Matt Keogh says in response:

I thank the member for, is very important question, I very much recognise the place it comes from as an experienced member dealing with veteran issues, a former Minister for Veterans’ Affairs who very much put himself on the line and making sure he was standing up for getting services for veterans.

As the member pointed out the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, went to and spoke about the importance of dealing with more holistic well being and care for a veteran community.

Certainly we went to the 2022 election we made a commitment to rolling out 10 veterans and families hubs across the country, we made sure that we selected locations based on the highest concentrations of veterans and families around the country is the priority area to focus on rolling out those hubs and it means that we are now in the process of having opened and a rolling out some 17 veterans and families hubs.

I would like to emphasise the point that these are hubs to support services for veterans and families as well. In the final report of the royal commission, there were a number of recommendations that go to veteran and family well being and in particular, recommendations going to the ongoing operation of veterans and families hubs, tying them into the work of one of the other recommendations, which was to establish a specialist well being agency within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Government has accepted that recommendation and funded DVA to adapt codesign work with the veteran community to ensure that there is proper consultation across the veteran community with what that well being agency will look like, and how it will interface with the veteran and family have network across Australia to make sure that veterans, no matter where they are located, are able to access the support that they need to have improved well being. I am certainly very happy to meet with a Member for Calare and come out to Bathurst and Orange RSL is to make sure that we are delivering the sorts of well being benefits services and supports for veterans in your area just as we want to have the entire country, veterans and families get the support that they need and deserve and look forward to coming out to your community to meet with your veteran community as well.