Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is RU OK Day. It is not only a day with a memorable tagline but also with a substantive underlying message. Checking in with people who are isolated and who are struggling can make all the difference in getting them through to tomorrow. This is why, over the course of the sitting fortnight, Parliament House has hosted a number of key events centred around mental health. These aren't possible without the support of parliamentary friendship groups that operate in or around the mental health head space. Groups such as the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health, the Parliamentary Friends of Youth Mental Health, the Parliamentary Friends of Child & Adolescent Health & Mental Health and the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention, which is chaired by the member for Macquarie and the member for Berowra.

This sitting fortnight was sandwiched between RU OK? Day and World Suicide Prevention Day, which took place on 10 September—the Sunday just past. To keep to this theme, the Parliamentary Friends of Veterans partnered with Suicide Prevention Australia to host the three commissioners of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide at a reception on the evening of Monday 11 September. All three commissioners attended: Nick Kaldas APM, the Hon. James Douglas KC and Dr Peggy Brown AO. The Parliamentary Friends of Veterans facilitating an event such as this is not just germane to the proximity of World Suicide Prevention Day; it is also a pivotal time for the royal commission. From today, there are now fewer than 30 days remaining in which someone can make a submission to those assisting the commission, with the time necessary to prepare its findings so that its final report can be provided to our government by June 2024.

The royal commission has thus far received over 4,000 submissions. It has held 491 private sessions and had over 300 witnesses appear before it over the course of its many hearings. The only regret I have in regard to the event of that night is that we hadn't endeavoured to host an event like this much sooner. I of course would like to once again thank Nieves Murray and her team at Suicide Prevention Australia for partnering with the Parliamentary Friends of Veterans. I'd like to thank the veterans groups and the support groups who were also represented in the audience that night. The ADF were well represented, noting that in attendance were Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart AO, DSC; the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM; and the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Robert Chipman AM, CSC.

I would truly like to thank the veterans, ADF members, reservists and their families who have engaged with the royal commission process but who were unable to attend our event this week. But, for those who were in committee room 2R1 on Monday night, thank you for sharing with us your stories of lived experience and for showing us where we can do better—namely, conveying the human cost when we fail to act with this in front of our minds.