Veterans already disappointed by the Government's response to the Clarke report re- announced last night, receive little extra cheer from the 2004/05 Budget.

Most of the new funding will plug of the gaping hole caused by medical specialists who refuse to accept the Gold Card. This is long overdue as this refusal to treat disabled veterans and widows has been the cause of much anguish.

Apart from $300 000 per year for nursing home funding for ex POW's, the rest of the veterans' budget is for politically inspired commemorative activity and administrative overhead.

The great bulk of new funding proposals have already been announced and the legislation to bring it into effect is already in the Parliament.

The Government again has ignored the needy.

Homecare services will continue to be cut as demand exceeds its budget

It has ignored war widows who are not entitled to the Income Support Supplement, and who continue to struggle to make ends meet.

Nothing has been done to assess the health care needs of veterans' children – just a bureaucratic shuffle of a minor program from the Health Department back to Veterans' Affairs.

The discrimination against ex POW's from Europe in WW II will continue.

No additional recommendations of the Clarke report have been accepted.

The campaign by the Totally and Permanently Incapacitated has also been ignored.

Had it not been for the backbench revolt on the first response to the Clarke report, this would be a very bare budget for veterans indeed.

Other more ominous signs for veterans are that the screws are tightening. What the Howard Government gives with one hand it takes away with the other.