both the Bonner and Petrie MPs we found that for Bonner attendance is by invitation only and their are no vacancies and for Petrie they want current serving and their families that live in the electorate.
So this Media Release which raises expectations of an open forum fails on closer examination of its reality as a roundtable by invitation to more than the ex-service community.
Minister, previous Coalition and Labor DVA Ministers have conducted open forums, will you? And Minister when can we expect to see the release of the Coalition’s 2019 Federal Election Veterans’ Policy? Hopefully earlier than the 2016 Policy release eight (8) days before the Election