Nicolette Boele (Bradfield, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

A few weeks ago, like many members of this parliament, I attended Anzac Day services across my community. I felt deeply honoured to attend these events. Each gathering was a moving tribute, from the dawn service in West Pymble to the early morning in Turramurra, both hosted by our wonderful local Scouts groups, right through to the Willoughby family and community service that was led by the Chatswood RSL and Willoughby Legion, and the Lions Club service in St Ives. These ceremonies bring together our community in shared remembrance and are an opportunity to reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of service men and women, with their stories brought vividly to life by thoughtful speakers who honoured their spirit of mateship and everyday humanism set against the profound realities of war.

These community events remind us that Anzac Day is not only about history; it's about the concrete service and sacrifice of people in our communities and the families who support them. When the last census was taken, in 2021, there were over 2,000 veterans in my electorate, and many of these service men and women were at these ceremonies across the North Shore last month.

Anzac Day is a reminder that we have a responsibility not just to recognise our veterans at least once a year but to ensure that they are properly recognised in our laws, in our institutions and in our society, even after the last post fades. But, too often, we fail in that respect. The bill before us today reflects that failure insofar as it stems from the work of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, a commission that was initiated because of the hardship faced by veterans across the country. But, at the same time, the bill represents a step forward, however incremental, towards achieving better outcomes for those veterans.

It's for this reason that I welcome and commend the Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 1) Bill 2026. The bill makes progress by putting into legislation a number of recommendations of the royal commission. The royal commission was established in 2021 after years of advocacy by veterans and their families and delivered its final report in 2024. It was unprecedented in terms of scope and devastating in what it revealed about the human cost of systemic failure. It rigorously examined systemic issues in Defence, veterans services and military culture and heard evidence from thousands of serving members, veterans, families and experts. They gave testimony often at enormous personal and emotional cost, reliving trauma and loss, because they believed telling the truth would lead to lasting change.

A few months ago, I met with a veteran from my community who had participated in the royal commission process. Alongside his mother, he shared his painful story with me, describing how his career spiralled after he disclosed his PTSD to his commanding officer. Rather than support him, his command challenged and disrespected his medical diagnosis, isolated him from his colleagues and friends and failed to assist him in finding useful employment outside active service. It's experiences such as these that have created the widespread sense of mistrust among the veteran community of the institutions that are supposed to be supporting them.

My constituents explain how years of poor leadership, opaque processes and inconsistent decision-making has taken a toll on veterans and their families. These systemic issues have long-lasting effects on veterans, destabilising careers and damaging mental health well after a return to civilian life. But, too often, there is little accountability for those in positions of authority. Above all, my constituents emphasise that veterans are not seeking special recognition, just dignity—just respect and fair treatment. Their key message to me was to not let the momentum of the royal commission slip away but to ensure its recommendations progress into practical, transparent and accountable implementation.

The royal commission demonstrated that suicide and suicidality amongst Defence members and veterans is not a result of individual weaknesses but of systemic failure and that preventing future harm requires sustained, comprehensive reform. To guide that reform, the royal commission made 122 recommendations in its final report, of which the government has agreed to 104. This bill seeks to implement five of them, focusing primarily on the military justice system. This is necessary reform, with the justice system identified by the royal commission as frequently compounding distress and elevating suicide risk, rather than alleviating it. Among the reforms introduced here are strengthened workplace protections during sexual misconduct investigations, amended sentencing procedures for serious violent and sexual offences and disclosures of service offences, and enhanced options to address mental health conditions within the military discipline system. The bill also streamlines tribunal procedures by requiring reasons for punishments, to strengthen sentencing transparency. Importantly, it removes outdated and stigmatised language from legislation, aligning terminology more closely with modern usage and understanding.

All these reforms matter, and, taken together, they represent a meaningful step in the right direction. But we must be honest with ourselves and with the veteran community. This bill responds to just five recommendations of the royal commission. There remain many more yet to be implemented. The royal commission was clear: suicide prevention in defence and veteran communities requires comprehensive and sustained reform. Families, including ageing parents and children who have lost a parent, physically or mentally continue to live with those consequences every day. Its recommendations were not abstract policy suggestions; they were a national undertaking, a promise that Australia would do better by those who served our nation and, in some cases, paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. That means implementing all the recommendations—not only those that are administratively convenient or legislatively straightforward but those that require deeper cultural change, genuine independence of oversight and real accountability for leadership failure.

The ongoing work of the newly established Defence and Veterans' Services Commission is critical in that respect. Just last week, the acting commissioner launched its independent inquiry into the progress on implementing the royal commission's recommendations. I'm looking forward to reviewing that report in February next year, when it's delivered. This responsibility stretches beyond the commission; it stretches to all of us. We all have a responsibility to ensure that veterans who are already out of active service, given meaningful work inside the defence and veterans community or leaving the service altogether are not forgotten and can, instead, live with dignity and fairness.

This bill is a welcome step forward. I support it, and I urge the government to continue its important work in this area with dedication and focus. But the work will continue until the full intent of the royal commission is realised, trust is rebuilt and veterans and their families can be confident that our institutions serve them with the same loyalty and integrity they showed in service to Australia. If we genuinely honour our veterans, we must honour that promise.

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