The Senate has rejected the Albanese Government’s plan to put a use-by-date on ‘we will remember them’ and impose a 20-year limit on reviews of military honours and awards.
In a stunning condemnation of Labor’s plan to restrict the timeframe for reviewing heroic actions by Australian Defence Force personnel, the Coalition joined forces with the crossbench to discharge the Defence Honours and Appeals Tribunal Bill 2025.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the outcome was a humiliating defeat for the Prime Minister and his Veterans’ Affairs Minister.
“It’s a great victory for veterans, their families and ADF personnel,” Ms Ley said.
“Putting a time limit on honouring acts of bravery was disrespectful and completely out of step with Australian values. Our nation believes in recognising service and sacrifice whenever the truth comes to light, not only when it suits a government’s timeline.”
Ms Ley said the Senate’s decision reflected what the community already knew.
“Service to our country doesn’t expire after 20 years, and neither should the chance to correct an injustice. Australians expect fairness for those who wear the uniform, and the Senate has protected that principle today.”
Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the Government’s failure to demonstrate a single shred of veteran support for the proposal spoke volumes.
“In Question Time, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs couldn’t name one veteran who supported the Bill, and the Prime Minister cut him loose. This was a disgraceful and unnecessary attack on an independent Tribunal and a complete distraction from the real issues impacting veterans’ wellbeing.”
Mr Chester said the Senate’s decision was a forceful rejection of Labor’s attempt to wind back rights that veterans and families have relied on for more than a decade.
“If the Albanese Government persists with this mean-spirited plan, the Bill will have to return to the House of Representatives, but the Prime Minister should face reality and bin it permanently,”
“This Bill was opposed by veterans, ex-service organisations and the Tribunal itself. Defence officials even admitted they didn’t consult the independent Tribunal before drafting it. That is an extraordinary failure of respect and process. Our veterans deserve better than a government that tries to strip away their rights and silence their appeals.
“The current system works because it is independent, fair and trusted. Labor’s Bill would have shut the door on cases that deliver long-overdue justice and recognition, undermined the Tribunal’s integrity and damaged confidence among those who have served. The Senate has done the job the Prime Minister refused to do, which is stand up for veterans and protect their rights.”
Established in 2011, the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal provides an independent pathway for reviewing Defence decisions on medal recognition dating back to 1939.
The Tribunal warned Labor’s changes would gut most of its work, including landmark reviews such as those involving Victoria Cross heroes Teddy Sheean and Richard Norden.
The Senate inquiry received 63 submissions, with only one supporting the Bill from the Department of Defence, which wrote it.
Tribunal Chair Stephen Skehill told the inquiry it would strip Defence personnel of their rights and “work against the wellbeing of Defence personnel”, while RSL NSW said the proposal was “disgraceful” and would devalue service and harm veterans’ health.
Mr Chester said Labor had completely misread the veteran community.
“This was arrogant and deeply disrespectful to those who have served our nation. Veterans fought this Bill and today they won.”