David Moncrieff (Hughes, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

There is no more important task assigned to the federal government than ensuring the safety and security of the Australian people, and there's no more important element of Australia's defence capability than the people who serve in our Defence Force. Every member of the Australian Defence Force should be safe in the knowledge that, whatever may happen in service, they and their families will be looked after and acknowledged by a grateful nation. Australians expect them to be looked after.

This is evident in the turnout we see each year at the Anzac Day dawn services. I've been going to the Engadine Anzac Day dawn services since I was a kid, and it's always amazing to see how many people turn out and how many people are passionate about ensuring our veterans are acknowledged each year. But the expectation that they are looked after is not one that's always been met. It is our nation's duty to empower and support the mental health and wellbeing of our defence and veteran community. During the world wars, my family served in the defence forces. Sidda Black, my great-grandfather, was injured on the Western Front during the First World War. Sidda came back with physical scars that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Of course, we now have a better understanding of the other forms of harm that are inflicted upon our Defence Force personnel during their service. In my electorate of Hughes, 3,640 people had served in the Australian Defence Force as of 2022. I want to honour and acknowledge that service and thank them for all they have done for our country.

I am privileged to represent in this place the Holsworthy Barracks, covering almost 20,000 hectares and comprising one of the Army's major defence presences in New South Wales. It's home to a number of Army and tri-service training institutions as well as various regular and reserve Army units, and it's also the staging location for domestic operations in New South Wales. In June I was lucky enough to attend the barracks and celebrate some of the newest graduates of the Army's School of Military Engineering with the Deputy Prime Minister. These young people represent great hope for the future of the Australian Defence Force. It is no small feat for them to put their hand up to serve their nation.

We want Australians to be attracted to serving our nation in the Australian Defence Force and confident that they and their families will be supported by their leaders, their mates and the broader defence organisation. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established in 2021, and it heard from thousands of current and former serving Defence members and families, particularly the families of those who are no longer here to speak for themselves. It heard of systems that were broken, of a culture that was toxic and of not enough being done to support our personnel during and after service. We've heard those calls, and we've acted.

The royal commission released an interim report in 2022 containing recommendations they deemed the most urgent, and we acted on them. This government has cleared the unallocated compensation claims at DVA so that new claims are reviewed within 14 days. We've legislated the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025, the VETS Act, to simplify the veteran compensation system that will kick in next year, overhauling the complex system that causes confusion and frustration and which the royal commission identified as a contributor to suicidality among our veteran community. This will mean all veteran claims are assessed for compensation and rehabilitation under a single piece of legislation that will be simpler to use and allow faster processing. This is the most significant reform of support to veterans in a century. As a result, we are able to better provide the services and supports the veteran community needs when and where they need them. In September last year, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide released its final report. It contained seven volumes and 122 recommendations. It was harrowing reading. This government was tasked with effecting a once-in-a-generation opportunity for cultural change and reform. By December, the Albanese government responded, and we agreed or agreed in principle to 104 recommendations, noting 17 for further work. In my first speech in this place I noted how proud I am to be a part of the government that has agreed to these.

The royal commission's final report contains several significant recommendations related to sexual violence in the Australian Defence Force. Defence is taking decisive and immediate action to strengthen the way we respond to sexual violence within the ADF. I have spoken to women within the service who have been directly affected by this, and for whom the effects of it are ongoing. Recommendation 15 from the report has been implemented through an updated central policy on sexual misconduct. It now provides clearer, more consistent guidance for commanders and managers. It outlines when to engage the Joint Military Police Unit and how to determine whether conduct may constitute a criminal offence, and it introduces structured return-to-work protocols for those impacted by misconduct.

While the military justice system serves a distinct function, ADF personnel are also subject to civilian law, and Defence's policies must reflect that accountability. In the same month as the release of the final report, we established the royal commission implication taskforce within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to oversee the development of comprehensive and considered advice on implementing the response to the royal commission. We listened to our service members and the veteran community, establishing an independent taskforce to drive implementation rather than offering empty platitudes. At the beginning of August, nine recommendations had already been fully implemented, and there are a further 110 on the way.

There is of course still a lot of work to come to implement the recommendations of the royal commission, but, a year on from the final report, we're making good progress. However, the government has not limited itself just to the work coming from the royal commission. We set about improving supports for defence personnel, veterans and families before the work of the royal commission was complete. We're better supporting people in service, and we're seeing more people choose to stay in the ADF for longer as a result. We've also expanded our network of Veterans' and Families' Hubs, so people can access support close to home.

A common theme throughout the royal commission was discussion on difficulties engaging with both the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs, in relation to information access. While the implementation of recommendations 9 to 13 of the interim report has significantly improved this, there is still more to do. Engaging with the Department of Veterans' Affairs has also not been as straightforward as it should be for the veteran community, and mechanisms like the DVA website were perhaps more of a barrier to providing useful information than a useful tool. I am really pleased that today the new and improved DVA website has gone live. It's more user-friendly, and includes a first of its kind for the federal government: an AI search tool that will actively answer questions from veterans on the supports and services they can and should receive.

The royal commission's task for us as a government was no small feat, but we have no doubt that its delivery will ensure the most comprehensive reforms to the systems, processes and culture that support defence personnel, veterans and families ever undertaken in Australia. The implementation of these reforms from the royal commission is not a nice-to-have; it is vital in ensuring that defence personnel, veterans and families receive the care, services and support that they not only need but deserve. We will continue to take actions that are not easy but that are right and essential. We'll take action on the royal commission as quickly as we can. It's our duty to those who have answered the call to defend our country. It's the least we can do to repay their commitment and sacrifices for Australia. I want to thank all of our veterans who might be listening to this today, and listening to us discuss these matters, and I acknowledge all their service and their commitment to this country.

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