I AM a veteran, I also spent several years as a volunteer veterans pension officer, now called advocates, and have some experience dealing with DVA.
The article where RSL members ask local Liberals to keep their hands off DVA, if they are elected, is timely indeed.
Not long after Trump decided to chainsaw the US Public Service, the leader of the Liberal opposition opens up the same songbook and earmarks 36,000 public servants employed by the Labor Government for the same treatment without thought.
The article is timely because Trump has not spared the US Department of Veterans Affairs and has made deep cuts in that department, which is reportedly already affecting American Veterans.
If Dutton gets the “Lodge”, I would anticipate similar medicine for DVA. So, any concerns or note-gathering exercises by Mary Aldred and Keith Wolahan reported in this paper should be treated with a grain of salt. If elected to government, they will fall in line.
As pointed out by senior RSL members at the meeting, DVA needs staff.
From experience, I know they are so far behind that Pharlap could not make up ground. It has been a perennial problem for them for years. I recently received a letter from DVA apologising that after two years, they are now looking at my pension reassessment. Not uncommon.
Recently things looked like they were changing with the employment of additional resources but any reduction will be a great disservice to veterans, particularly if experienced delegates are sacked.
Finally, to Keith Wolahan, a veteran, some advice, don’t tell other veterans you are speaking with that this country is worth fighting for. We already know.
Rod Gallagher, Inverloch
