Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

I say to the government, look, it's as simple as this: you were going to put an interim commissioner in early this year. We are still waiting for you to do that. We still do not know who the interim commissioner is. We are now sitting in September and we've got no idea what you are doing or who it is, and there are no terms of reference. You've got a real problem here. What we're asking is: when that is done, can we overview that and have an inquiry, and watch this going through? I can tell you, you are the same government that still has not responded to the recommendations of the Productivity Commission. What is wrong with you people? My thought is this: the only way you could come up with this is one of two ways. You are using information from the exact same people who are pushing these veterans to suicide—that is, the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. I can tell you now that I sat on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee during the inquiries into veterans' suicide and veterans' health. I sat on those inquiries with some of your senators, and I have watched them in tears over the years—and you want to rush this through?

If this is so important to you, why is there still no interim commissioner six months later? What sorts of games are you playing with these lives? Do you think we can do this in a month? Nobody in their right mind thinks we can do this in a month. You are being very unfair and very unjust to these veterans, and you know you are. You could be doing this. You and the Prime Minister are sticking your chests out at me because I won't give you what you want, and those veterans are paying the price. How can you do that to them? You know that one month is not going to cut it, unless you've already got this all down on paper. Have you got this down on paper? That is the question. There has been no discussion with anybody who actually cares and is heavily involved in this about who the interim commissioner should be—none at all. Today, quite frankly, you should be ashamed of yourselves. They're going to know what you are up to. One month!

Who is the interim commissioner? Where is this magic man? Is he going to come to the inquiry? If it's so important, why wasn't this commissioner put in six months ago? If you really care about these veterans, why wasn't the commissioner put in six months ago? If you really care about these veterans, where is your response to the Productivity Commission? Where is all that? This is beneath even you. It is absolutely disgusting that you think someone can do this in just over a month. My God! There is no way you can do this in just over a month. You are kidding yourselves. I bet the interim commissioner is a mate. He'll be a mate of yours. If the interim commissioner is a mate of yours and if he doesn't do the right thing, I will be riding him from day one. God help you! These veterans are suiciding, and you're part of it over there. You've been mucking around with their lives for years. You just throw them around as if they can be used and abused like they're regimental numbers, not human beings. It's absolutely shameful of you people. If you actually gave a stuff about these veterans, you would take my amendment and leave this until April. It's your darkest day yet when it comes to these veterans. It's shameful.