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Advocating for veterans' policy
by RSL NSW
RSL NSW continues to advocate for the affairs of veterans and families, and lobbies for progressive changes to the policies that affect them via the RSL NSW Veterans’ Services and Policy Committee (VSPC).
The committee aims to develop policies that improve the lives of veterans, and present those policies at state and national levels.
“The VSPC is RSL NSW’s most important committee, in my opinion,” said RSL NSW Director and VSPC Chair David McCann. “We take on board the many motions that are put forward by sub-Branches at the RSL NSW State Congress and develop them into policy.
“Every RSL NSW member can put forward their ideas and suggestions for improvement, and know that those ideas will be considered, worked on and hopefully brought into action.” These suggestions form the basis of policy submissions to the RSL Australia National Veterans’ Advisory Committee (NVAC). The NVAC then presents recommendations to bodies such as the Department of Veterans’ Affairs – where they help to form veterans’ policies.
VSPC priorities
The rollout of the Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs program, RSL NSW’s network of veterans’ advocates, and the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide are all current priorities of the VSPC.
“The Royal Commission is a very high-profile policy item at the moment,” said McCann. “Many of our members have raised items that are being addressed by the Royal Commission,
including challenges in the DVA claims process and the availability of medical personnel.
“In our advocacy, we are proposing ways that the DVA can improve its processing of claims.”
Among other initiatives, the VSPC has:
• Advocated for an increase in Veterans’ Home Care funding
• Lobbied for an extension to the Provisional Access to Medical Treatment (PAMT) program
• Pushed for all Reservists to be covered by non-liability health care provisions
The RSL, via the VSPC and NVAC, has also been heavily involved in advocacy and suggesting changes to the Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) so future advocates are better trained.
