Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to pay tribute to all of the contributions to this debate that have preceded me, particularly those of my Labor colleagues, who continue to prosecute the case for a royal commission into veteran suicide, and it is to that amendment that I wish to lend my support today. I am very pleased to rise and speak on the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020 and cognate bill following those earlier contributions.

A lot has been said over many months now of the merits of a royal commission into veteran suicides, and I acknowledge the work of the shadow minister, the member for Blair, outlined in his earlier contribution, mapping out some of that history. It is absolutely worth repeating some of the terribly sobering statistics that should shame this parliament into calling for a royal commission. We know that since 2001, for example, we have lost at least 10 times more defence personnel to suicide than we lost in Afghanistan—10 times more. We also know that our serving and veteran suicide rate is not diminishing. It is growing. All of the numbers, all of the indicators, are going in the wrong direction. It's doubled from 19 in 2001 to 42 in 2017 and then 33 in 2018. So this is a very worrying trajectory. One suicide is devastating, but to see a quite significant increase now, year after year, of ex-service men and women suiciding is deeply worrying. We know also that, if nothing changes, if we remain on that trajectory that I just brought to the attention of the House, we would risk losing another 600 veterans to suicide and have 6½ thousand more plan or try to take their own lives in the next seven years. That's what the estimated figures are. So I would suggest that anyone faced with that kind of evidence would be deeply moved to really bring out all stocks to put a stop to that tragic and senseless loss of human life and potential.

We know that the transition from uniformed life into civilian life is challenging, and I, having sat on a number of inquiries in my parliamentary life to date, know that we still have so much to learn about understanding that transition more thoroughly. I don't think anybody in this space should pretend that we have understood those challenges that ex-service men and women face in the transition to civilian life. We know that our losses are greater than the UK veteran suicide rate, for example, and, unlike Australia, however, their trajectory is going down. So there are certainly lessons to be learnt there. Comparing our veteran suicide rate with other countries shows that there are a wide range of possible outcomes for the journey from service life into civilian life. This could partly be explained by the varying levels of post-reintegration veteran support services and different policies that exist. Among other things, a royal commission could absolutely investigate best practice to look at those other international jurisdictions—to investigate what is best practice and find out very clearly what is working and not working.

So that's what we do know about veteran suicide today. We are on a trajectory that should shock and alarm each and every one of us in this House. What we don't know, as the member for Blair pointed out, is equally disturbing. I know that there are many ex-service men and women in my community of Newcastle who have reached out for improved services in this area of mental health and suicide. There are men who have dedicated their lives to providing terrific peer support amongst veterans communities, but the level of unmet need continues to grow.

I'm the daughter of a Vietnam veteran. I see what PTSD does to families at a very close range. I know that this is deep—that so many families like mine are affected in this way, and that the more resourcing we have the better. I know we're on very limited time here, so I will try to wrap this up with this very personal plea to the Prime Minister and members of government. I've been listening very closely to the debates that proceeded me, and I was nervous to hear one of the government contributions refer to a royal commission as just events that come and go, and that the reason the government wanted to argue for a National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention was because there was a greater level of permanency. I would caution government members from referring to a royal commission in that way. Again, I'm the member for Newcastle; I have seen the difference a royal commission made when we did a deep investigation into horrific child sexual abuse in institutions. I have seen the lasting legacy and the deep and necessary reforms that come as a result of royal commissions. There is nothing to be scared of and everything to be gained by shining a big light into areas that people may find uncomfortable. It is absolutely necessary in order to bring about the restorative justice for these men and women and their families. So, Prime Minister, it is not too late to change your mind and I beg you to show faith with the veterans and their families and to establish a royal commission, so that we can get to the bottom of veteran suicides and deliver some real accountability and justice for our veterans and their families once and for all. This issue will not go away. The numbers are all going in the wrong direction. Ultimately, Labor wants to have a bipartisan position on this important issue. I beg the Prime Minister to call a royal commission today.

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