Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To all those that continue to wear the uniform, our veterans and your families: the freedoms that we enjoy today are on the back of hard-fought battles, wars and sacrifice that you have made. Through natural disasters, peacekeeping and combat operations, our Defence Force members have served with honour and distinction. When they transition out, they expect to get looked after and to make sure that their government has the policies and the framework to make sure that they get the support that they need. But, tragically, we have seen far too many of our brave men and women succumb to their war within—served their nation proud but died by suicide. That is a national shame. It is something that we in parliament should never accept as being normal or a reality.

Our veterans, our Defence Force members, deserve the respect, the dignity and the support that they need. Establishing a national commissioner is a step in the right direction. The coalition called for and established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide because veterans and their families deserve truth, accountability and reform. We took that step recognising that too many families had been ignored for too long and that confidence in the system was broken. The royal commission confirmed what families and the ex-service community had been saying: there were systematic failures, and it required systematic oversight and structural reform. It made clear that lasting reform requires independent, system-wide oversight across the Defence and veteran ecosystem, not oversight embedded within departments.

One of its most significant recommendations was the creation of a permanent, independent statutory oversight body to drive reform and measure progress. These bills, the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025, are intended to give effect to that recommendation, and the coalition supports that objective. Independent oversight with real powers, public reporting and parliamentary accountability are essential if reform is going to be genuine, measurable and sustained. Oversight bodies without teeth do not drive change; they produce reports that gather dust.

Establishing the commission through standalone legislation is the right model, and it is the model the coalition argued for from the beginning. The government's original attempt to create the commission through a late amendment to unrelated legislation was rushed, poorly handled and lacked proper consultation with the parliament and the veteran community. A major structural reform body should never be created through a last-minute legislative insertion that undermines confidence and scrutiny and the importance of it. Parliament was asked to wave through a complex oversight body with limited visibility and limited stakeholder engagement. That is not how serious veteran policy should be made. The coalition supported the amended vets bill only to avoid delaying long-overdue compensation and rehabilitation reforms for veterans, not because we supported the government's process or structure. We made it clear at the time that the commission should be established through standalone legislation, entirely separate from defence and DVA, with stronger independence and guarantees.

We moved an amendment to ensure that a dedicated Senate inquiry could provide proper scrutiny of the commission model. That inquiry confirmed widespread stakeholder concern about independence, structure, powers, family inclusion and clarity on remit. Many of the improvements, including the true independence of this standalone bill, exist because of the scrutiny that was forced, not because they were built into the government's original design. During the Senate inquiry, stakeholders were clear that the commission must be genuinely independent from Defence and DVA, have clear authority and operate transparently, and this bill is stronger because of the contributions of those individuals and ex-service organisations.

The inquiry and information-gathering powers are appropriately strong because weak oversight powers produce weak oversight outcomes. Those powers are balanced with safeguards, warrants, procedural fairness and the rights of response, which ensures both effectiveness and fairness. Public reporting and mandatory tabling in parliament are critical. Oversight only works when findings are visible and cannot be buried inside agencies. Mandatory government responses within set timeframes matter. Recommendations must trigger action, not silence.

It is also important to put on the record that this is not a new idea from this government. The coalition introduced legislation to establish an independent national commissioner for defence and veteran suicide prevention back in 2020. My friend the member for Gippsland stood next to me and the then prime minister in the courtyard after meeting with families and ex-service organisations and announced this as a policy, as a bill, as something that we wanted to bring forward to make sure that we weren't going to be burying any more of our bravest, by having a strong, independent national commissioner who would investigate and shine a light into where the problems had been and to learn from it so we could make sure that our people were not dying by suicide.

The bill that we proposed was for an independent statutory oversight body with basically the same structural features that are now being implemented some six years later. Labor opposed that legislation at the time, and it was for political purposes. Their stated position then was that a royal commission was necessary first, but they then rejected an immediate independent oversight mechanism that could have begun driving reform and accountability years earlier. As a result, the establishment of an independent statutory oversight body was delayed. The delay matters because early independent oversight working alongside the royal commission could have accelerated system reform and earlier accountability across DVA and Defence.

The structure Labor is now implementing closely mirrors what the coalition proposed after having voted against it. It is fair to say that if the coalition's national commissioner model had been supported instead of opposed, independent oversight would already be mature and operating. The coalition will support this framework now because veterans and their families cannot afford further delay, but the history should be acknowledged. Labor put politics ahead of veteran wellbeing five years ago and is finally delivering on the commission. Later today, I'll be moving an amendment to this bill. I will speak to that later.

It is important to note that the national commissioner is not here to pull out every individual case. It is to look at the systemic problems and the failures, shine a light on them and make sure we learn from them. I'd really like the national commissioner to not have a job. I'd like that person to not have to review what the coroner has written, speak to people in Defence or speak to families who are heartbroken because their loved one has succumbed to their war within. We shouldn't have lost more people by suicide on Australian soil than we ever did in combat. It is not good enough, and it's a failure of consecutive governments—I don't care what colour shirt you wear.

I stood in the back corner during the pandemic, when we had to have a lectern; we weren't allowed to sit in our seats. I looked up to the gallery and saw mothers of those sons who have died by suicide holding their photos. I remember looking up and saying, 'I'm sorry.' I think every suicide that has happened since I've been elected means I've failed. We have failed. The families have this part of their heart ripped out. We argued, debated and didn't act in the best interests of these families. We were divided; it was politicised. I don't think any political party was immune to it being politicised. It was horrible. It didn't bring their loved ones back. It didn't make their hearts get filled with love again.

But we have an opportunity now to make sure that we're putting in legislation that is right. I don't want to bury any more of my friends. I don't want families to bury any more of their sons and daughters. I don't want wives and husbands burying their loved ones, children growing up without a parent, or mums and dads growing older without their children. That's not what I want to see. I think it's important that, whilst we debate this and highlight different areas, we do it with one thing in the front of our mind: we only sit in this place because of the brave, heroic actions of our Defence Force personnel, our veterans and their families. We owe it to them to make sure that we're doing everything we can to look after them and make sure we're doing everything we can to get them the help they need if they need it. Not all veterans are broken; some of us are. We're veterans, not victims. We want a hand up, not a handout. But the parliament's job is to make sure that veterans can get the support that they need.

I want to again thank the member for Gippsland. It wasn't an easy time when we were talking about the national commissioner, the royal commission, a global pandemic and everything that was happening. I remember having a long chat with him about what's right. It's very easy to get caught up in the political turmoils and what your political party, the government or the opposition are doing, but it's right to stand up and say: 'Do you know what? This is long overdue. It needs to happen.' We need to be sitting with the families without saying, 'This is what you get.' We're asking them what they need, because we failed them.

Ali France (Dickson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on these important bills, the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025, and to support the work of the member for Herbert, all the members of this parliament who have done their duty in service to our nation and everybody who has done their duty in service to our nation in the defence forces. Public service in all its forms is a noble calling, but to be prepared to risk and sacrifice one's own personal, physical and mental wellbeing for the task of defending our nation is one of the most noble things anybody can pursue. The response must be that our nation must back those people who are prepared to take risks to back themselves, and stand up for those who can't fulfil that service in pursuit of defence of our country and, of course, the broader environment of peace and security around the world.

That's the basis on which we always supported a royal commission into defence and veteran suicide and ongoing support for defence and veterans services, with their need for ongoing support and assistance. We know that, tragically, as a consequence of the royal commission, so many men and women who have served this nation honourably and in a decent way continue to endure the consequences of conflict and the risks that lead to a significant reduction in quality of life after their term of service.

These bills are important because they're about acknowledging our responsibility to our veterans. They're about acknowledging the responsibility this nation has to those people who are prepared to make a sacrifice in pursuit of our national interest. I know the member for Herbert has already given a stirring speech. When I go to the RSLs in the Goldstein electorate, this topic of what support we're providing for our veterans continues to come through. A lot of the RSLs in my electorate were established at a time after the Second World War, and, as a consequence, a lot of the veterans that now visit those RSLs are from more recent conflicts, and World War II veterans tend to be lesser in number in comparison to years past. But that doesn't mean the community doesn't have an enduring concern about their health and wellbeing, whether they're in the community or elsewhere.

The overwhelming majority of Australians fundamentally understand the debt and the burden this nation owes those people who wear the uniform in defence of our country, and they want to see agencies and entities exist to support them. We have the DVA, but making sure we have the Defence and Veterans Service Commissioner is an important part of that because we want to address the deep problems of PTSD, mental health and wellbeing, stopping suicide so that service in our nation doesn't become a pathway to a reduction in quality and standard of living.

We know that there's a lot of work to be done. It's an enduring responsibility. It is going to be one that is not going to be solved with a flick of a switch. It's going to be from a nation that commits to invest in their veterans to provide pathways. I know that there is already a lot of work that is done in this space. Many years ago I went and saw the St Kilda Football Club, which at the time was not in my electorate but now actually is in my electorate due to a redistribution by the AEC. They highlighted that a lot of the challenges that veterans have once they cease their service is equivalent to the sense of identity and place that footballers have. That's their commentary, not mine. But I can see what it means—where your identity and your sense of purpose in life is melded and what happens when that sense of purpose is taken away. It's not the only profession, of course. They were looking at the parallels and overlaps between the two, whether there were things they could learn from the ADF and equally whether there were things they could do to support the ADF in their important work and to support people after they finish. Identity, place and purpose, which are connected, once removed raise deep issues for many people about where they fit in the world and the role they play, particularly if they have the consequences of conflict lived out in their memories. That can significantly impact their mental health and wellbeing.

This bill to me is a fundamental proposition about how we show, honour and respect our veterans and how there is nearly no end to the responsibility we share to invest in our veterans so they can live out the best of their healthy lives. For those people who make that sacrifice and are prepared to wear the uniform and defend our nation, what we should want at the end of their service is not just to provide them with the support they need to move on from their service. Of course, in many cases, we want them to continue to act as reservists continuing to support the ADF. But we should also want those who cease their service to go on and live healthy and productive lives. By 'healthy and productive lives' we don't mean just keeping them alive; we mean healthy and productive lives where they form families and live out what they deserve as a consequence of their service. It's what they fought or enlisted for. I'm very happy to be supporting the principles of this process and this legislation, because I think it goes right to the heart of the responsibility, particularly of those who have not worn a uniform, to those who are prepared to step up and do so.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak in support of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025, a bill that goes to the very heart of our responsibility to those who have served our nation and to the families who serve alongside them. Before I turn to the technical provisions of the bill, I want to begin somewhere very human and very local for me. My electorate of Paterson is home to Australia's premier F-35 base at Williamtown. It is also home to the Wedgetail, which has provided such incredible capability in places like Ukraine in recent times. Around 5,000 people not dissimilar to those in this building work on that base each and every day. I could not be prouder to represent those people both serving and who have served there in the past.

