Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise to speak on the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020. In doing so, I would like to firstly acknowledge the members for Braddon and Herbert for their service and their very balanced submissions today. Indeed, I recognise the service of other members in this place and current serving defence men and women.

Our serving and former Australian Defence Force members and their families make great sacrifices for our nation. They protect our rights and freedoms as Australians and the rights of other nations throughout the world when they are threatened. They put themselves through harrowing acts of combat and face life and death situations. I could not imagine running into the theatre of war.

The latest report on the incidence of suicide amongst current and former serving ADF personnel was released earlier this month. Sadly, it revealed there were a further 33 ADF member and veteran member deaths by suicide in 2018. The loss of one veteran or of one serving member of the ADF is one life too many. Addressing this tragedy is a national priority for the Morrison-McCormack government and indeed for the whole of the government. We can all acknowledge that there are many different factors that can affect someone's mental health—a person's childhood, an occupation or a lifestyle—but when that person's service in the Australian Army, Navy or Air Force is the cause of their poor mental health we should be absolutely committed to ensuring that those veterans and service men and women are supported.

According to veteran group Open Arms our World War II, Korea and Vietnam veterans are susceptible to experiencing depression, alcohol dependence or misuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Open Arms suggests that those who have served in Afghanistan, East Timor or other places where modern conflicts have occurred are susceptible to a range of mental health disorders. More-recent analysis from the National Suicide Monitoring of Service and Ex-Serving Australian Defence Service Personnel 2020 Update shows that ex-service personnel face an increased risk of suicide. In particular, the reason for discharge has been identified as a significant predictor of suicide among ex-serving ADF members. The rate of suicide in those who are discharged on medical grounds is far higher than for those discharged for other involuntary reasons and more than three times greater than for those who discharged voluntarily. Therefore, I support establishing a National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention as an independent statutory officeholder within the Attorney-General's portfolio.

The national commissioner will have the inquisitorial powers of a royal commission. However, unlike a royal commission the national commissioner will be an enduring institution with the power to monitor the implementation of their recommendations into the future. This is important. As an enduring institution it is not limited to a point in time. Royal commissions come and go but a national commissioner will not. A veteran advocate in my electorate of Cowper, Richard Kellaway, agrees that an independent national commissioner would be a good person to unpack what he calls 'an age-old problem that even the ancient Greeks and their philosophers debated'—how do we best mitigate the effects of combat on men? Mr Kellaway, at the Veterans Centre Mid North Coast, works tirelessly to assist local veterans and their families with compensation claims and other issues. He is also honest, and openly shared with me his battles with post-traumatic stress disorder from his time of service in the Vietnam War. It is a disorder that he says he manages through meeting with a psychologist and helping veterans. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Kellaway for his advocacy for veterans and for his service to his country.

Under this bill, it is proposed that the functions of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention will include: inquiring into the circumstances of relevant defence and veterans death by suicide; making findings and recommendations addressing defence member and veteran wellbeing and suicide prevention strategies; working collaboratively with state and territory coroners to understand issues contributing to defence and veteran deaths by suicide; and promoting understanding of suicide risk for defence members and veterans and opportunities for improved wellbeing and support.

I'm pleased that the national commissioner will hear from veterans, their families and others affected by suicide. It will provide the opportunity for veterans and their families and other people who have been affected personally to share their story in a supported way. Their contributions will be critical to informing the national commissioner's work. The bill provides that, as a guiding principle, the national commissioner should take a trauma informed and restorative approach in exercising the functions of the office and should recognise that families and others affected by suicide have a unique contribution to make to the national commissioner's work.

I'm similarly pleased that the national commissioner will provide better coordination across government, the Australian Defence Force and stakeholders in the private and charitable sectors. Government inquiries have identified that there is a need to improve integration. The national commissioner will work closely with the Prime Minister's National Suicide Prevention Adviser, and he or she will liaise regularly with the state and territory coroners. The bill provides pathways for information sharing between the national commissioner and other bodies to support their close collaboration. In the event that the national commissioner identifies potential criminal or other improper conduct in the course of their work, they may refer these matters to the police or prosecution bodies for independent investigation. This aligns with an equivalent referral process available to a royal commission.

Establishing a National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention builds upon the reforms of the coalition government that have been made to better the lives of our veterans. In October last year, for example, the Australian Defence Veterans' Covenant was enshrined in legislation. This covenant outlined the importance of veterans to our country and put in place a statement requiring the Department of Veterans' Affairs to adopt a beneficial approach when interpreting legislation. It also enshrined in legislation that DVA staff are to apply a fair, just and consistent approach to veterans' claims. I acknowledge the work of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Darren Chester, in delivering such reform. I look forward to hearing from veteran advocates like Mr Kelloway, in the future, that these and other measures have made a positive difference.

Through these bills, we, as parliamentarians, have the opportunity to establish a new national commissioner. It is a position that will deliver genuine transparency and uncover the root cause contributing to the death of Australian Defence Force members and veterans by suicide. It is a position that will work on a problem that goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks: how to better support the mental health and the wellbeing of our service men and women, those who form our armies and protect us in times of war.

At this point, I would like to recognise Soldier On, which has been supporting the veteran community since 2012. Through the delivery of holistic services, Soldier On enables veterans and their families to thrive. Soldier On has provided support to veterans and their families, both those who have served and those who continue to serve in the ADF.

I support this bill and I commend it to the House.

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