Fed: Vale has no regrets about veterans' backdown

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2004
Fed: Vale has no regrets about veterans' backdown

CANBERRA, Feb 19 AAP - Veterans Affairs Minister Danna Vale today said she had no regrets
about the handling of an announcement on veterans' benefits cancelled this week by a backbench
revolt.

The opposition branded her a "flip-flop floozy" and demanded her resignation after
veterans were invited to Canberra for the announcement on improvements to benefits on
Tuesday only to be told it had been cancelled.

Cabinet will reconsider the government response to the review of $10 billion in entitlements
in view of the 11th-hour revolt staged by 13 backbenchers during a joint party room meeting.

Mrs Vale, who has refused to resign over the backdown that has infuriated veterans'
groups, said she was proud of what had happened.

"No (I have no regrets about the handling of the issue)," Mrs Vale told reporters.

"Part of the handling, the process that we're going through is part of the robust democracy
that we actually do have in our party.

"That makes me very proud because we're not bounded by factions and we're not bounded
by any outside influences at all."

Despite Prime Minister John Howard constantly drumming home to his backbench the importance
of solidarity, Mrs Vale said the revolt was not damaging to the government.

"No, this is part of the solidarity; that you can actually speak about things and articulate
concerns in our party room," she said.

The veterans' trip to Canberra for the cancelled announcement had not been wasted, she said.

"We actually do invite the veterans down here to Canberra on several occasions during
the course of the year," she said.

"It was one of the first meetings of this year and they talked to my officials in the
department and also myself so there were other issues of course that we had an opportunity
to discuss."

AAP rmg/sb/tma/de

KEYWORD: VETERANS VALE

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