It is a popular posting, I have to say. In fact, many people come back to Port Stephens and our local area because of their time at the Williamtown base. It is a beautiful area, and they love it, and they bring their families back. One of the most powerful examples of community led support for veterans can be found on the beautiful waterways of Port Stephens. Invictus Australia works closely with the Port Stephens Dragon Boat Club. It brings together veterans, current serving Defence family members and members of the wider local community in a way that is inclusive, practical, deeply meaningful and can make those shoulder muscles burn. This is not just about sport; it is about belonging, it is about connection, and it is about shared experience and mutual support. Members of this club speak openly about the joy of being out on the water, about the camaraderie that develops stroke by stroke and about how being part of a team again has profound benefits for their overall health and wellbeing. For many, it provides a sense of purpose and identity during those times when they can feel lost post service. For families, it offers understanding, solidarity and reassurance that they're not walking the path alone. It is genuinely incredible to see the effect that local Invictus initiatives like this have in supporting our communities. They remind us that recovery, resilience and wellbeing are not abstract concepts. They are lived experiences shaped by the systems we build and the support that we choose to provide, and it is precisely because of those lived experiences that this bill matters.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was one of the most significant and confronting inquiries ever undertaken in this country. Its findings were sobering, its recommendations were clear, and it deemed recommendation 122—the establishment of a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the entire defence ecosystem—as its most important recommendation. The language was not used lightly. The royal commission recognised that without sustained, independent oversight meaningful system reform would not occur, and what does 'meaningful system of oversight and reform' mean? It means that we save more Australian lives and that we make the quality of our veterans lives better. That's what that really means.

Fragmented responsibility, short-term initiatives and the lack of accountability had contributed to devastating outcomes for serving and ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force. I want to take a moment to remember Julie-Ann Finney. I'm sure those of us who've been in this place long enough will remember her campaigning particularly hard. She had endured the dreadful loss, which no parent should have to endure, of her child taking their life—her son David. She fought absolutely doggedly to ensure that there was a royal commission and that her son's life had real meaning, and I pay testimony to her today.

In acknowledgement of the significance and urgency of recommendation 122, the Albanese Labor government acted. In February 2025, it legislated the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, and I am proud to say that it has been up and running since the end of September last year. But today's bill is about strengthening that foundation. The role of this new statutory entity is clear: provide independent oversight and evidence based advice to drive system reform with the explicit aim of improving suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for defence and veteran communities.

We put so much effort—and money, to be frank—into training our defence personnel, and they deserve the best training. Therefore, it is imperative that we continue to support them. It is one thing to train people, but it is another to look after them, to not break them in the first place and then to look after them once they have served our nation. It's something that I feel very passionate about. We talk about recruitment and we put a lot of effort into recruitment, but we've also got a concentrate on retention. In retaining our people, their wellbeing is an important thing, and, when they do finish their service, we must care for them and put in place things like this commission to ensure that it is meaningful.

The commission will have a dedicated and sustained focus on suicide prevention. That is imperative. It will ensure that agencies responsible for implementing the royal commission's recommendations are not only encouraged but required in order to deliver long-term change. It will drive the systemic reforms needed to reduce rates of suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members. For that work to be credible and for it to be trusted by defence and, importantly, the veteran community the commission must have genuine independence. It must have clear functions and it must have the powers necessary to do its job effectively, and that is what this bill seeks to deliver.

The Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill builds on work already undertaken by this parliament earlier this year, when schedule 9 of the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill was brought in and subsequently examined through a Senate inquiry. That inquiry was thorough. It received submissions from veterans, their families, advocacy organisations, experts and stakeholders across the defence ecosystem. It was a thorough investigation. The evidence presented was thoughtful, at times challenging and always grounded in lived experience—often very painful lived experience. Importantly, our government listened, and not only did we listen but we acted. The submissions, the evidence and the committee's report have directly informed and shaped the development of this bill, which implements several key recommendations.

First, the establishment of standalone legislation for the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission is critical. Standalone legislation reinforces the independence of the commission and reflects its unique role in overseeing system-wide reform. Independence isn't symbolic; it is foundational for the credibility and authority of the commissioner's work.

Second, the bill ensures that the commission's functions explicitly include reference to veterans' families. This is something we have heard time and time again. I am joined by some of my colleagues, and indeed you, Deputy Speaker Freelander—we were all elected in 2016. One of the first things I did was engage with my veterans community and my defence personnel community, and they were at pains to tell me that their families were pivotal in their lives. That's where this piece of legislation is important. For the first time, we're recognising families. We know the important role they play. They are the additional defence force of our country, and I thank them for their support of our serving personnel and our veterans. The Albanese government is pleased that through this legislation we are formally recognising them.

Third, the commission's function and powers have been reviewed and strengthened. Proposed amendments arising from the inquiry process have been adopted. We listened when there were changes that needed to be made to ensure the commission could operate effectively, without obstruction. This bill further strengthens independence by ensuring the commissioner is appointed by the Governor-General, following a merit-based public recruitment process. This transparency reinforces confidence in the role and ensures appointments are based on capability, integrity and experience. The commissioner's role is an incredibly important role in our country. The bill also strengthens the commissioner's power to ensure accountability. It enhances the ability to access necessary information, and it removes barriers that could otherwise limit the effectiveness of inquiries or, importantly, oversight.

In addition, the bill expands the scope of witness protection. This is a crucial reform. People must feel safe to provide information to the commissioner, without fear of reprisals and without blowback. Protecting those who come forward is essential. If we are serious about uncovering systemic issues and driving genuine reform, this is pivotal.

Transparency is another key pillar of this legislation. The bill improves the transparency of the commissioner's work, ensuring accountability not only for those subject to its oversight but for the commission itself. This includes statutory deadlines for the completion of two major inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of the government's response to the royal commission's recommendations. Those deadlines—2 December 2027 and 2 December 2030—align with the third and sixth anniversaries of the government's response and ensure progress is measured, visible and sustained over time. If you can't measure it, you can't find out whether you're doing the best, so I'm pleased that those dates are locked in. These timeframes recognise that system reform is complex and ongoing, and they also make clear that delay and inaction are not acceptable to this government. At its core, this bill reflects a government that has listened to feedback from stakeholders—who are often family—and taken action.

The changes before the House today ensure the commissioner has the tools necessary to drive system reform and improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and former serving Australian Defence Force members. This legislation will ensure agencies are held accountable to consider and respond to the commissioner's recommendations, and the enduring nature of the commission will ensure that the voices of veterans and their families continue to be heard after the headlines fade. Systemic issues that contribute to suicide in our veteran community cannot be addressed through one-off responses or short-term commitments. They require sustained attention, independent oversight and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. This bill delivers exactly that.

For the veterans paddling together in Port Stephens, for the families supporting them and for every serving and ex-serving member of the Australian Defence Force, who deserve a system that works for them, this legislation matters. I commend the bill to the House.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like the member for Paterson, who has just finished her contribution—a good one at that—I too acknowledge Julie-Ann Finney and her role in supporting not just her son's legacy but indeed veterans per se. I acknowledge the veteran serving members in the chamber at the moment and thank them for their service: the member for Solomon and the member for Herbert—the shadow minister at the table—who went through Kapooka, Blamey Barracks, 1st Recruit Training Battalion at Wagga Wagga in 2006, when Simone Wilkie was the first female commandant at that important and strategic training centre. As all politics is local, I acknowledge the role that Kapooka has in turning out the best and the bravest, of whom the member for Herbert was one. I acknowledge he went on to serve at Singleton, 1RAR out of Townsville, and East Timor, appreciating and recognising the fact that the Prime Minister has just made a successful diplomatic visit there, and I acknowledge the role the member for Herbert played in Afghanistan and his tours of duty there.

It's not easy being a veteran, and we need to acknowledge that not all veterans are broken, but, for those who are, we need to be there for them, because we, as a parliament, send them to do their duty for and on our behalf. We, as a parliament, send them into harm's way, and many of them feel the lasting lifelong effects of their service once they hang that uniform up. Given the fact that we do send them into conflict, into battle, and put their lives on the line on the front line, we need to be there for them if they do need that support, and, at some stage or other, they will all need our support. I would urge and encourage any veteran to absolutely make sure that they use all of the services that are available to them. I know that the Department of Veterans' Affairs, for some veterans, is a bit of a trigger, but there are very, very good people in DVA—there are—and they are there to provide you with the wraparound support that you need as a veteran.

I also, given the fact that, as I say, all politics is local—and this is political—I want to acknowledge the role that Bob and Gladys Bak play at Bethungra Integrated Servicepeople's Association and the role that Jacqui Vincent and her colleagues play at Cootamundra. The drop-in centre in the main street, Parker Street, of that town is important. In Wagga Wagga, where there are many veterans, given the fact that we have Kapooka, RAAF Wagga in Forest Hill, where air power starts—it says so on one of the Royal Australian Air Force hangars—and a Navy base, would you believe. It's a long, long way from the nearest drop of seawater, but we have a naval presence of 80 or so personnel operating out of Forest Hill, operating in close quarters and in conjunction with those at Kapooka and the nearby RAAF. The veterans avail themselves of the services at Pro Patria in Ashmont, as well as the service provided in the main street, Baylis Street, at the drop-in veterans centre run by the Returned Services League. Every week, just about, we have a commemoration—a service, an event, a marker, a milestone—in the Victory Memorial Gardens, which are also in the main street. It is very much a garrison town.

The Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 follows on from the harmonisation that the government is doing with superannuation payments for veterans, and that is a good thing too. It is. For years we have endeavoured to integrate and harmonise MRCA and DRCA and the other various provisions for veterans. It's a big log of work. DVA, of course, are very heavily involved with ministers for veterans' affairs, the defence minister, the government and the opposition. We work as a whole. When it comes to bipartisanship, we need as much as possible to be as one for our veterans, because our veterans deserve no less.

The coalition established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, because veterans and their families deserved truth, they deserved systemic reform and they deserved accountability. There were 122 recommendations from that royal commission. It conducted its eighth hearing block at Mercure Wagga Wagga from 28 November 2022 to 1 December that year and heard some harrowing evidence, sombre evidence, evidence from veterans that needed and demanded an urgent response. But it wasn't just at Wagga Wagga, of course; it was at every hearing the royal commission conducted. We took that step of making sure that royal commission was available to hear from veterans because we knew that too many families had been ignored for too long and confidence in the system for some—not all, but for some—had broken down, and that was indeed unfortunate.

