The Coalition hasn't matched its enthusiasm for talking about defence with a willingness to speak about veterans' affairs, going into the election.
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There's a reason for this, even though the two portfolios are closely related. It involves the long delays in compensation claims experienced by ex-services personnel for injuries and conditions they've acquired during their service.
After nearly nine years in government, the Coalition oversees a system that remains marred by backlogs. In fact, these have grown recently despite efforts to reduce the wait times.
Veterans' Affairs Minister Andrew Gee broke the government's election silence on the issue when he revealed on Saturday he nearly resigned from cabinet over the government's failure to provide funding he said was needed to help clear the backlog of 60,000 unprocessed claims.
He described the issue as above the upcoming poll in giving this advice to MPs: "Believe in something higher than just winning elections - let's start with veterans."
One of his first moves when he took the portfolio last year was to announce an independent review by consultants McKinsey, at a cost of $1.3 million, to find ways to reduce the waiting times for processing claims.
That review made a set of recommendations, and the government is said to have looked at their costs through the budget process. The figure Mr Gee requested was $96 million. Instead, the government was offering about $23 million, funding the minister said would only "kick the can down the road" when it came to reducing delays for veterans.
The minister's threat to resign, and his public description of it, were extraordinary. Minister Gee said that in warning Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce he would walk, after getting nowhere in trying to arrange the full funding, the government promised to provide the $96 million. The Veterans' Affairs Minister also warned the full amount won't appear in the budget on Tuesday, but he said it would arrive nonetheless.
"Some veterans have been waiting years to get their claims processed and finalised. This is simply not good enough. In fact, it is a national disgrace," he said on Saturday.
"They sign up to put their lives on the line for our country. They don't do it for the money, they do it cause they love their country. Our country's got to love them back."
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Mr Gee's move on Saturday came close to delivering an outcome the veteran community probably didn't want: yet another new minister. Veterans' Affairs is a portfolio that has had plenty of churn, having in 2018 counted four ministers in three years.
Labor has called Mr Gee's near-resignation a sign of government dysfunction over the Department of Veterans' Affairs. His move has received some applause. Tasmanian senator and vocal advocate for veterans, Jacqui Lambie, commended the minister for taking a stand, but had her own words of advice.
"My problem is that we're still fighting tooth and nail to fix the problems in the Department of Veterans' Affairs that have existed for years," she said.
"It shouldn't take the minister threatening to quit on the eve of the election to make the Prime Minister take notice. He escalated Veterans' Affairs to cabinet and yet it's the worst it's ever been. He's still not listening.
"Here's some advice to Minister Gee - if you aren't getting $96 million in black ink on those budget papers, it ain't happening, mate. The government's track record is appalling."
Comment was sought from Minister Gee.
His threat to resign may be his last action of consequence in the portfolio, depending on the election result.
For all the apparent principle involved in it, the move will be judged on what it achieves by way of actual funding to reduce wait times for claims at the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Ultimately, the value of his stand should only be measured in the improvements it brings to the lives of ex-services personnel.
Based on those measures, it will be hard to tell for some time what Minister Gee has achieved.
What his stand has done, for certain, is draw public attention to something that veterans, and veterans' advocates, have known for many years.
Defence Force Welfare Association national president Kel Ryan said it had highlighted the backlog in compensation claims faced by veterans. It had also demonstrated the struggle in attracting the funding needed to address veterans' issues.
These may just be Minister Gee's unintended but parting legacy in the portfolio.