Mrs ELIZABETH GRACE(11.00 a.m.) —This vocational rehabilitation program will contain a safety net which protects veterans' entitlements. The safety net will allow a veteran to undergo vocational rehabilitation without the loss of pensions, benefits and allowances that they may receive. When a veteran does find employment, some safety net items will be phased out over a number of years while other items will be retained in their entirety.

Other changes that will simplify the administration of veterans' benefits are that there will be no need for pensioners to advise the department about small changes in their level of income. This will eliminate unnecessary administration and will also reduce the level of intrusion into veterans' lives. Modification will be made to the pension advance scheme, which will also improve administration efficiencies. Applicants will now be able to receive one advance per year but will no longer be required to provide information about how the advance is to be used.

Changes have also been made to correct an anomaly in the advance payments scheme. War widows and widowers who receive service pensions or income support supplement at the frozen or ceiling rate will now be able to obtain the $500 maximum allowable on pension advance.

This government recognises the crucial role that veterans' advocates play in the repatriation claims scheme. Funding will be provided to ex-service organisations so they can employ more staff. This is in addition to the training programs already provided to ex-service organisations on veterans' entitlements and services. By helping to handle the applications for review of pension claims to the Veterans' Review Board, these advocates will improve the efficiency of the repatriation claims process.

By the turn of the century, about 60 per cent of Australia's veteran community will be over 75 years of age and will require different health, compensation and welfare services. Therefore, as a government, we must meet the changing needs of veterans, war widows and widowers.

Preparing for these changes is a major challenge for the government and the veteran community. The government is looking at how the demography of the veterans community will change over the next five to 10 years. We will be looking to the ex-service community to play an active role in developing an innovative approach to service delivery in the future.

The Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (1996-97 Budget Measures) Bill has a number of initiatives for the benefit of veterans including the streamlining of age pension payments to veterans receiving the disability pension; the automatic payment of pensions to widows and widowers the death of whose spouse was due to a previously accepted disability; improved entitlements for footwear and spectacles; and an innovative training program to assist veterans to gain and retain civilian employment when they leave the defence forces.

These initiatives demonstrate the strong and unequivocal commitment that this government has to veterans and their families. These Australians sacrificed so much for their country and contributed enormously to the freedom and way of life we all enjoy today. I commend this bill to the House.