The royal commission confirmed what many, including the Julie-Ann Finneys of the world, had known all along: the ex-service community had been saying that systemic failure was affecting veterans and the services available to them and that we needed to do better as a government, as a parliament and as a nation. It made clear that lasting reform requires independent, system-wide oversight across the veterans and defence ecosystem, not oversight simply and merely and solely embedded with departments. Our departments are very good. Our public servants are exceptional. We should acknowledge that. I do recognise that. But we can always be better. We can always make improvements, and we can always review the performance of what we do as a parliament, the legislation that is in place and the effects that our departments and the law have. And not just the law but indeed such things as the payments, welfare services and health outcomes—all of that, for veterans, prevails across the sector.

One of the most significant recommendations was the creation of a permanent, independent statutory oversight body to drive reform and measure progress. When I was the veterans' affairs minister, for not a very long period between 2017 and 2018, the legislation for veteran-centric reform went into and through the parliament. I'll call that an important first step, because it acknowledged the fact that the lens of veterans had to be placed over every piece of legislation, because our veterans are embedded in all sectors and all areas of endeavour right across society, right across the economy. These bills are intended to give effect to the recommendation of creating that independent, permanent statutory oversight body, and the coalition supports that objective. Oversight bodies without the muscle or the teeth do not drive change. They produce reports, which, unfortunately, gather in in-trays on departmental desks and gather dust. That's not what this is about. That's not what this should be about. I acknowledge the role that the government is playing to endeavour to ensure that that doesn't occur.

Establishing the commission through standalone legislation is the right model, and it's the model that the coalition argued for from the very outset. The government's original attempt to create the commission through a late amendment to unrelated legislation, I have to say, wasn't well done. It was poorly handled. It lacked the proper consultation. One thing I would really urge and encourage this government not to do is rush legislation through this House in haste, because haste leads to poor outcomes. Unfortunately, we have seen that this year already, with the extraordinary sittings of the parliament in January.

The thing is: I know the government has a legislative agenda. I appreciate the government has a huge majority in the House of Representatives. That's the people's wish, and I understand that; I acknowledge that. But don't use that majority to push through legislation, because legislation needs to be debated. Legislation needs to have proper consultation with the stakeholders who will feel its effects the most. Proper consultation through peak groups—and others—is really important because it enables the parliament to get lawmaking right. We have an obligation and a responsibility to the people of Australia to get lawmaking right. We do. I do fear that there is a growing trend that this government is abusing its huge majority in the House of Representatives to push its agenda through. Take the time. Be patient. Be practical; be pragmatic. Make sure that you do that on any piece of legislation—on this and others.

That's why we, from the very beginning of this piece of legislation, urged and encouraged the government to do the work to get it right. Our veterans deserve that bare minimum. They deserve everything that we can do for them. We need to make sure, particularly with veterans legislation, that we don't rush the process—that we don't put it through parliament in record time. A major structural reform body should never be created through a last-minute legislative insertion. It undermines the confidence of sectors in the system, in the people elected to do the job on their behalf. Our veterans do look to us for support, and it must come from both sides.

Parliament was asked to wade through a complex oversight body with very limited visibility and limited stakeholder engagement, and that is not how serious veterans policy should be made. It is not. So I would urge and encourage that we ensure we take the time with this commission and with this bill. I know it will pass this place; it's got the support of the coalition. But we also need to ensure that, if there are any fine-tuning legislative measures that may happen in the house of review, in the Senate, in the upper house, then there's the time taken to do that as well.

Establishing this commission will very much have a flow-on effect throughout our veteran community—certainly in Wagga Wagga, which, as I said, is a triservice military city. It is one of those cities that take our veterans very seriously. It is one of those cities that take our current serving personnel very seriously and ensures that they are welcomed and very much part and parcel of our community—indeed, not just those who are currently wearing a uniform but their partners, their families, their children. I know that providing access to child care, to health services and to all of that—the full gamut—is so very important. Particularly for our veterans, ensuing that the provision of mental health services, welfare and support is there is a crucial part of understanding what our veterans are going through and what they need and ensuring that they can continue to contribute mightily to our nation.

Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide delivered its final report in September the year before last, it contained 122 recommendations. Recommendation 122, the very last recommendation—last but definitely not least—was that the government establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole Defence ecosystem. According to the royal commission, this was its most important recommendation. It went on to say that this recommendation would underpin all the other 121 recommendations that had been made and that it was the most significant action the Australian government could take to address Defence and veteran suicide.

We acknowledged the urgency and significance of the recommendation, and in February 2025 the Albanese Labor government legislated the creation of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission. It's been up and running since the end of September, and this legislation, the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025, builds on that early work to have it up and running as a matter of urgency. For people in my electorate of Macquarie, many of whom have families working at RAAF Base Richmond or RAAF Base Glenbrook or are connected to the Defence Force in many, many other ways, knowing that something was happening was really important.

The role of this new statutory oversight entity really is to provide independent oversight and evidence based advice so that the system can be reformed to improve suicide prevention and improve wellbeing outcomes for the Defence and veteran community. The commission has a dedicated and sustained focus on suicide prevention, as it should, having come out of that gut-wrenching royal commission. The establishment and the framework will ensure agencies implementing royal commission recommendations will be held to account by promoting long-term change and driving the changes that are needed to reduce the rates of suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members.

There are a lot of things that have to happen to make sure this is effective, and one of them is that the commission must have independence. It has to have the functions and powers necessary to meet its objectives. Most importantly, it has to be able to maintain the trust of the veteran and Defence community. This bill delivers on the full implementation of these things by enshrining the legislative establishment of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner and the Defence and Veterans' Service commission into its own standalone legislation, as was always intended.

I note that the previous speaker from the opposition talked about things being rushed. Well, let's look at the work that has been done to get us to this point. The Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill builds on the work that was undertaken by the parliament when schedule 9 of the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025 was passed and a Senate inquiry was undertaken. The submissions, the evidence and the committee's report have informed the development of this bill, and it's led to the implementing of a whole range of recommendations that they had. That's why we now have standalone legislation for the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, which reflects its independence.

I think it's really important for people to be aware that the commissioner also has a role in recognising veterans' and Defence members' families. There is no doubt that families of veterans and Defence members play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of those who are serving or have served. They also face some unique challenges themselves, whether it's the moving from location to location or whether it's the fact that the hours and the operational requirements that their family member has mean that they're not always at home when they might want them to be. The whole lifestyle of being in a Defence family is a very different thing from what the average family experiences. So we're really pleased that, through this legislation, we're able to acknowledge the significance of veteran families.

Under this legislation, the commission functions and powers have been reviewed, and there have been a bunch of amendments adopted. I'm very satisfied that this has been done at a pace that allowed for sufficient input from all the stakeholders who are important—most importantly from veterans and Defence personnel and their families.

The bill strengthens the independence of the commissioner by ensuring the role is appointed by the Governor-General after a merit based and public recruitment process. The bill strengthens the commissioner's powers in ensuring accountability and accessing necessary information. The bill also expands the scope of witness protection to ensure that a person is protected in providing information to an inquiry by the commissioner. That's a very important improvement. The bill improves the transparency of the work of the commission to ensure accountability for the commission itself and those who are subject to its oversight. It is not unexpected but very important that we have in this legislation the requirement that the commission will be publicly reporting on the government's progress on implementing the government response to the recommendations of the royal commission on the third and sixth anniversaries of the government's first response—that will be in 2027 and 2030. That public reporting will ensure that anybody will be able to measure it against what was set out to be achieved.

In preparing for this bill, the government has listened to feedback from stakeholders and taken action on it. It's one thing to listen; it's another to act, and that's what this bill does, so that the commissioner has the tools necessary to ensure the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission can drive system reform, because we do need to see an improvement in suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members.

This legislation is one of the steps that we're taking. It was recommendation 122, one of the most important things to do. But we've already seen improvements happening on the ground that go to the objectives of this legislation in my own community, where, as I say, we have the Richmond and Glenbrook RAAF bases, which have been there for a long time. The new Hawkesbury Veteran and Family Hub is part of ensuring that there is an easy point of access for current serving personnel and their families and for veteran personnel and their families. I'm very pleased to be attending an open day tomorrow—sorry, Friday. I'm a day ahead of myself—wishful thinking! I will be back in my electorate on Friday attending the open day for the Hawkesbury Veteran and Family Hub to really showcase the work that has already been done in a temporary location, underneath the Windsor RSL, while there is work being done for the permanent home of the Hawkesbury Veteran and Family Hub. I congratulate Brett and his team on the work they're doing in this interim period, and I also congratulate all of those working to restore the historic former Richmond Court House, which is right in the heart of historic Richmond. It's a building that has not been used and has had no purpose for many years but will come to life to provide a hub and support for the many veterans and defence personnel and their family in the Hawkesbury.

When it's complete, around 20,000 veterans and families who live in the Hawkesbury—and then it will be linked to one in south-west Sydney—will be able to access tailored support close to where they are. What we've seen from the hubs really speaks to the piece in this legislation that is focusing on the recognition of mental health and wellbeing as being fundamental. The hubs offer better access to support, resources and services all in one location and—in some ways, more importantly—provide an opportunity for that social and community connection. I'm very excited to see it evolve, and, of course, I can't wait for the beautiful renovation to be complete.

At another part of the electorate, the same issues that this bill is seeking to address are being tackled in a different way, and that is through Taskforce Veteran, formerly known as the Hunter Anzac Memorial Limited, who have been working on the properties at Scheyville. They're working on historic veterans' housing—it has been a veterans' and migrants' centre at different times—and, thanks to a $5 million federal grant, are transforming dilapidated buildings into something really special. I particularly want to mention the key person who has driven this: Brett Wild. I want to wish him all the best, because he has suffered a stroke and is in hospital.

I really want to see him continuing the fantastic work he's done at Scheyville. All our thoughts are with Brett. He has an amazing committee who are continuing the work in his absence. The Scheyville National Park transformation means that a very dilapidated part of our community is now alive with activities and has such a bright future thanks to the very caring work that has been done, and it's been done with the work of local tradies and builders. I know Allscope Constructions had a very large hand in it, and I suspect they were very generous with the rates that they charged to do this important work. These are the sorts of things that are already happening on the ground to ensure that veterans and their families have places they can turn to so they don't feel isolated.

