Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie made an emotional plea to the Albanese government yesterday to do more for women veterans experiencing reproductive and pelvic health problems.
Breaking down in parliament as she described her own accessing specialist care for vaginal prolapse, Lambie claimed the health consequences of military service for women were too often overlooked.
She said she had lodged a claim with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs before ultimately travelling to Canberra for surgery, which cost her about $7000– an experience common for women veterans who were being left to navigate serious health issues without adequate recognition or support, particularly where it comes to pelvic and reproductive health.
Her speech comes amid a broader political fight over the federal government’s proposed changes to veterans’ allied health funding, including a planned annual cap of $5000 from July 2027.
The government says the changes are designed to address unnecessary or inappropriate services, while maintaining access to treatment. But the proposal prompted a fierce backlash from veterans and advocacy groups, who fear it could leave those with complex and chronic conditions unable to afford the care they need.
For Lambie, the issue is also about what happens when a health system built around the experiences of male veterans fails to properly account for women’s bodies.
She pointed to survey findings involving almost 500 female veterans, saying a significant proportion reported pelvic health problems, including pelvic pain, while some had experienced pelvic organ prolapse. Lambie argued that many of the treatments women need are either not adequately covered or are not properly recognised within existing veterans’ health arrangements.
In one of the more passionate moments of her speech, Lambie asked the prime minister and senior ministers to consider how quickly the system might respond if male sexual or reproductive health were affected in the same way.
“I would like to ask the Prime Minister, Minister Marles, and Minister Keogh what they would do if their penis was hanging by a thread?” she posed.
“What would they do with treatment for that injury, directly connected to their military service, was denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Would they say, ‘okay, no worries, I don’t really need my penis?’ I don’t think so. I don’t think so”.
Lambie urged the PM to abandon the proposed allied health cap, saying veterans were already carrying enough and warning that further limits on treatment could have serious consequences.
“I’m asking you once more. I’m begging you, Prime Minister. We are already suffering enough. Drop the bloody cap”, she said.
The senator’s intervention has added another layer to an increasingly difficult week for Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh, who has been under pressure over the proposed cap and his handling of concerns raised by veterans.
Keogh initially faced criticism over his response to a group of veterans seeking a meeting about the changes, before later apologising for aspects of the situation. Albanese has publicly maintained his confidence in the minister.