Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Forty-two Australian service members have died in Australia's modern military conflicts, which is 42 too many. But, as of 2017, some 419 current and former ADF members have died by suicide. This does not count the lives unnecessarily lost since 2017. Since I've been in parliament, I've seen a flurry of reports and reviews, from the Senate to the Productivity Commission, each looking at the experiences of veterans. Their findings have been damning and distressing. There can be no dispute as to the persuasive nature of suicide or mental health more broadly across the veteran community. What currently eludes us is a clearer understanding of the underlying causes of suicide amongst the defence community and, importantly, a solution.

Many in my community and across Australia believe that a royal commission is the most appropriate path forward, and I share that view. I support the intention behind this bill, the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020, and I also recognise that the establishment of a national veterans suicide prevention commissioner has the support of ex-service organisations such as the Defence Force Welfare Association and the members they represent, but not all veterans and their families or the families of those who have lost their lives would agree and many are forceful in their opposition, and we must listen to them.

Opponents of the bill have raised concerns with respect to the perceived independence of the commissioner and the need to ensure appropriate resourcing of the office. The financial impact statement for the bill indicates a total of $42 million has been allocated for the first five years. In contrast, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse received $330 million, while the disability royal commission has been promised over $500 million. If a thorough investigation is to occur, the commissioner must not be hamstrung by meagre resourcing.

Others are concerned that there will be a lack of accountability and transparency. The commissioner will release an annual report encompassing findings and any recommendations for reform. I accept the report will be a detailed analysis of the work carried out by the commissioner and that it will, given the qualifications of the interim commissioner, be a document of great value. But I have less faith, however, in the government's ability to respond to the report and implement recommendations in a timely manner. Twice a year, the President in the other place provides a report to the Senate on the status of government responses to Senate and joint committee reports. That report was released on 30 June 2020. The list of unanswered reports runs to 19 pages. And we are still waiting for the government to release the Productivity Commission's June 2020 final report from the inquiry into mental health, let alone any response to it. So what confidence can we or, indeed, veterans have in the government considering and implementing recommendations by the commissioner? While I understand that this bill will have bipartisan passage through the House today, Centre Alliance will await the findings of the Senate committee inquiry and continue to stand with Senator Jacqui Lambie on her call for a royal commission.

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