My experience of being a member of the Defence liaison program, spending time in Iraq in Camp Taji and spending time at Amberley in Queensland, has shown me how tight the defence family is and what a big wrench it must be when you leave that defence family, particularly when it may be driven by a health reason and not necessarily the natural timing that you might have chosen. I've talked to many veterans who tell me that stepping away from Defence is one of the most scary things that they've done, and we hope that the veterans' hubs create a sense of place for people so that they can feel welcome in those places.

As well as being so pleased to see this legislation as a key part of it, I've also been very pleased to see the work that we have been doing to improve veteran wellbeing outcomes. That includes the latest commitment in the announcement we've made around how veterans health is treated. We've often focused on reactive treatment. When something goes wrong, it gets treated. But, consistent with the findings of the royal commission, DVA will now have a greater focus on early intervention and prevention, working really closely with the Department of Defence to identify risks earlier and act sooner. The announcement this week around these improvements will make a real difference to people's lives.

It includes using insights from the claims decision-making to support Defence's proactive approaches and making it easier for veterans to access treatment and rehab early. I want to let veterans know we are taking action against bad actors who have been seeking to take advantage of the improvements in government service delivery and who have been putting in false claims for veterans health. Veterans should know that they can come directly to the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Claims are being processed promptly, there are independent processes in place and the integrity of that system is much improved in the changes we've made. We will stop medical practitioners and unscrupulous people from exploiting these veterans.

Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our veterans matter. This seems obvious, but it is a fact too often forgotten here as the years progress and the memories of war fade. These bills before the House, the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025, are about setting up a permanent independent watchdog to look after our veterans—and what's more important than that? The coalition supports this objective wholeheartedly, and I support it. Veterans have fought for us so we can live in the best country in the world, and some have given the ultimate sacrifice for that.

But we have to be honest about the history, and we must be honest about who has truly stood up for veterans when it mattered. It was a Liberal-National government that established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. We did it because it was right. We established it because veterans and their families deserved the truth. They deserved accountability. They deserved to know why their system was failing them. We took that step because we recognised a hard truth: too many families had been ignored for too long. Confidence in the system had broken down. We listened to the mothers, the fathers, the partners and the children who had lost their loved ones.

The system was indeed broken, and the royal commission confirmed exactly what those families had been saying. It made clear that if we want lasting reform, if we want to stop these tragedies from happening, we cannot trust departments to mark their own homework. We need independent, system-wide oversight. We need eyes on the problem that are outside of the bubble that is this God-awful Canberra bureaucracy. One of the most significant recommendations from the royal commission was the creation of a permanent independent statutory oversight body—a body to drive reform. That is what these bills intend to do, and that is why the coalition supports them.

However, it is important to put something on the record. This idea of an independent oversight body is not an invention of the Labor Party. In fact, the coalition introduced legislation to establish an independent national commissioner for defence and veteran suicide prevention back in 2020, five years ago. That bill proposed an independent statutory oversight body with basically the same features Labor is implementing today. And what did Labor do in 2020? They opposed that bill. Because of Labor's political games, the establishment of the body was delayed—and that delay matters. It matters because early independent oversight, working alongside the royal commission, could have accelerated system reform. It could have brought earlier accountability to Defence and the DVA. The structure Labor is now implementing closely mirrors what the coalition proposed at the very same time Labor voted against that bill. The coalition will support this framework because veterans and families cannot afford any further delay, but the history should be acknowledged: Labor put politics ahead of veterans' wellbeing five years ago.

While we are debating how to best support our veterans and secure their future, we must look at what Labor is doing to our strategically important Defence assets across Australia. It's important to me because in my electorate of Grey we have three Defence assets: the proof range south of Port Wakefield; the Army base at Cultana; and Woomera, a significant asset to our Western alliances over the past 100 years. We've learned this week that the Albanese Labor government is planning a fire sale of more than 60 Defence properties. They are planning to sell off historic sites like the Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. They want to sell HMAS Penguin. They want to sell RAAF Base Point Cook. The shadow minister for defence, the member for Hume, has rightly called it what it is, a fire sale. We are currently facing the most dangerous strategic environment in generations. The world is less safe today than it was yesterday. And what is Labor's response? To sell off the assets that support the recruitment, training and retention of ADF personnel.

The RSLs have spoken out, and we should listen to them. RSL National President Peter Tinley puts it perfectly. He said:

But these aren't empty paddocks on a spreadsheet …

He is right. These are places of history. These are places of heritage. These are places that matter to the veterans who marched on those parade grounds. There are 30 RSLs in the electorate of Grey, and they have such an important role for our community. I'd like to give a special shout-out to the RSLs in Port Lincoln, Coober Pedy, Cummins, Port Augusta and Port Pirie for welcoming me into their communities. I'd like to give a special shout-out to the Port Augusta RSL, who, at Anzac Day last year, offered me the first gunfire breakfast. If you don't know what a gunfire breakfast is, it's at 8 am and you have milk and rum—a good way to start the day!

Labor want to sell off the assets that support the recruitment, training and retention of our ADF personnel. They claim that this will raise billions of dollars, but the RSLs have warned that remediation and cleaning up these sites could also cost a fortune, and it could take a decade. We have seen this movie before. We saw failed divestment processes at North Head in Sydney and Portsea in Victoria. We urge the government: do not repeat these mistakes.

The New South Wales Premier is worried about the heritage of Victoria Barracks, the Greens want to turn our military history into housing blocks and the Minister for Defence seems to think that this is only about 'value for money'. Strategic assets are not just about money; they are about capability and they are about history. To sell off these sites without proper scrutiny, without a clear plan and potentially just to plug a hole in the budget or to cover for the government's failures on housing is short-sighted. It is risky. As the RSL said, the headline figure on the sale might look very different when the final accounting is done. The coalition stands with the veterans who are worried about their heritage being sold to the highest bidder, we stand with the communities who want these sites protected, and we stand against a fire sale that treats a national security asset, our national security estate, like a garage sale.

Finally, I want to address the broader context of support for our veterans. We often hear criticism from those opposite, but let's look at the record. When the Liberal-National coalition was in government, the portfolio of veterans' affairs was given cabinet status. That is a clear indication of respect. It shows that veterans' issues were at the heart of government decision-making. The coalition also delivered more than $11 billion every year in support for veterans and their families. We introduced and passed the Australian Veterans' Recognition (Putting Veterans and Their Families First) Act 2019. We created the veterans' covenant, the veteran card and the lapel pin. We ensured that there was proper national recognition for service and, indeed, sacrifice. We made sure that business and the community could say thank you in a practical way. We provided free non-liability mental health care—this was a game changer. We said that, for any veteran who completed at least one day of full-time service, mental health care was free. We removed the barriers. We didn't ask for paperwork first; we offered help.

We expanded and modernised Open Arms—Veterans & Families Counselling. We made sure it was fit for purpose and accessible for everyone who needed it. We initiated the Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program. Veterans lives have been saved by these dogs. This program is now supporting hundreds of veterans across Australia with tailored, life-changing therapy dogs, and this was a coalition initiative. We established the Prime Minister's Veterans' Employment Award to celebrate employers who hire veterans. We helped ADF personnel transition into civilian careers. We launched the Veteran Wellbeing Centre Program, which put bricks and mortar into communities.

We delivered support hubs in Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Albury-Wodonga, Nowra, Tasmania, South-East Queensland and Townsville. They are places where veterans can go for help, to meet mates and to find support. We created the role of the veterans family advocate. We ensured that the voices of families, often the unsung heroes of service, were heard in every major political decision. We committed $500 million to the Australian War Memorial redevelopment, and what an amazing asset it is. It's so important that younger people can come to the nation's capital and understand the history of what the Aussie diggers did for the beautiful, prosperous society that we have today. We ensured that the stories of contemporary veterans, our modern diggers, are told with the same respect and visibility as the Anzacs of old.

We established the Joint Transition Authority to hold Defence accountable. We delivered provisional access to medical treatment so veterans didn't have to wait for claims to be assessed before seeing a doctor. We increased fees for health professionals to keep doctors in the system. We boosted staffing at DVA to speed up claims and we even added a question in the census to track the number of veterans in Australia, so we finally know where our veterans are and what they need. That is a record to be proud of. It is a record of action, not just words. The coalition stands with our veterans. We stand with their families. We will continue to fight for a system that is transparent, fair and respectful of the service and sacrifice of every Australian who has worn that uniform.

Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nestled in the heart of Moonee Ponds stands the Menin barracks, which is home to the 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment Delta Company. It remains an active Army Reserve base, but it is also a living monument to my community's proud military history. It has a lineage that stretches back to the original AIF and the battlefields of Gallipoli. Last year, to welcome their surrounding neighbours and the broader Moonee Valley community, Delta Company held an open day. Major Braden Holmes walked me through the stations, the machinery and the kit. It was all very impressive. But it wasn't the equipment that stayed with me; it was the people. I met young, enthusiastic cadets. I met men and women who live, work and are raising their families in Maribyrnong and who have made the selfless decision to serve their nation. Major Holmes and I spoke about the unique culture of the Delta Company and how those barracks have served our community for generations.

Our community's connection to Australia's military history runs deep. We see it in the legacy of Essendon airport, which served as a vital defence gateway during World War II. We see it in the names of our streets. In fact, 10 streets in the City of Moonee Valley are named in honour of Australian military heroes. We see it in our three local RSL sub-branches, which carry the legacy forward every single day. But our duty to those who serve is not just about preserving their brave and historic contributions; it is about how we protect the lives of the people who put their hand up to protect us—people like those who I met at Menin Barracks and at remembrance services across my electorate. No veteran and no veteran's family should ever have to fight their hardest battle alone. The Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 is how we honour that promise.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was a long, painful but necessary reckoning. It held a mirror up to our nation's soul and revealed a depth of service that was often followed by depth of neglect. The final report contained 122 points of action, but the commissioners were explicit—recommendation 122 was the most important. It was the cornerstone upon which every other reform would depend. They called for a new permanent statutory entity to oversee system reform across the entire Defence ecosystem, not another internal committee, not a body that answers to the very departments it is meant to scrutinise. They called for independent oversight with one sole purpose—to ensure that the systemic failures that led to suicide were identified, challenged and permanently fixed.

