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A list of interim recommendations has been tabled as part of the ongoing inquiry into suicide prevention and response protocols across defence and veterans’ affairs.
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The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has released its interim report, containing a list of 13 recommendations informed by over a year of investigation into systemic issues relating to deaths by suicide in the defence and veteran community.
The report includes preliminary observations on a range of matters, including:
- suicide prevention and wellbeing
- data and suicide prevention
- coronial matters
- families
- ADF culture
- transition from the ADF
- a possible body to follow this Royal Commission.
The 13 tabled recommendations are as follows:
- Simplifying and harmonising veteran compensation and rehabilitation legislation.
- Eliminating the backlog of claims under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (Cth), the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (Cth) and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (Cth).
- Improving the administration of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) claims system.
- Tasking the DVA with providing advice to the Australian government about its funding needs.
- Removing the DVA’s average staffing level cap.
- Working closely with this Royal Commission to design urgently an amendment or series of legislative amendments that provide protections for persons who wish to provide relevant information.
- Providing the Royal Commission with an exemption from parliamentary privilege.
- Limiting public interest immunity claims.
- Improving administrative release of information.
- Increasing awareness of redactions for access requests.
- Embedding trauma-informed practices for information access.
- Encouraging up-to-date consent for information access.
- Government collaboration with serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families to complete education material on information access mechanisms used by Defence and the DVA.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh welcomed the interim recommendations, adding the Albanese government would provide a formal response “as soon as we are able”.
“Unfortunately, the rate of veteran suicide in Australia is a national tragedy, and it is a rate that is significantly higher than across the general Australian population,” the Minister said at a press conference in Canberra.
“It is devastating that Australia has lost more serving and former serving personnel to suicide than it has lost through operations over the last 20 years in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Minister Keogh said the government has already addressed some of the matters raised in the interim report, including increasing the staffing and resources available to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
“This is something that we committed to doing at the election, and as a new government, we are delivering the 500 additional staff to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs so that we can get through that backlog as soon as possible,” he said.
Support is available to anyone who needs it, including:
- Defence All-hours Support Line 1800 628 036: a confidential telephone service for ADF members and their families.
- Defence Member and Family Helpline 1800 624 608: staffed by qualified human services professionals including social workers.
- Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling 1800 011 046: provides free and confidential counselling and support for current and former serving ADF members and their families.
- The Defence Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 1300 687 327: a free, confidential and professional counselling service available to Defence Australian Public Service employees, Australian Signals Directorate employees, Australian Defence Force Reservists, ADF Cadets, Officers and Instructors of ADF Cadets and their immediate families, and their supervisors/managers.
- Safe Zone Support 1800 142 072 (available 24/7): a free and anonymous counselling line, for veterans and their families, providing access to specialised counsellors, with an understanding of military culture and experience.
- Lifeline Australia (available 24/7) 13 11 14: a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
[Related: Government launches major ADF review]
