The Liberal Party has secured a key change to the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill 2025, stopping automatic notification to the Chief of the Defence Force when a serving ADF member accesses non-liability health care.
Shadow Minister for Defence, the Hon Angus Taylor MP, said the original provision risked discouraging health support.
“Our warfighters should never have to worry that seeking help will automatically be reported up the chain of command,” Mr Taylor said.
“If you want people to get care early, you must remove barriers to care, not add them.”
The Member for Hume said privacy is central to making sure serving members feel safe to come forward.
“This is about making it easier, not harder, for people in uniform to get the support they need,” he said.
Following Liberal Party pressure and support for the Liberal amendment from the crossbench, the Government has agreed to remove the automatic notification requirement for non-liability health care.
The Liberal Party has supported the amended Bill, which keeps compensation reforms on track ahead of the 1 July 2026 transition. The Liberal Party will continue to push for policies that protect the mental health, privacy and wellbeing of serving ADF members and veterans.