The commission recognised that too many had known for too long that suicide in the veteran community was not an isolated clinical issue; it was a systemic one—a product of culture, policy and institutional friction. To address it, we need an entity that exists outside the chain of command, with the longevity to outlast political cycles and the authority to demand change, an entity that ensures no-one is left to navigate a broken system alone. In February 2025, the Albanese Labor government acted on this urgency by legislating the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission. It has been operational since September, already undertaking the demanding and critical work of oversight. Today, with this bill, we are strengthening its foundation. We are transitioning the commission into its own standalone legislation, giving it the absolute independence it needs to be respected and the statutory teeth it needs to be effective. We are ensuring that the commission is not just a participant in the system, but a powerful independent force for its transformation.

As I mentioned, my electorate is home to three local RSL sub-branches, and, in October, last year I dropped into the Flemington & Kensington RSL sub-branch in the south of my electorate to catch up with president Andrew Konami-Wood and welfare officer Scott Balestra. The Flem/Ken RSL describes itself as a small sub-branch with a big heart, and that perfectly sums up the crew. Andrew and Scott walked me through the history of the branch and the quiet, essential work that they do to support our local veteran community, especially the growing number of younger veterans. Scott, a combat engineer, outlined the welfare assistance that they provide not just to veterans but also to their families. Flem/Ken RSL may be unassuming, but its social nights and strong welfare program are doing the heavy lifting of supporting veterans as they make the shift to civilian life. That shift is not just a change of job; it's a fundamental change in identity. Andrew and Scott gave clarity to what I know as a qualified psychologist—when you lose the structure, that sense of mission and the tribe that military service provide, the psychological risk factors skyrocket. We know that suicidality is often the result of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. When a veteran feels that they no longer fit in the civilian world or when they feel like they're a burden to their families because they are struggling with PTSD or trapped in a complex DVA claim, they enter a zone of extreme risk. The current system has, too often, made those feelings worse. It has been a maze of paperwork and, for too many, too many 'no' answers. Where it should have been a lifeline, it became another barrier, and no-one should face those barriers alone. By creating this commission, we are creating a systemic intervention. We are ensuring there is a body whose sole focus is to dismantle those barriers to wellbeing, to move from reactive crisis management to proactive oversight—a system that will support the heavy lifting already being done quietly and with enormous heart by sub-branches like Flem/Ken.

I want to speak now about a change in this bill that I'm particularly proud of—the formal inclusion of veterans' families. There is a group of people who are often overlooked for too long in government responses to veteran affairs. At the Menin Barracks open day and at many services I've attended in my community, I have met the partners holding toddlers, I've met the parents watching their sons and daughters with a mixture of pride and anxiety, and I've met widows and proud children who honour the memory of brave loved ones who have passed on.

In my electorate, the RSLs in Essendon, Keilor East and Flemington-Kensington are full of those family members. They are the silent ranks. They are the primary caregivers, the first responders in the home, and the ones who notice the first signs of withdrawal or the quiet onset of a flashback in the middle of the night. When a veteran is struggling, the whole family feels it. These RSLs understand that because they too have lived it—deeply and personally. I see this in the spirit of community and care at the mighty Keilor East RSL. It is always a great honour to stand with them at their Anzac Day dawn service, their Vietnam Veterans' Day service and on Remembrance Day—all led with such dedication and deep pride by their president, John Johnson OAM. John and his team don't just run a sub-branch; they maintain a sanctuary. Whether it's a solemn commemorative service or a Friday night social event, the focus is always on the person standing next to you and the family standing behind them.

Yet, for too long, our national systems have not treated these families with the respect and care that they deserve. This bill changes that. It legislates that the commissioner's functions must also include reference to veterans' families. As a qualified psychologist, I know that you cannot treat or support a person in isolation. Mental health is social; it's relational. You cannot heal the veteran if you ignore the family holding them up. By enshrining families in this legislation we are telling the silent ranks—the partners, the parents and the children of our veteran communities: 'We see the quiet work that you do. We recognise you and we are making sure you never have to carry that weight alone.' We are giving the big hearts of Flemington-Kensington and the dedicated volunteers at East Keilor and Essendon RSLs the institutional backing that they have long deserved.

One of the strongest messages from the Senate committee and the veteran community was that this commission must be independent in law, in function and in spirit. This bill delivers exactly that by establishing standalone legislation. The commissioner will be appointed by the Governor-General following a merit based public recruitment process, ensuring the role is held by an individual with a mandate to speak truth to power without fear and without favour. We have also refined the commission's powers to ensure it is a watchdog with teeth. Based on stakeholder feedback, we have strengthened the commissioner's ability to access vital information and expanded witness protection so that anyone can provide evidence without fear of reprisal. Truth only emerges in an environment of safety. These protections are the foundation of the commission's integrity. We are creating a space where systemic failures can be called out and corrected, backed by the full authority of the law.

Transparency is nothing without a timeline. This bill sets statutory deadlines for the completion of two major inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of reform: 2 December 2027 and 2 December 2030, the third and sixth anniversaries of the government's response. These are not arbitrary dates. They are deadlines of accountability, guaranteeing the commission will remain a sustained, transparent voice for change long after the media spotlight has moved on.

As I reflect on the history of Maribyrnong—the wartime hangars at Essendon airport to the disciplined grounds of Menin Barracks—I'm reminded that we are not just a community that remembers service; we are a community that lives it. The stories of the men and women I met at the 5th/6th Battalion, the grit of the veterans at the mighty Keilor East RSL and the enduring heart of the members at Flem/Ken RSL all point to a single inescapable truth: the system must be as resilient as the people it serves.

This legislation is the institutional embodiment of that truth—a permanent, standalone commission, a watchman on the tower who will never again be silenced or sidelined, a move from temporary fixes to sustained, independent oversight. For a person to heal, they need to know the system looking after them is honest, transparent and safe. Through the strengthened powers and the rigorous accountability deadlines of 2027 and 2030, this bill finally creates the environment of trust.

Most importantly, we are bringing the silent ranks—the families of those who serve—into the fold of our national policy. We're acknowledging that the ripples of service touch every partner, every parent and every child, and we're telling them: 'Your burden is seen, your role is recognised, and you'll not be left to carry it alone.' We stand on the shoulders of proud local legacy, but our duty is to the present and the future. We owe it to every person today who wears a uniform and to every veteran who has since laid it down to ensure that the promise of service is met with the promise of support. No veteran and no veteran's family should ever have to fight their hardest battle alone. With this bill, we are building a system that finally holds itself to the same high standard that they hold for themselves. I commend the bill to the House.

Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to support to speak in support of this Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025. I'm privileged to represent a large and deeply engaged Defence Force community in Wentworth. Our electorate is home to veterans from many conflicts and many, many decades of service. They are a community defined by courage, professionalism and sacrifice. They have served our country with bravery and integrity, and they deserve nothing less than our full support in return. But pride in their service sets a very real expectation that this parliament will stand behind them not just with words but in action.

After countless reports, inquiries and reviews into the wellbeing of service members and veterans, that expectation has never been more justified. Following the release of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide recommendations, I wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence in late 2024 alongside a number of my crossbench colleagues. In that letter we called on the government to adopt recommendation 122 of the royal commission as a priority, which recommended the establishment of a new, independent statutory entity to oversee system reform across the entire defence ecosystem. We made that call because we'd heard directly from veterans, from families and from stakeholders in our own communities, including people very specifically in Wentworth, where we had conversations with a number of veterans about this very issue. They were clear that this was, for them and for many people, the most important recommendation coming out of the royal commission and that any oversight body must sit independently both from the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs if it is to command trust and deliver meaningful change.

Independence is not a technical detail. It is fundamental to the success of this reform. For too long, veterans and serving members have been asked to provide evidence and lived experience into systems they didn't fully trust. Creating a commissioner that sits separately from Defence and Veterans' Affairs helps reduce that burden. It provides greater confidence that inquiries will be conducted without fear or favour and that those who come forward will be heard and protected. It also ensures that strong protections are in place for those providing information to the commissioner. That is essential. If we're serious about understanding what has gone wrong and how to fix it, people must feel safe to speak openly.

The need for this reform cannot be overstated. Over the past 30 years, more than 50 inquiries into defence and veteran suicide have generated over 700 recommendations. Yet, too often, those recommendations have not been fully implemented. None of the previous inquiries have produced adequate or effective results, in part because successive governments have failed to act decisively on the advice of experts. Today we are living with the consequences of that failure. The incidence of suicide and severe mental health challenges among current and former Defence personnel remain an ongoing national tragedy. Behind every statistic is a life lost, a family grieving and a community changed forever. This bill represents an important step forward to breaking that cycle.

I now turn to the bill. Firstly, the bill establishes the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission and the commissioner as a standalone statutory entity. This is significant because it moves the role out of existing defence legislation and into its own framework, reinforcing its independence and ensuring that it operates with clear authority and accountability to parliament. A statutory footing sends a strong signal that this role is permanent, independent and central to long-term reform.

Secondly, the bill sets out the core functions of the commissioner. These include monitoring systemic issues affecting the wellbeing of serving members and veterans, reviewing the implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and providing independent advice to government. The commissioner will also be empowered to engage directly with veterans, families and communities and to bring lived experience to policy for reform. This ensures that the voices of those most affected remain central to the reform process.

Thirdly, the bill provides the commissioner with strong inquiry and information-gathering powers. The commissioner will be able to initiate own-motion inquiries, conduct reviews at the request of the minister and compel the production of documents and information where necessary. These powers are critical. Without the ability to access information and investigate systemic issues thoroughly, the commission would risk becoming symbolic rather than effective. Properly exercised, these powers will allow the commissioner to identify failures, monitor progress and drive meaningful change across the defence ecosystem.

Fourth, the bill includes protections for those who provide information to the commissioner. This is one of the most important elements of the legislation. Many veterans and serving members carry difficult experiences and may feel vulnerable speaking out. Clear legal protections and strong confidentiality provisions are essential to ensuring that people can provide evidence without fear of reprisal or harm to their careers, reputations or wellbeing.

Fifth, the bill establishes reporting and accountability mechanisms. The commissioner will be able to publish reports and provide advice to the minister, and those reports will be tabled in parliament. This ensures transparency and keeps the parliament and the public informed about progress and ongoing challenges. It also creates the expectation that government agencies will respond to findings and recommendations in a timely and constructive manner.

Finally, the bill includes transitional and consequential provisions to ensure continuity. Existing functions and inquiries will transfer to the new statutory commission without disruption. This will allow the new body to begin work with momentum and clarity.

