House debates

Tuesday, 30 July 2019

Questions without Notice

Veterans: Health and Wellbeing

2:42 pm

Photo of Nicolle FlintNicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel. Will the minister advise the House on the progress of the Morrison government's commitment to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our veterans and their families? Will the minister advise the House of the importance of these initiatives, particularly in the electorate of Boothby?

Photo of Darren ChesterDarren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for her question and also for her strong advocacy on behalf of the veterans not just in her own electorate of Boothby but right throughout South Australia and across Australia, particularly her focus on the revitalisation of the general hospital at Daw Park and the work that's been going on there.

I would like to congratulate the Morrison-McCormack government for the work it's doing in partnership with the South Australian state government to support an increase in health and aged-care services in the precinct. Our government is committed to putting veterans and their families first. This year's budget included $11.5 billion to support our veterans and our families across the nation. I must say that Australians have every right to be proud of the way our government and our community, in a bipartisan way, support our veterans and their families across the nation.

I want to stress that service in the Australian Defence Force, by and large, for the majority of individuals, is enormously positive. They learn great skills, problem-solving techniques, leadership and teamwork. So it's good for the individual. It's certainly good when those individuals return to their community and apply those skills in other walks of life and other aspects of their community activity. So it is good for the individual, good for the community and is obviously in the national security interest.

Many of the veterans that I meet—and some of them in this place—describe their service in the Australian Defence Force as the best years of their life. But there are some who are physically injured, some are wounded and some bear mental health scars. It is important that the government focuses on mental health wellbeing but also on suicide prevention. I'm sure that those opposite will join me in saying the only acceptable number of veteran suicides is zero, and we are working to achieve that. We announced during the election campaign six new veterans wellbeing centres, including in the member for Boothby's seat, and I look forward to seeing those roll out across the nation in the months and years ahead.

But I would say that I have a challenge today for those opposite and for those on this side of the House as well. We need to act in a very bipartisan way to dispel the myth that all our veterans are somehow broken, busted or bad. We need to work together on this national challenge, and I encourage those opposite to join me in that regard. If we want to see veterans gainfully employed in the community and we want businesses to understand that hiring a veteran is good for your business, we have to sell the positive story of military service across our nation. At the same time, though, we need to make sure that we provide services in a timely way, when our veterans need them.

So my message today to those veterans who may be listening or their families or their support people is: help is available. There is free mental health care available through the Open Arms counselling service, and I encourage those who may need help themselves or know of someone who needs help to please contact Open Arms on 1800011046. Finally, can I say on behalf of the parliament to all those who've served and all those who continue to serve today: thank you for your service.