Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the fine men and women of the Australian Defence Force are brave enough to put their bodies and their lives on the line to keep us safe, the very least we should do is promise to protect them when their duty is done. But, right now, that promise is being broken in my electorate of Dawson. In the garrison city of Townsville, the Oasis stands as a lifeline, a home base for those who've worn the uniform and for their families, who have stood shoulder to shoulder with them. But, come early 2026, unless urgent and sustainable funding is secured, the Oasis will close its doors. And then what happens? It won't be just a building that shuts; it will be a lifeline that is severed. This is not just another local facility. The Oasis was ground zero for Operation Compass, the trial that shaped the nation's veterans and families hubs that we have today. It was built to give veterans a place to connect, to heal, to rebuild and to have a sense of belonging.

Belonging cannot be built on a short-term basis. It needs grants and community fundraising. It requires a commitment. It requires leadership, and it requires a government that honours the service of those who have given everything for our country. We don't need another inquiry to tell us why this matters. We know the statistics, and they are heartbreaking. Between 1997 and 2023, an average of three veterans died by suicide every fortnight. Ex-servicemen are 26 per cent more likely to die by suicide and ex-servicewomen are twice as likely. Suicide is the leading cause of death for ex-service men and women under 30. Those are not just statistics. That's a generation of promise. While those numbers should be enough to move mountains, the Oasis is left fighting for survival.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide handed the government a clear roadmap. Recommendation 86 called for sustainable funding for the 17 veterans hubs nationwide, and the government agreed, Yet, more than a year later, nothing has changed. I've written to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs urging immediate action. These veterans don't need more inquiries or promises. They need a lifeline. These men and women fought for our existence. The least we can do is fight for theirs. This government must honour the commitment that has already been made by implementing recommendations 86 in full, to deliver sustainable operational funding. When we stand with our veterans, we stand by the best of who Australians really are.