Ali France (Dickson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I consider myself to be very lucky to be representing an electorate that has a large veteran and defence population. Gallipoli Barracks is right on our doorstep, and we have approximately 3,500 veterans—more than that, I think now—and approximately 2,000 serving members of the Defence Force. They're spread out across Warner, Albany Creek and the hills district. We really value our veteran and defence community.

Last month I had the privilege of visiting Gallipoli Barracks with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh, but it wasn't the first time that I had had the opportunity to visit Gallipoli Barracks. Over 10 years ago, before I got involved in politics and while I was still recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder, I was invited to Gallipoli Barracks on R U OK? Day to talk with serving Defence Force members about my personal experience with post-traumatic stress disorder, to talk through the real struggle, every day, that was getting out of bed and that was combating fear. I got to talk directly with individual Defence Force members, at their desks, about their stories and about the sacrifices that they had made—of family time, of being away a long time, and of witnessing things overseas that almost all of us will never have to experience. I stood next to one serving Defence Force member who had got back to work only recently, in the few weeks before I spoke at the barracks, and we talked directly about our experience of post-traumatic stress disorder. He was in tears, and I was in tears. I can tell you that those stories and those conversations, which I had over 10 years ago, have stayed with me to this day.

Gallipoli Barracks sits just outside the boundaries of Dickson. For decades it's really shaped the character, the rhythm and the identity of our local community. I love that defence personnel and their families proudly call our Dickson suburbs home, and their presence is felt in every single corner of my electorate. They're not just residents; they are neighbours, team mates, volunteers, mentors and leaders. You see our veterans and serving Defence Force members coaching the junior footy team on Saturday mornings, helping out at school fetes, supporting local small businesses and lending a hand wherever our community needs it. Our local RSL subbranches are not just a place for mateship and for recognising the contribution that veterans and our defence community make every single day. They're also a real lifeline for our whole community and for so many families.

Their service to our nation is something we honour deeply. But their wellbeing and the wellbeing of their families is something we have, as all elected members, a responsibility to protect. The Albanese Labor government is squarely focused on improving support for veterans and their families. It's why we've launched a new $24 million veteran employment transition program. We allocated, in the last parliament, half a billion dollars to fast-track compensation claims for our veterans, with about 500 extra people being employed to make sure those claims get done as quickly as possible. We also announced $78 million for a new veteran and family wellbeing agency, which I think is incredibly important. That is why the establishment of this independent Defence and Veterans' Service Commission represents such an important and long-overdue step.

For too long, many veterans and their families have been let down by systems that were meant to support them. These are people who stepped forward to serve their country, often at great personal cost, only to find themselves navigating a confusing, fragmented and sometimes indifferent system when they needed help the most.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide laid bare the scale of the problem. It revealed not just isolated failings but deep systemic issues—issues that have persisted across governments, across agencies and across generations of our veterans. The royal commission made it clear that what was needed was not another review, not another temporary taskforce and not another layer of bureaucracy. What was needed was an independent body with real authority, a body with the teeth to look at the whole system, not just individual cases, and the mandate to drive meaningful, lasting reform—a body capable of identifying systemic risks, holding agencies accountable and ensuring that the voices of veterans and their families are not only heard but placed at the very centre of decision-making.

The independent defence and veterans commission is designed to do exactly that. This commission will provide independent oversight and shine a light on the issues that have been allowed to persist for far too long. It will report directly to the minister and the parliament, ensuring transparency and accountability at the highest levels. It will have the power to investigate, to compel information when necessary and to scrutinise the performance of agencies responsible for supporting defence personnel, veterans and their families. Importantly, it will not be limited to reacting to crisis. It will be proactive—which I think is incredibly important—identifying emerging risks and recommending reforms before problems escalate. At every step, it will ensure that the lived experience of veterans and their families is respected, valued and acted upon. For communities like Dickson, this matters deeply. With Gallipoli Barracks on our doorstep, we understand better than most the challenges that defence families face: the frequent relocations, the long periods of separation, the uncertainty and the unique pressures that come with military life.

When defence members transition out of service, they deserve a system that supports them, not one that leaves them navigating a maze of agencies, forms and conflicting advice. They deserve clarity, compassion, a clear pathway to the services that they need. Their families deserve confidence that help will be there when they need it, whether that's mental health support, financial assistance or guidance through the transition process. Our serving members deserve to know that wellbeing is actually a national priority—not something that is considered only after their service ends but something that is protected throughout their entire career and beyond.

This reform is about rebuilding trust—trust that has been eroded over many decades by systems that were too slow, too complex and too disconnected from the real experience of veterans and their families. It is about ensuring that no veteran feels invisible, unheard or left to struggle. It is about acknowledging the sacrifices made by those who have worn our nation's uniform and ensuring that the systems around them finally serve them back. When someone puts their hand up to serve Australia, they should never have to fight for support when they return home.

The independent defence and veterans commission is not a symbolic gesture; it is a structural reform designed to create lasting change. It will help ensure that the lessons of the royal commission are not forgotten, that the recommendations are implemented and that the momentum for reform is maintained long after the headlines fade. It will help create a system that is simpler, more compassionate and more responsive—a system that recognises the dignity of veterans and their families and treats them with the respect they deserve.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to delivering the change that veterans have, for a very long time, been calling for. This is not just a policy commitment; it is a moral commitment. It is coming from the heart. It is a recognition that we owe a debt of care to those who have served, and that debt does not end when their service ends. Communities like Dickson, with such a strong defence presence, understand just how important this reform is. We understand the impact of service every day—the pride, the resilience and the strength, but also the challenges, the transitions and the moments when support is needed most.

I reflect on my own experience with post-traumatic stress disorder. I was one of the lucky ones. I got psychology appointments every two weeks. It was acted upon early, identified early, recognised and supported, and it made all the difference. Many of our veterans have had to go through extremely traumatic experiences of PTSD, and their recovery has been delayed or ignored. They've been embarrassed to talk about it. This needs to change.

By establishing the independent Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, we are taking a significant step toward a future where veterans and their families are supported by a system that is worthy of their service; a future where their wellbeing is protected, their voices are central and their experiences shape the policies that affect them; and a future where no veteran or serving defence personnel feel left behind. I commend the bills to the House.

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