Taken together, these elements create a stronger and more independent oversight architecture than has existed previously. However, the effectiveness of this new structure will depend not only on the legislation itself but on the commitment of government and agencies to work with it in good faith. Independence must be matched by cooperation. The minister, Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs must be prepared to engage openly with the commissioner and to act on recommendations. Without that, even the strongest statutory framework will struggle to deliver the change that is needed. We cannot allow this commission to become yet another body whose recommendations sit on shelves. Its purpose is to ensure that reform is implemented, that failures are addressed and that the wellbeing of those who serve, and those who have served, our country is placed at the centre of policy and practice.

For the Defence community of Wentworth and for communities across Australia, this reform matters deeply. It reflects years of advocacy, the courage of those who came forward in the royal commission and the collective determination to do better. To those who did so—I thank you. After decades of inquiries and too many lives lost, we cannot afford to fall short again.

This bill lays the foundation for stronger oversight, greater accountability and, ultimately, better support for our veterans and serving members. For that reason, I support the bill, but I continue to offer this challenge to the government of this day and those of future days: we set up these statutory authorities, and they are important, but, if we do not listen and implement their recommendations, then we are literally just doing something that feels good but ultimately makes no difference in the end. That will be the proof of the success of this and whether it makes a difference to Defence families and veterans' families, as it should. It is the implementation that really matters, and that is up to this government and every government after it.

Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025. In this House, we have spoken, on many occasions, about the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which delivered a report in September 2024. This report was the culmination of three years of inquiry into suicide in Australia's defence and veteran population, and it noted that even one suicide is a crisis. The final report, which was an analysis of complex cultural and systemic issues relevant to suicide and suicidality amongst serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members, contained 122 recommendations to government, designed to provide the foundation for meaningful, practical and sustainable reform.

Given this level of significance, the royal commission, the report and the recommendations—including their progress—should continue to be spoken about in this House with an ingrained degree of regularity. The importance of keeping this conversation going, of keeping reforms moving, of continuing to discuss and mitigate risk factors and of providing support to serving personnel and veterans cannot be understated, and it should never stop.

The final recommendation, recommendation 122, was that the government establish a new statutory entity to oversee systemic reform on a whole-of-defence basis. The precise wording of recommendation 122 was that the government establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole Defence ecosystem. It reads:

The Australian Government should establish a new statutory entity with the purpose of providing independent oversight and evidence-based advice in order to drive system reform to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members.

This was said to be the most critical recommendation of the 122 because of the foundation it would provide to the other recommendations and the fact that it would be the most significant action the Australian government could take to address Defence and veteran suicide.

In response to this recommendation, the government said:

The Government agrees to establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole Defence ecosystem as a priority.

The Government will appoint an interim head of the oversight body to work across government and provide advice on the establishment of the permanent oversight entity, including legislation required, to enable its establishment by September 2025.

The government delivered on that commitment, and it is important that it delivered on that commitment.

The position of this government and of all Australians and all participants in this House is that the death by suicide of any Australian, including our veterans and current serving Australian Defence Force members, is a tragedy. It is unacceptable that Australia has lost more serving and former serving personnel to suicide over the last 20 years than through operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over the same period. It is unacceptable.

So, since September 2025, the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, legislated in February 2025, has been up and running. The Defence and Veterans' Services Commission is dedicated to providing independent oversight and evidence based advice to the government in order to drive the necessary system reform that we need to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for current and ex-serving members. It has, at its heart, the goal of facilitating long-term accountability for the systemic reforms envisaged by the royal commission so that the lives of those who protect Australia now and for future generations are themselves protected today. Quite rightly, the commission has a dedicated and sustained focus on suicide prevention.

In order to ensure that it can report on the government's progress in implementing the response to the recommendations of the royal commission, on the third and sixth anniversaries of the government's response, being by 2 December 2027 and 2030, the commission needs to enjoy independence functions and have the powers necessary to meet these objectives and to maintain the trust of the Defence and veteran community. It needs to have the structures, independence and mechanisms to call for accountability in this respect and to call for more progress, for improvements, for changes.

This bill delivers on the full implementation of this by enshrining the legislative establishment of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner and Defence and Veterans' Service Commission into its own independent standalone legislation, as always intended. The bill promotes the required independence, in that the commissioner will be appointed by the Governor-General following a public and competitive process.

The bill also operates to prescribe powers of the commissioner, which are entirely appropriate powers and drafted through the lens of accountability. Firstly, in addition to the reporting already outlined, the bill empowers the commissioner to further report to the Prime Minister and minister where they consider that inadequate and inappropriate action has been taken by a Commonwealth entity in respect of recommendations contained in a report to the commissioner. This creates an appropriate duty on those in charge of Commonwealth entities to take steps to facilitate that the entity does use its best endeavours to assist the commissioner in the performance of the commissioner's functions. A similar duty is placed on officials of the entity.

For a commissioner led special inquiry to be successful and produce meaningful, broadscale outcomes, the commissioner needs access to all relevant information needed for that inquiry, so the bill also includes entry-to-premises powers and powers to obtain access to documents by remote means for Commonwealth entities and their contractors for the purpose of a special inquiry. Quite rightly, this bill also includes new offences for the provision of false and misleading information or documents or the destruction of documents or things.

Inquiries can only be successful if relevant stakeholders with actual lived experience of the inquiry subject matter are consulted in an environment where they have the confidence to give full and frank evidence and explanations. That is why the bill expands the scope of witness protections so that a person does not encounter detriment in providing information to an inquiry. This has two outcomes: firstly, the risk that the commissioner will not be provided with all information relevant to the inquiry will be minimised; and, secondly, the person providing the information to an inquiry will be supported and protected. It is critical to the success of the commission that those with relevant information feel supported and protected in providing information to an inquiry by the commissioner. If someone voluntarily provides information, then any necessary and applicable protections from criminal and civil penalties have been expanded.

That the work of the commission is transparent is another key focus of this bill, as is the need to cement accountability of the commission and to cement accountability of the bodies or persons that are subject to oversight. This bill does that in a number of ways: through a focus on procedural fairness, and the bill crystallises procedural fairness by requiring the commissioner to afford a response opportunity to an agency, official or other person who is the subject of any criticism in a draft report; through reporting, as the bill requires Commonwealth entities, officials or other persons to provide to the commissioner information about the implementation of recommendations relevant to them; through accountability, as the bill requires the government to table a statement setting out its response to an inquiry report in parliament; through clarity, as the bill provides certainty that the commissioner may publish reports at the commissioner's discretion and make public statements about an inquiry; through urgency, as the bills include statutory deadlines for the completion of two inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of the government's response to the royal commission recommendations; and through transparency, by providing the terms and conditions of appointment of the commissioner in a standalone bill rather than in rules.

As part of my work as the member for Sturt, I have met a number of incredible veterans who have served our country with distinction. They have sacrificed, endured, felt alone and been asked to draw on every strength within them in order to act with bravery and courage for others. I won't forget one veteran in particular, Tyrone, who served in the infantry and who I met at See Differently in Gilles Plains in Sturt as part of the OPK9 program. Tyrone had a beautiful OPK9 Labrador who was his best friend and who had saved his life. Tyrone explained to me that his mental health trauma from service had previously been so bad that he couldn't get out of bed—a fit, healthy young man who couldn't get out of bed.

Things got better with time, and he could leave the bed, but he couldn't leave the house. He couldn't go onto the street, couldn't go to the grocery shop and couldn't talk to others. Then, over time, things got a little better, and he could leave the house, but only with his wife. He couldn't go out alone. This, of course, affected his wife and her independence and impacted her quality of life as well. Tyrone then joined the OPK9 assistance program and was allocated a support dog named Teddy, and Teddy changed everything. His calming, confident presence has allowed Tyrone to leave the house, to go to the shop and to do things on his own—but always with Teddy by his side. It makes me deeply sad when I think that things could have been different for Tyrone—much worse—without the support of his wife and the See Differently program. That Tyrone received the support he needed to return to being a functioning member of the community is a positive story, but there are too many veterans who do not have the same level of support. There are too many stories that do not follow the same path as Tyrone's. There are too many tragedies, and that, in itself, is a crisis.

The changes in this bill will ensure that the commissioner has the tools necessary so that the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission is enabled to drive system reform, to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members. Accountability, transparency and prompt action are facilitated by this bill, and it is our duty in this House to do this. It's not set-and-forget. We must monitor and measure the effectiveness of these measures and continually adapt, make changes and make improvements to ensure that the commission and the commissioner can always be a powerful force for the systematic change that we need. I commend the bill to the House.

Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to welcome the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the accompanying Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. These bills implement recommendation 122 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, a recommendation the commission described as one of its most important. They established the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission as a standalone statutory entity, strengthening its independence and authority. This is a meaningful reform, and I want to acknowledge the government for progressing it.

The royal commission heard deeply distressing evidence from current and former ADF members. It revealed systemic issues in Defence culture, leadership, transition pathways, mental health care and departmental processes. At every stage, witnesses stressed the need for a body capable of identifying systemic risks, providing frank advice and ensuring accountability across Defence, Veterans' Affairs and the broader government ecosystem. These bills respond directly to that call. The independent commissioner will be able to undertake inquiries, gather evidence, examine systemic concerns and, critically, refer matters directly to the minister, or even the Prime Minister, when required. That authority is essential to driving ongoing cultural and structural reform. Many ADF members live, work or transition back to civilian life in my electorate of Curtin. Their service places enormous physical, psychological and moral demands upon them and their families. They face unique pressures of extended postings, isolation from support networks and the intense responsibility of protecting our country. It's essential that they receive better, more holistic support.

I welcome these bills, and I hope the establishment of an independent commissioner will lead to tangible improvements in the health, wellbeing and lives of current and former ADF personnel and their families. They deserve a system that supports them with consistency, compassion and integrity.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the previous speakers and acknowledge the minister in the chamber. I congratulate him on this bill and his work in general, post the royal commission, to really drive the implementation of recommendations. I have the great fortune of having been appointed by the Prime Minister as the Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia. It is my distinct privilege to meet with Defence members and veterans across the country. And, of course, in my electorate, which is Solomon—a garrison town, a defender of the north—we have Navy, Army and Air Force bases. We also host the US marines and many visiting training delegations, which is fantastic because we get to improve our interoperability and learn from each other. Every day that I talk with veterans, I'm keen to share their achievements and to assist them with issues—including in the wee hours of this morning, where I was spending time clearing emails and assisting to connect veterans with help. It's the very least that we can do for those that have put on the uniform and served our country.

Every member of the ADF should be safe in the knowledge that, whatever may happen in their service, they and their families will be looked after and acknowledged by our grateful nation. It's our nation's duty to empower and to support the mental health and wellbeing of our defence and veteran community, and it's something I'm very passionate about as a fourth generation veteran. There is an expectation that we will look after those that have done so much for us in the defence of our nation and the representation of our people overseas.

