Minister for Veterans Jinson Charls has welcomed the Albanese Labor Government's decision to scrap its proposed $5,000 cap on allied health treatments for veterans, after months of sustained backlash from the veteran community backed by strong advocacy from the Finocchiaro CLP Government right here in the Territory.
The cap, quietly included in the federal budget and due to take effect from July next year, would have forced veterans with more complex or ongoing conditions to prove their need for care once costs exceeded $5,000 a year - a change veterans, advocates and ex-service organisations warned would mean longer wait times and delayed access to essential treatment.
Minister Charls said the decision to scrap the cap was the right outcome, but the policy should never have been considered.
"This is the right outcome, but it should never have taken months of backlash to get here," Minister Charls said.
"I've been pushing Federal Labor on this from the start, because veterans shouldn't have to fight their own government for the care they've earned. Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh talks about respect for those who serve, but real respect means not putting up a policy like this in the first place."
"Territory veterans deserve certainty, not a government that only listens after the damage is done. I'll keep holding the Federal Government to account to make sure this kind of proposal doesn't resurface, and that veterans get the support they need without unnecessary barriers."
