Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I flag at the outset that I will be moving an amendment as circulated. I would like to acknowledge all of the speakers in the debate so far on what is a very serious topic. The rate of veteran suicide in Australia is a national tragedy, and that's why Labor supported the establishment of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide when we were in opposition.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has confirmed some 1,677 known cases of suicide among serving and ex-serving personnel between 1997 and 2021. Now, three years and hundreds of submissions later, the final report of the royal commission has been delivered to the government and tabled in the parliament. The report is an important body of work which marks the culmination of the most significant and comprehensive inquiry conducted into suicide and suicidality in the defence and veteran communities. The report is comprehensive. It is some seven volumes long, containing more than 3,100 pages and 122 recommendations. We're already putting in the work to properly understand and consider the recommendations and the detail behind them.

In August 2022, the interim report of the royal commission was delivered to government, and we took swift action on all of its recommendations. In delivering the government response to the interim report, on 26 August 2022, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs delivered an apology. Here is what he said:

It is a great tragedy that the Australian Government, successive Australian Governments, have failed those who have served our nation.

Governments have also failed the families of those people, families who have carried a heavy burden of their own through the pain and suffering they have experienced.

…   …   …

Unfortunately, in some cases, the policies, processes and cultures that have evolved in Defence and DVA over time have been counterproductive, causing distress to our Defence and Veteran communities.

The Royal Commission's Interim Report is replete with examples.

It is clear that things are not right.

On behalf of the Australian Government, I say, sorry.

The government will now consider the final report and its recommendations and respond in due course after appropriate consideration. The government received this report on Monday. The relevant ministers are working through that now so that we can respond as quickly as we can to all of these recommendations so that the entire community across Australia and, of course, serving personnel, veterans and families can have clarity around what we will be doing in response to this royal commission to improve the lives of people currently serving, as well as those that have served and their families.

Thank you to everyone who helped campaign for and who contributed to the royal commission for their bravery in sharing their often harrowing stories about their own experience in service. I also thank those who have given a voice to loved ones no longer able to share their story. Over the course of this inquiry, I personally had the opportunity to meet a small number of family members of veterans who had taken their lives. I know the incredible work that they undertook to put this issue on the agenda and to campaign for better treatment of our veterans and their families. On a personal level, I thank those people as well. The government also thanks the commissioners for a thorough and compassionate inquiry.

All serving and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families should know that, if they need support, they can contact Open Arms for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on 1800011046 or, of course, they can visit the Open Arms website, www.openarms.gov.au.