With the now minister and others, I lobbied hard for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. We heard the calls from the veteran community, from their families, and we have acted—initially, in pushing and working with the government of the day to establish it and, now, as I said, the interim report having been released in 2022, in really getting on with implementing those recommendations, particularly those that were most urgent. We've acted on all of those recommendations of that interim report.

One of the 122 recommendations of the final report was to establish a new statutory entity to oversee systematic reform across the whole defence enterprise, the ecosystem. The report said that the establishment of this new statutory authority would underpin 'all the recommendations that precede it' and be 'the most significant action the Australian government can take to address defence and veteran suicide'. In acknowledgement of the significance and the urgency of this recommendation, in February 2025, our federal Labor government legislated the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission. That's been up and running since the end of September last year.

The role of this new statutory entity is to provide independent oversight and evidence based advice to drive system reform to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for the defence and veteran communities, including our families. The commission will have a dedicated and sustained focus on suicide prevention. It will ensure agencies implementing royal commission recommendations will be held to account by promoting long-term change and driving the systematic reforms needed to reduce the rates of suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members—and, for that matter, their family members.

To do this, the commission must have the independence, the functions and the powers necessary to meet these objectives and maintain the trust of the defence and veterans community. The Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill, then, builds on the work undertaken by the parliament in February last year, when schedule 9 of the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025 was passed and a Senate inquiry was undertaken.

Let's go to independence. The submissions, the evidence and the committee's report have informed the development of the bill, implementing the following recommendations. First, standalone legislation for the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission will reflect its independence. This bill strengthens the independence of the commissioner by ensuring that the role is appointed by the Governor-General after a merit based and public recruitment process. Everyone can apply; it's a public process. The commissioner will be an independent statutory office holder when appointed. The commissioner will carry out their functions and exercise their powers by looking through a system-wide lens. To reflect their independence, the bill confers on the commissioner complete discretion in carrying out their functions and powers and appropriately limits directions, including from the minister. There's a subclause, 12(2), that in particular would ensure that the commissioner has substantial discretion to determine how they will carry out their role. That independent judgement about what is best for the veteran is so important.

Under clause 50, the commissioner is empowered to make public statements, which is important in keeping people informed. Transparency in the goals, function and operations of the commission is paramount. It improves the transparency of the work of the commission to ensure accountability for the commission itself and those subject to its oversight. This includes statutory deadlines for the completion of two inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of the government's response to the royal commission recommendations. Those deadlines are 2 December 27 and 2 December 2030, which are the third and sixth anniversaries of the government's response to the royal commission's recommendations. This bill strengthens the commissioner's powers in ensuring transparency and accountability across Defence and the veteran ecosystem and enables access to necessary information and disseminating public statements.

What I was just talking about went to the independence of the commission and the commissioner; now, I want to go to families. The commissioner's functions include reference to veterans' families. There is no doubt—zero doubt—that families of veterans play the most vital role in the health and wellbeing of veterans, but they also face unique challenges themselves. The Albanese government is pleased that, through this legislation, we're able to acknowledge the significance of veterans' families. The commissioner will be empowered under subclause 10(1) to promote understanding of suicide risks for veterans and factors that can improve the wellbeing of veterans through engaging with people with lived experience and the families of veterans.

Last year, I spoke at the veterans' family roundtable held here in this place, in Parliament House, and was fortunate to attend, with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and my parliamentary colleagues, and speak to the representatives. There was a fantastic event run by the Families of Veterans Guild. I'd like to take a moment to pay tribute to the guild and to their CEO, Renee Wilson, for the organisation and for Renee's tireless advocacy for veterans' families, an issue very close to her heart. Theirs is a very worthy cause and one I fully support. At that event, I listened to the stories of veterans' families that have been affected by tragedy and hardship—a genuinely moving experience that all honourable members should seek out in order to expand their knowledge of the challenges faced by veterans and their families. It was, as I said, a very deeply moving event.

We've also held events. I want to pay tribute to Dani Eveleigh from my electorate. She, like Renee, is the partner of a serviceman and has done some great work as well. It was great that people like Dani were able to spend time with the Repatriation Commissioner and the Veteran Family Commissioner in Darwin, Kahlil Fegan and Annabelle, in Darwin, last week. I'm thankful to them for heading up to Darwin and having those conversations with our local veterans and families.

Veteran families often carry a lot of the burden of service as well as being the biggest carer and the biggest enabler of capability. And it's not well enough understood. We've got a lot to learn from the experiences of our families, and we need to do everything we can to support them. In understanding the experience of the families, we can make the system better support them.

On the conduct of the duties of the commissioner, the commissioner can invite the making of submissions under clause 20. A feature of the legislation that I quite like is the ability to invite these from the public—from veterans and, importantly, from their families—so that we can better understand how the system is working for veterans and their families and hear from them on an ongoing and timely basis. And, of course, we want to hear how the system is not working for them so that we can address issues.

Having spoken about the independence of the commissioner and about families, I now want to go to ongoing reform. The commissioner is empowered to be an agent of change and improvement. Their functions would enable them, as an oversight body, to monitor, inquire into, report on and provide advice on systemic reforms, including the Commonwealth's implementation of the government's response to the recommendations of the royal commission. The government has listened to feedback from stakeholders and has taken action. These changes to the bill will ensure that the commissioner has the tools necessary to ensure that the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission is able to drive that systemic reform that will improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for both serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members. This will mean agencies are held accountable to consider and respond to the commissioner's recommendations. The enduring nature of the commission will ensure that the voices of our veterans continue to be heard and that systemic issues which contribute to suicide in our veteran community are continually reviewed and addressed.

As I said, every day I have the privilege of engaging with veterans in our community. I listen to their experiences and work to ensure their needs are met. I also listen to their family members and work to ensure that their needs are met. Those conversations continually remind me of the depth of service and sacrifice that underpins our freedoms in this nation, that underpins our Australian sovereignty and our way of life. This is the guiding light for my work in this parliament, as it is for other members of this place. I hope that, in time, that understanding will continue to grow in members of this place so that they can be a consistent source of support to veterans and their families in their electorates. This bill is certainly a step in the right direction.

In the time remaining, I want to give a shout-out to all those who helped organise and conduct the very successful Welcome to Darwin event at the convention centre on the weekend. It was a fantastic event with a whole range of community stalls. It really was our community opening its arms wide to ADF members and their families who have recently been posted into Darwin, to say: 'Welcome. We're really glad to have you here. We love having you here. We'll do everything we can to make your time in Darwin as enjoyable as possible, and we hope that you elect to go for repeat postings up in Darwin. Make Darwin your home and help us with this enterprise in the national interest, which we're also engaged in, to keep our nation safe and to protect the interests of our nation.' I want to thank all the families.

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How a nation cares for its veterans and their families is an insight into the character of that nation. As we reflect on the last 120 years, where Australians have gone to distant shores to defend Australia and its interests, we note that more than 100,000 Australians have given their lives wearing our uniform and serving our country. It's right that we remember and honour those people on Remembrance Day and on Anzac Day. I know many Australians have a lot of pride in our Defence Force and in our veterans, and it's always great to see such big turnouts on those two days.

But it's also important that government does its job and looks after veterans and their families, and that process is one that requires constant reform. It's not something that we can just forget about; we have to constantly revisit it as we move forward into the future and as we reconcile with the wars that we've just fought, particularly in the last decade in Afghanistan.

I think it's important to say that things haven't been done well over the last 20 years or so, and that's why the coalition established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, because veterans and their families deserve truth and accountability. Confidence in the system had broken down. I know this myself, being a veteran and having had to work through my own claim through DVA. I remember testing the system more than five years ago in the minister's office, starting my process there, and it took about four years before it was completed. So I got a sense of what many veterans go through when they encounter DVA.

The royal commission confirmed what families and the veteran community had been saying, and that is that systemic failure requires reform. Everyone here in this House, on both sides, is committed to reform. One of the most significant recommendations was the creation of a permanent, independent statutory oversight body to drive reform and to measure progress. These bills are intended to give effect to that recommendation, and the coalition supports that objective. I support that objective, as a veteran. Independent oversight with real powers, public reporting and parliamentary accountability is essential. I believe in our institutions. I believe in accountability, and nowhere is that more important than in the veteran space.

Establishing the commission through standalone legislation is what the coalition has argued for for a long time. It's what we've argued for from the beginning. The government's original attempt to create the commission through a late amendment to unrelated legislation was rushed and lacked proper consultation. The coalition supported the amended VETS bill to avoid delaying compensation and rehabilitation reforms for veterans, but not because we supported the government's process or the structure. We supported it because we always put veterans first and we saw the need for urgency and the need to get things done. That's why we supported it. We also made it clear at the time that the commission should be established through standalone legislation, separate from Defence and DVA, with stronger independent guarantees. So we moved an amendment to ensure a dedicated Senate inquiry could provide proper scrutiny of the commission model, and that inquiry confirmed widespread stakeholder concern about independence, about its structure, about its powers, about family inclusion and about clarity of remit. This bill is now stronger because of the contributions of those individuals and ex-service organisations, and I want to thank every single person and organisation that took the time to make a submission or to appear before the royal commission and enhance this policy, which is now going to be enacted through this bill.

I also want to make the point here that this is not a new idea from Labor. The coalition introduced legislation to establish an independent National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention back in 2020, more than five years ago. That bill proposed an independent statutory oversight body with the same structural features now being implemented. I want to note in the House that Labor opposed that legislation at the time for political purposes, and, as a result, the establishment of an independent statutory oversight body was delayed. The structure that Labor is now implementing closely mirrors what we proposed back in government. If the coalition's national commissioner model had been supported instead of being opposed by Labor, independent oversight would already be underway. The coalition will support this framework now, because veterans and families cannot afford further delay, but I think it's important that that history should be acknowledged, particularly in the veteran community. Veteran care should not be a political issue. I think it's fair to say that where we land today is bipartisan, but it hasn't been perfect. But we're here, and I think we've come together for veterans and their families, and that's an important message they need to hear from this House.

The coalition will be moving an amendment to bring forward the timing of the first implementation review by the commissioner. As currently drafted, the first assessment is not required to be completed until December 2027. We think that's too slow. It's much too slow. We want to bring that back by 15 months, and our amendment would require the first implementation assessment to be completed by no later than 30 September of this year, 2026. I think that's more than sufficient time to assess whether early-stage reforms are being delivered. I think earlier reporting ensures that veterans, families and parliament can see measurable progress, and it falls in line with our overall objective, which is that the reforms recommended by the royal commission be implemented quickly and assessed openly. I think transparency is absolutely critical here.

