David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in favour of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020, which goes to the heart of a very important issue, and that is veterans suicide. I'd also like to give formal recognition to all those members and senators that have continued their service in this building after their own service in the armed forces. We're eternally grateful for everyone who dons the Australian uniform and serves their country—who have heard the call of the country—and at times put their life and limb in mortal danger.

Veteran suicide is a vexed issue. It is a big issue and the whole coalition is very aware of it. The health ministry, the Prime Minister, the health minister, the veterans' affairs minister, the defence minister and the minister responsible for defence procurement are all in unison—we are trying to improve the situation around veteran suicide. It is a really well-analysed problem. In fact, in the broader community, there are more people who fall victim to suicide than die in road accidents. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has recently issued a report about that. In 2016 to 2018, the age adjusted rate of suicide in serving males whilst they're in the forces was 37 per cent lower than in the general Australian population. That just goes to show you the strength of the camaraderie and the clear role and definition of what service is when people are in the services. In that same period, 2016-18, the age adjusted rate of suicide in the Reserve forces amongst males was even lower—47 per cent lower than the general Australian male population. But where it comes unstuck is when they leave the services. Ex-serving males, who are discharged from service, had similar rates to Australian males. But ex-serving males who discharged from service on medical grounds were a group that had higher rates of suicide than Australian males. Amongst serving Australian female servicewomen, the same applies. I think amongst serving females who have been discharged it's something like 115 per cent higher, particularly those that have had medical discharges. So that's a really important statistic, because of all the programs that we have in place to support veterans and help them adjust to leaving the service and finding a meaningful role outside the services, it is really important that those at greatest risk get the most attention.

It is my great pleasure to have used my medical career for the betterment of the electorate by having a medically trained person in this building. With the 3,000 plus veterans who live in the beautiful Lyne electorate, I have the utmost respect and always try to support them. Whether it's an RSL function, it's a Soldier On function, or if it's a Vietnam veterans event, I try and get to it.

This legislation has come in for some criticism from people on the other side because it's not a full royal commission, but, most importantly, you've got to realise that this is a rolling royal commission. The commissioner for veteran suicide will have the powers, the inquisitorial powers, like those a royal commission would have. Royal commissions cost, in some cases, hundreds of millions of dollars. They shine a really bright light, like a blowtorch, on whatever issue they're looking into. They come out with an extensive report. As the months and the years roll by—this is not necessarily on any hypothetical royal commission into veteran suicide but this is about all royal commissions—the intensity and the focus goes and then the things fade into the distance. Whereas this is an ongoing problem. Having a commissioner who's there the whole time to inquire and analyse, both retrospectively and prospectively, and to see what methods, what programs, what can be done differently to reduce the numbers of veteran suicides, particularly amongst that high-risk cohort—those that are discharged but discharged on medical grounds—that is where we really can get the biggest input.

As you probably recall, Mr Deputy Speaker, I have been a regular at Pollie Pedal. I think this year's Pollie Pedal event was about my eighth. For the last 3½ years—I say 3½ years because due COVID we had a reduced, minimalist Pollie Pedal three or four weeks ago—the recipient of the funds raised for Pollie Pedal has been Soldier On. That is one of the many organisations that are trying to support people who have been in the services who are having trouble adjusting to their life. For people in a very regimented company or institution like the Army, Navy or Air Force everything is defined. There are strict boundaries. People go in at a very young age. People have been on campaigns together. The training is sometimes incredibly rigorous. There are mind games. There are physical games. There are bombs. There are unknown enemies. There are unknown risks. There are things that you and I can't dream of going through. Then when you leave and it's all gone—all that solid formation of your life, your role, your definition, your standing amongst your peers—it all evaporates, and that can be really tragic for some people because they don't have the coping mechanisms. It's no reflection on them. That's just part of the human frailty. Then there are some people who have seen horrible things and have had post-traumatic stress disorder, and those sorts of things linger for ages.

All the commission will be able to do is to look into every one of these past deaths, prospectively what's happening, make inquiries, force the production of evidence and information, just like a royal commissioner. So I think it's actually a better solution to an ongoing problem, rather than having the big hoopla, the big fanfare, a report and then things tend to fade away.

I know DVA has changed their processes. In this building in my time here we've changed it so that anyone who served a day in the armed forces is able to access psychological and psychiatric support. There are all these other transition mechanisms that we've got teaching people how to use the skills they've learnt in the forces and apply them to a different industry. We've got support groups. We've got support for families. We've got so many initiatives that will make it better for people who leave the forces. Hopefully we will see reduced depression, reduced incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder. All these servicemen and women who leave the forces leave with huge skills, which are great for the economy. But sometimes it's just connecting the dots and getting them together and then they take off and they launch into their second career.

What I have learnt on the Pollie Pedal because we have people who have served that come on the Pollie Pedal with us is that they're rock-solid people. They support their friends. Many of them have helped me up many mountains. This athletic, svelte physique that you're familiar with is actually not that athletic these days, but I love cycling and I feel really empowered that by raising funds for this great organisation we're getting help for a lot more people than are on the Pollie Pedal with us. But that's just a small thing. The big thing is all the legislation, all the funding, all those other initiatives that I have mentioned that are going to make a tangible benefit to our servicemen and women and their families. Hopefully, in the coming years, as we see this commission and commissioner doing their work and all these initiatives that we have rolled out in the last three or four years and that DVA have been doing for more than that, trying to change the culture of how service men and women move on to their non-service career, things will be better.

We have an aim to lower suicide around the whole nation to as close to zero as possible. But, with this commission and with the support and all this legislation and funding that goes with it, I hope that we will see a really tangible and physical reduction in the scourge of people losing their life as a victim of suicide. I think all the families that have been touched by these tragedies and people who have supported friends and who have been in the services with them will really appreciate this bit of legislation. It is different, yes. It's not a cop-out. I think it's a bespoke response to an ongoing long-term problem which will need constant management, constant supervision and support, and tweaking around the edges. I commend this series of bills to the House.

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