Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020 this morning. Fisher—in fact, the Sunshine Coast—has one of the largest veteran communities in the whole of the country. Whilst the figures are a little bit hard to determine at this stage, we estimate that it's around 15,000 members, which is very significant. We know that it's a specific question on the next census, so we will be able to get much better eyesight on that.

This is a really important issue. It's too important to play politics with. Those on the other side are making out as though the entire defence community wants a royal commission. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've spoken with many veterans in my own community of Fisher and many have told me that they don't want a royal commission. Many of the ESOs have told me that they don't want a royal commission. They don't want a quick sugar hit. What they want is a meaningful path to change—and with very good reason.

The stats are just so alarming. We know from the stats that, from the day a man leaves the ADF, his likelihood of taking his own life jumps from 48 per cent lower than other Australian men to 18 per cent higher. Why is that? When men are in the ADF, when they are serving this nation in fatigues, in they have a 48 per cent lower chance, but when they leave it jumps to 18 per cent higher. I've got some of my own theories about this. I want to recognise the member for Braddon, who's just walked into the chamber, for his long and distinguished service in uniform to this country, and all the men and women who have served this country on both sides of the chamber for the work that they've done. They know so much more than I do. I've never served in uniform. I've had the great privilege of meeting many that have and do, but I think it's one of those jobs where the only way you really understand what they do is if you serve. I bow to their greater knowledge on this.

But, in my view, part of the reason that this is failing us, that our stats are so poor, is that, when men and women are serving this country in the ADF, they have a sense of purpose, they have a sense of mission and, importantly, they have an incredible sense of tribe. They know why they've got to get up in the morning and why they've got to work all day and they have that concept of purpose. And often—not always but often—when they leave the ADF some men and women struggle with that loss of purpose and particularly that loss of tribe. In my view, that is key to this pandemic, this epidemic of suicide that we have seen.

This year's report includes the first figures for ex-serving women. Sadly, they are more than two times as likely as other women to die by suicide. Between 2001 and 2017, 419 lives were cut short. That's 10 times the number of service personnel we lost in combat in Afghanistan in the same period. I know that the defence ministers—the defence minister, the defence industry minister and the defence industry and veterans' affairs minister—are all singing from the same hymn sheet. They know what the problem is.

This commissioner's role will shine a light on this issue. The commissioner will have all the powers of a standing royal commission. I don't know what I've got to say to get that through to those on the other side: it will have all the powers of a standing royal commission. It will have the ability to subpoena documents and require people to give evidence—not for a day, not for a week, not for 12 months; it is ongoing. The other side are either ignorant as to what a royal commission does or they are playing politics with an issue which is so important, and that is disgraceful.

In times of conflict we ask our service men and women to give up so much—to be away from their family and to risk life and limb. Our respect goes to them absolutely. We know that some veterans need extra support when they discharge. What I really want to impress upon the House today is that, whilst I fully respect and agree with the government's role on this, in announcing the powers of this commissioner, what we need to do is keep things in perspective. I am very fearful that, if all we talk about is how broken veterans are, these guys and girls will never be able to get a job when they discharge. With all the best will and best intentions we want to raise the spectre of what they deal with and reduce the stigma of mental ill health, but what we don't want to do is create some perverse concept in our community that if you're a veteran you are automatically a broken man or a broken woman. If you were an employer, why would you want to employ a veteran, if you were concerned about their mental health? This is so important. Not all veterans are broken men and women. I want to acknowledge the member for Herbert, who has just walked into the chamber, for his distinguished service in uniform.

We cannot overcook this. The best way to get someone to transition well is to ensure as best we can that they are well trained and able to get a job after their service. If they can't get that job because employers are worried about what they're getting, through an unfounded concern, we are creating a problem which is not there. We are creating the problem that Australian employers will not want to run the risk of employing veterans. I know that veterans are exceptional employees. They are loyal, they are hardworking, they are smart and they have ingenuity.

Australian employers, I put this challenge out to you today. I put this challenge out to you to want to seek to employ a veteran today and tomorrow. The very next opening that you have, search out a veteran. Tell your HR person or people, 'I want you to find me a veteran—or veterans.' You will not be disappointed. So we need to be very careful that we don't overcook the issue. As important as it is, we do not want to create an environment where our hardworking veterans cannot find work. So let's be very, very mindful of that.

There are so many things I could talk about that this government is doing for veterans in the budget. Since my time in this place in 2016, every year we have provided new incentives and new programs to look after our veterans' mental health and to make their transition into civilian life more seamless. It doesn't matter what your mental health ailment may be, if you've served any more than one day in the ADF, you get free treatment. You don't have to try and argue to Veterans' Affairs that your condition is linked to your service. Anything more than one day and you'll be looked after—commonsense things like that. We're also looking after the families of veterans because we know that they are the silent victims; they say that the boys and girls in uniform are the volunteers, but the family are the conscripts—a little bit like politics. We need to make sure that we look after the families, and we are doing just that through more programs like Open Arms—Veterans & Families Counselling.

I want to go to the bill because I am running out of time. I could talk about this for a year. What's needed now is a means to evaluate where we are—what's worked, what hasn't—and to track the ongoing impact of the work that we're doing. That is what the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention will deliver. As I said earlier, it will have all the powers of a standing royal commission. I say to those opposite: please do not play politics on this issue. The welfare of our veterans, like the member for Braddon, the member for Herbert and all their colleagues, is too important. It is too important to play politics.

When enacted, this bill will formalise the role of the office of the commissioner. Resourced by $42.7 million, Dr Bernadette Boss will be the interim commissioner. She'll have the ability to examine in detail every case of suicide among current and former service men and women going back to 2001. She'll seek to understand why these cases have occurred and, importantly, explore what we can do to prevent them. As part of the process, the families and veterans who've been impacted by these 419 deaths will have the opportunity to share their stories and give us the benefit of their insight into the reality behind these tragic circumstances. An interim report from this royal commission-like investigation will be provided to the government within 12 months and a final report will be provided within 18 months.

We've got to learn. We've got to learn more. We've got to do more. This role will do just that. I commend it to the House.

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