Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025. As the shadow minister for defence personnel and shadow minister for defence industry, I'd like to first acknowledge our veterans and those currently serving in our Defence Forces. When the coalition was last in government, it established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. It was imperative for us as a government to deliver families and veterans the truth, accountability and systemic reform that they needed and deserved.

That royal commission confirmed what the ex-service community and families had been saying for many years: systemic failure requires systemic oversight and structural reforms. It made clear that lasting reform requires independent, system-wide oversight across defence and veteran departments—not embedded within one department. Amongst the recommendations was one of the most significant, which was the implementation of an independent and permanent statutory oversight body to drive reform. The coalition supports the objective of this bill to give effect to that recommendation. We have always advocated for independent oversight with real powers, public reporting and parliamentary accountability, because only then is reform able to be genuine, measurable and sustained.

As an opposition, we will continue to hold the Albanese government to account for their attempt to create the commission through a late amendment to unrelated legislation. This attempt was frankly insulting to our veteran community. That bill was rushed, was poorly handled, lacked proper consultation and showed a lack of respect for our veteran community by the Labor government. Quite simply, our veterans deserve a body with teeth, established through standalone legislation—a model the coalition has argued for from the beginning. It should never have been the case that it was created through a last-minute insertion. This simply undermines confidence and scrutiny.

I call on the government to acknowledge their mistakes and their lack of judgement with the original commission proposal. The government asked the parliament to wave through a complex oversight body with limited stakeholder engagement and visibility. That is not how serious veteran policy and legislation should be handled and ultimately made. The coalition moved an amendment to ensure that a dedicated Senate inquiry could provide scrutiny on the commission model. From that, many of the key improvements, including the independence of the standalone bill that we are debating at this point in time, only exist because we forced that scrutiny and fulfilled our duty to scrutinise the legislation presented to us. It was not in the government's original design.

It is important for us to acknowledge and to remind the Albanese government that what we are debating today was not an original idea, and no amount of their political spin or press releases will make it theirs. The coalition tried to establish an independent national commissioner for defence and veteran suicide prevention back in 2020. The bill proposed an independent statutory oversight body with essentially the same structural features being introduced now. You have to ask yourself: what did the then Labor opposition do at that time? They opposed it purely for political purposes. The Albanese led opposition prevented its establishment. Unbelievable! But now we have the very same people proposing a model that exactly mirrors what the Labor Party voted against. If Labor had supported the coalition's national commissioner back in 2020 rather than opposing it, independent oversight would already be mature and operational. Instead, there has been an unnecessary five-year delay because Labor prioritised politics over veterans' welfare and wellbeing but are now finally delivering a commission. Some would say, 'Better late than never,' but it's six years too late.

The DVSC will lead an independent inquiry into military sexual violence within the ADF. The coalition welcomes the government's decision to launch an inquiry into sexual violence in the Australian Defence Force but notes that it has taken more than a year—yes, a year—since this action was recommended in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide's final report. This is an important and overdue measure. The royal commission found that sexual violence remains a systemic issue within the ADF and is directly linked to suicide and suicidality. As the commission stated:

This has been the case for decades, and it will continue unless the ADF commits to deep, systemic reform.

No member of the ADF should ever be subjected to sexual violence, harassment or abuse. The Australians who serve in uniform, our men and women, are there to protect us, and it is equally essential that they are protected by the institutions of the ADF. Military sexual violence disproportionately affects women and can profoundly shape their experience of service. The fact that ex-serving women are twice as likely to die by suicide as women in the broader community who have not served cannot be ignored. The Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel has requested the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission to lead this independent inquiry. The inquiry will implement recommendation 25 of the royal commission and aligns with the DVSC's remit to examine systemic reform to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members. However, it should be acknowledged that the government's handling of the announcement itself was confused and poorly executed, which is incredibly troubling, given the sensitivity of the subject matter.

On 2 December, the minister, at the National Press Club, announced that there would be an inquiry. Later that same day, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs told the ABC that, in fact, no final decision had been made about how it would be conducted or, indeed, who would lead the inquiry. The minister stated that these decisions would be made after consultation on the terms of reference had been concluded. You have to ask yourself why he said that everything was sorted when it wasn't. Despite this, just over two weeks later on 19 December, the government announced that the DVSC would lead the inquiry, even though the consultation process remained ongoing. For an issue as serious and personal as military sexual violence, Let me tell you, attention to detail matters. Survivors, serving members and their families deserve clarity, consistency and confidence—particularly, confidence that the minister is across his brief. Announcing an inquiry, publicly conceding uncertainty about its structure and then pre-empting the outcome of consultation risks undermining confidence at the very moment that trust is most needed.

It is essential that this inquiry is appropriately resourced, that it allows serving members to remain anonymous and that it enables people to come forward without fear or hesitation. This inquiry is expected to commence by mid-2026, with the DVSC to publish a report of its findings. The coalition continues to stand ready to support the government in implementing the recommendations of the royal commission and will assess the outcomes of this inquiry once they are released.

I would just like to note, in light of this very sensitive subject matter, I think it is important that we do remind anyone who might be listening to this broadcast and who is affected by this issue about the help that is out there. Help is available through Lifeline on 131114 or through Open Arms on 1800011046.

The coalition will be moving an amendment to bring forward the timing of the first implementation review by the commissioner. Veterans and families were promised urgent reform, not delayed reporting. Independent oversight only works if it is timely and if it is visible. The amendment would require the first implementation assessment to be completed by no later than 30 September 2026. Earlier reporting ensures veterans, families and the parliament can see measurable progress, not just promises. If the government is confident in its reform program, it should welcome early independent assessment and should support the amendment. Our amendment strengthens transparency and reinforces accountability. It does not change the commissioner's independence or powers.

The coalition's objective is simple—reforms recommended by the royal commission must be implemented quickly and assessed openly. The opposition's commitment to veterans will remain unwavering. When in government, our minister for veterans' affairs was given cabinet status. Disappointingly, in the current Labor government, the responsible minister has not been. That is a clear indication of how Labor views veterans and their families. The coalition's track record on veterans' affairs speaks for itself. We will continue to support and advocate for veterans and their families because that is what those who serve their country deserve the most. The coalition will support this bill with our amendment. I thank the House.

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