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Albanese government limits tribunal powers, undermining veterans' rights and restricting reviews of military honours
The Albanese government has limited the Defence Honours Tribunal, banning reviews of actions over 20 years old, restricting veterans' appeals, and undermining independent recognition of historic military bravery.
When he was in Opposition, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was quick to politicise the campaign for Able Seaman Teddy Sheean to receive the Victoria Cross. But under new laws rammed through the House of Representatives, the independent tribunal established to review decisions by Defence would be banned from even considering Sheean's heroic actions, and any gallant deeds which occurred more than 20 years ago.
Darren Chester says new laws stop the Defence tribunal from reviewing Sheean's bravery and older gallant acts, limiting remembrance to Labor's timeframe
Veterans rights diminished
Under Prime Minister Albanese, the words 'we will remember them' are set to carry a use-by date. It seems we will only remember them if their actions occurred within a convenient timeframe for the Labor Party.
Without consultation, the Albanese government has undermined the independence of the Defence Honours Awards and Appeals Tribunal by placing a time limit on reviewable actions for Australia's most significant military medals and abolished the rights of appeal for veterans and their families.
Veterans oversight at risk
As a statutory agency, the Tribunal was established in 2011 and was always intended to act independently of the government to review decisions made by Defence dating back to 1939. It was this process that led to the decisions to posthumously award a Victoria Cross to both Teddy Sheean and Richard Norden, along with individual recognition for the bravery of Delta Company at Long Tan, during the Vietnam War.
It's hard to believe in the aftermath of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide that the Labor Party would further disenfranchise the veterans community. This is a Bill to reduce transparency from a Labor government that hates being held to account, and it should be defeated in the Senate.
Pictures from Darren Chester Facebook page.
Source: http://gippsland.com/
Published by: news@gippsland.com
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