Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The others involved in the research are the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre and the Australian Institute of Family Studies. The Australian Institute of Family Studies will take the lead on the Family and Wellbeing Study.

I thank Senator Boswell for his final supplementary question. We view veterans' mental health as absolutely fundamental to where this nation is heading. We believe that early intervention is the key to helping these young men and women and their families. The Australian government is currently spending $166 million per annum, uncapped, on the mental health needs of our serving men and women and ex-serving men and women. Quite frankly, this nation cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. What was done to those men returning from Vietnam so long ago now this nation simply cannot do to the young men and women returning from recent conflicts. We are determined to address their needs.