28th Nov 2019, 12:54 PM – Representatives Defence Service Homes Amendment Bill 2019 - Second Reading - Criticism

The majority voted in favour of an amendment to the usual second reading motion that the bill be read a second time, which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing to the main idea of the bill. The amendment was introduced by Blair Shayne Neumann (Labor).

Amendment text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House criticises the Government for failing to:

(1) address the high number of veterans experiencing homelessness, as highlighted by recent reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute;

(2) fix Australia's broken aged care services for veterans, as highlighted by the current Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety; and

(3) respond to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's northern Australia insurance inquiry recommendations to urgently fix the wider crisis in the northern Australia insurance market".