{"id":1033257,"date":"2026-08-30T16:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T16:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1033257\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T16:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T16:20:26","slug":"shadow-veterans-affairs-minister-michael-mccormack-has-called-on-prime-minister-anthony-albanese-to-appoint-a-new-veterans-affairs-minister-who-will-defend-veterans-who-so-desperately-need-someone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1033257\/","title":{"rendered":"Shadow Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael McCormack has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to appoint a new Veterans’ Affairs Minister who will “defend veterans who so desperately need someone in their corner”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shadow Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael McCormack has accused the Albanese government of using veterans’ health care to find budget savings, calling for the planned $5000 allied health limit to be scrapped so “not one veteran is worse off”.<\/p>\n

The $5,000 annual monetary limit for allied health services for eligible Veteran Card holders is scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2027<\/p>\n

Veterans and advocates have warned the cap could restrict access to treatment for former ADF personnel with PTSD, chronic injuries and other conditions.<\/p>\n

The measure is expected to deliver $748 million in savings over three years, rising to about $340 million annually thereafter.<\/p>\n

Mr McCormack is on a listening tour visiting every state and territory to hear directly from veterans themselves and spoke to News24 host Jamie Rogers about what he has heard.<\/p>\n

\u00a0“It doesn’t matter where I’ve been, no veteran is in favour of a $5000 allied health cap, which is going to limit their services,” he said.<\/p>\n

He said that while the cap can be exceeded where there was a clinical need, the veteran would have to go through an “arduous process” to do so.<\/p>\n

“You take a veteran in regional or remote Australia – that is going to be an arduous process to go down,” Mr McCormack said.<\/p>\n

“The veterans are saying, ‘why are you placing an arbitrary figure on my allied health that I so desperately need?'”<\/p>\n

Mr McCormack said he had heard concerns from numerous veterans about the changes, which was announced on May 12 as part of the 2026\u201327 Federal Budget.<\/p>\n

“I’ve heard about veterans who want to hand their medals back,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I’ve heard some stories from mums who’ve got veterans who don’t know where to turn. We’ve already heard that there have been suicides.<\/p>\n

“The families are very worried about the psychological effect that this is going to have on their beloved people who fought for this nation and had this nation’s back when this nation asked them to do a job.<\/p>\n

“Unfortunately, the Labor Government has turned its back on these veterans, and it’s simply not good enough, and Minister Matt Keough needs to do a lot better.<\/p>\n

“The cap has to be scrapped.”<\/p>\n

Mr McCormack also argued that the government could find savings elsewhere, including its climate change spending, rather than veterans’ health care.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“They see veterans as a way they can save three quarters of a billion dollars off the budget bottom line,” he added.<\/p>\n

\u00a0“Now, they could take that out of their climate fantasy. They could easily, easily find something in that climate space and make sure that our veterans get the health care that they so desperately need.”<\/p>\n

Mr McCormack has called on Anthony Albanese to replace Mr Keogh with a new Veterans’ Affairs Minister who will “defend veterans who so desperately need someone in their corner”.<\/p>\n

“There shouldn’t be one, not one veteran worse off. And the Prime Minister has a job to do when we get back into Parliament,” Mr McCormack said.<\/p>\n

“He has to scrap the cap, he has to make sure he gets a new Veterans Affairs Minister, and he has to put that new Minister into cabinet so that that Minister can slam the table and defend veterans who so desperately need someone in their corner at the moment.”<\/p>\n

Read related topics:Veterans Affairs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shadow Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael McCormack has accused the Albanese government of using veterans’ health care to 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