In the end, what we care about is our servicemen and servicewomen and their families being cared for. They have to respond quickly when their nation calls. I know many have leave disrupted, particularly over Christmas, whether it's to deploy overseas or indeed to respond to natural disasters. They drop everything for our country. I think it's important that we get on with the job of getting this review done. As our ADF personnel move with a bias for action, I hope that, once this bill is passed, the government will move for a bias for action as well and look after our veterans and their families.

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I pay tribute to the two previous speakers, the member for Canning and the member for Solomon, and recognise that they both have had distinguished careers in the Defence Force and are very capable people to talk on this particular subject. We thank them for their service and for putting themselves on the front lines to protect our wonderful nation.

Governments of all persuasions, including this government, are supporting those that fight for this country. As I said, they put their bodies and minds on the front line for us. They become tough, strong, persistent leaders. However, who is there remaining to help them when they come back home? The role of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner is designed to bring greater openness, understanding and care to the system that supports current and former members of the Australian Defence Force. The commissioner will report publicly to the minister and to the parliament, creating a clear and transparent pathway for identifying what is working well and, importantly, what is not working well.

This role exists to help meaningful reform aimed at improving suicide prevention and overall wellbeing for those who have served. Far too many individuals and families in the veterans community have been touched by loss, grief or a long-term struggle. The commissioner's work will recognise this reality and seek to shine a light on systemic issues that can contribute to the distress among serving and ex-serving members. The Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 draws on the findings and recommendations of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee's review. It reflects an effort to take those recommendations seriously and respond in a way that strengthens the systems veterans rely on throughout and after their service. It also reflects the royal commission's 122 recommendations.

The commission will play an important role in improving transparency and accountability across the broader Defence and veterans support landscape. By monitoring, investigating and publicly reporting on systemic issues, the commissioner aims to support sustained long-term improvements. This work will help to rebuild trust within the veterans community. We need to build that trust that the veterans' concerns are heard, that their experiences matter and that action is being taken to better meet their diverse and often complex needs.

Importantly, the commissioner's mandate is very broad. Nothing is off limits when it comes to identifying and examining the structural or administrative factors that contribute to risk. This includes looking closely at the Commonwealth's policies, programs, systems and practices. The goal is not to assign blame but to understand why certain issues persist and how they can be addressed with compassion, evidence and, very importantly, accountability. The commissioner's work acknowledges the simple truth that behind every statistic there is a human being, a family, a spouse, a child—a son or a daughter—a network of friends and a community forever changed. By addressing systemic issues openly and thoroughly, we move closer to building a system that genuinely supports wellbeing, honours the service that these people have given for their nation, offers real pathways to healing and offers hope for those who have given so much.

The commissioner has the ability to undertake inquiries on their own account, on their own motion, which will provide a wide net for the niche and unusual. It allows the commissioner to take initiative rather than waiting. It means being proactive and taking preventative measures before families, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers say goodbye too soon. The commissioner is not a role the government has made up to tick a box. This is after extensive research and investigation from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, and we heard the member for Solomon speak extensively about the royal commission.

Recommendation 122 of the final report suggested establishing a new statutory entity to oversee the system reform across the whole defence network, and it was deemed to be the most important recommendation. So this is something that hasn't just been a thought bubble. It's something that's come out of that royal commission and its most important recommendation. These bills before us are to establish the role of the commissioner. The role of the commissioner is to complement the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission that was legislated by this government back in February 2025.

The commission has been up and running since September and has been overseeing the whole defence ecosystem; however, that's not enough. We need these bills to pass for our commitment to better the lives of ADF personnel and veterans. We need a commissioner to act in the best interest of veterans and those serving in an independent manner. We need to see proactive steps to prevent the ongoing trend of all the issues associated with veterans when they leave the Defence Force and whilst they're in the Defence Force as well as all the things that we heard during the royal commission.

The commissioner's role is designed to look at the entire system: the policies, structures and practices that shape the experiences of current and former Defence Force members. Their work isn't about investigating individual cases or single decisions. Instead, the commissioner steps back to see the bigger picture and identifies underlying, systemic patterns and issues that may be contributing to harm. This broad perspective is deliberate. It ensures the commissioner can focus on what truly matters: preventing future suffering by recognising system-wide problems that might otherwise remain hidden. To honour this responsibility, the bill gives the commissioner full independence in how they carry out their work. Absolutely no-one, including the minister, can tell the commissioner what conclusions to reach or how to conduct an inquiry. Their loyalty is solely to the truth and to the wellbeing of the people their work is meant to protect.

To ensure the commissioner can uncover the realities that veterans and their families face, the bill grants special powers when an issue is serious enough to require deeper investigation. In these situations, the commissioner can request documents, ask questions and, if necessary, seek a warrant to gather that information directly. These are powers that don't exist at the moment. These powers will exist not to intimidate but to make sure nothing stands in the way of understanding why detrimental situations occur and, even more importantly, how they can be stopped.

At the same time, the law protects the commissioner, their staff and anyone who steps forward with information, and this is essential. People who share their stories, often painful and private stories or difficult stories, must know that they are safe to speak out honestly and openly. Because the commissioner will be entrusted with highly sensitive information, the bill creates strong safeguards. It becomes an offence for the commissioner or anyone working with them to share that protected information unless it is currently allowed under the law. This ensures that personal stories, private information, medical details and confidential experiences are treated with the respect, dignity and care that they deserve.

When the commissioner completes an inquiry, the process is open, fair and designed to ensure accuracy. A draft report must be prepared and shared with those whose actions or responsibilities are discussed. This draft will include the findings, the evidence behind them and any recommendations for change. If an agency or organisation is involved, its leadership is given the chance to respond. This step matters because it recognises that change is most effective when everyone has been heard and when those involved can clarify, correct or contribute to the understanding of what has happened.

All of this is about ensuring the experiences of veterans, including their pain, their courage and their hope, lead to real change. We know that all of the experiences of veterans—Vietnam veterans living alone, young veterans raising families, naval personnel connected to the shipbuilding precinct, RAAF members transitioning into civil life, or reservists balancing service with their careers—can help shape the national picture. So the commissioner's work ensures those experiences are not lost, ignored or dismissed but instead are part of the driving force behind the systemic change. It means veterans are not expected to struggle alone; it means families can trust that someone is watching over the system; it means problems that were once hidden or not brought to light can be brought forward and addressed properly and systematically; and it means every story, every challenge, every frustration and every moment of courage can help create change. Ultimately, it means that veterans and their families can feel seen, respected and supported by a system that genuinely strives to do better.

Just before I resume my seat, I'd also like to pay tribute to a great Australian in my electorate, Julie-Ann Finney, who worked so hard for the royal commission a few years ago and still works voluntarily without pay and without any benefit to have veterans' voices heard. I think that at times like this we come to a certain point with legislation, with royal commissions and with the work that we do here, but we should always think of those people who advocated strongly to bring us to this position and to bring about change. I pay tribute to Julie-Ann Finney today as well.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025, notwithstanding that the coalition will be moving some amendments in relation to the reporting date of the commissioner in the legislation. At the outset, I want to say, simply, 'Thank you for your service,' to the men and women in the Australian Defence Force and our veteran community and particularly to their families who support them. I thank the members in this place who have served in uniform as well. Thank you for what you've done in your previous career and for bringing that expertise and lived experience to either the House of Representatives or the Senate.

The purpose of the Department of Veterans' Affairs is to put in place a system of support for our veterans and their families if it's required. I emphasise the point 'if it's required', because a large number of our service personnel will train well, serve well, be deployed, defend the values of our nation and then transition well and go on to live exceptionally successful civilian lives. But, if they're fed a diet of hopelessness and helplessness, which is often the case in the Australian mainstream media, they sometimes get the feeling that there's no help available to them whatsoever. That is simply not true. I say to anyone who may be listening to this debate that, if you are a veteran and you do need help, help is available. Please reach out through your ex-service organisation or through DVA directly because help is available to you if it's required. In the veterans covenant, there is a term which is very simple. It says:

For what they have done, this we will do.

That is the promise we make, as Australians who haven't served in uniform, that we have this contract with the Australian Defence Force personnel and their families:

For what they have done, this we will do.

That contract requires us to support them after their service—and, obviously, during their service as well.

Those support measures will change over time. Just as our society is changing constantly—sometimes for good, sometimes for worse—the needs of our Defence Force personnel and our veterans will change as well. What a young veteran needs on transition to the civilian workforce is going to be very different to the supports required by a 95- or 98-year-old World War II veteran. We need to acknowledge that the DVA system is there to support veterans through the entire course of their lives as their needs change as well.

I do want to acknowledge that the legislation before the House is intended to make sure there is proper oversight, accountability and transparency, in this place, around the systems put in place by DVA to support our veterans and their families. An independent commissioner has enormous opportunities to make sure that their system remains fit for purpose into the future. Our veterans make a huge contribution during their service, but they also make an amazing contribution when they leave the service and in their civilian lives. It is so important that they are supported in that transition phase.

I say this in the minister's presence: I am sure that, just like me, in his role, the need to reduce the level of self-harm and the need to eliminate suicide is an ongoing battle. There is no acceptable level of suicide amongst Australian Defence Force personnel and veterans, and I'm sure the minister agrees with me that we need to keep working towards zero. That is a challenge that we need to address in a bipartisan way across this chamber. I'm sure it's going to surprise some people listening to hear me say this, but there is an amazing amount of bipartisanship on this portfolio issue—this area of key responsibility. My office works very closely with Minister Keogh's office, and we have a very good working relationship. There have been times in recent months where we've disagreed vehemently, but it was professional, and we got on with our roles. But, wherever possible, there will be bipartisanship between this side of the House and the government of the day in terms of our veterans and their families. Our No. 1 interest has to be making sure veterans and their families are well supported as they move onto civilian lives.

Having said that, I'll also note, in the minister's presence, that most of the easy stuff has been done. In this portfolio, everything's complex, everything is difficult, everything involves personal challenges for the people involved, and the system isn't always fit for purpose. The challenge of reforming it is not something that I suggest for a second is a walk in the park. I do wish him success in his tenure because, if the minister is successful as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, our veterans will flourish. Their wellbeing will improve; the families will do better. I sincerely do extend my best wishes to the minister in his role as he seeks to try and improve the system of support for veterans and their families.

It's important, as we gather today, to talk about this legislation, to acknowledge a couple of simple facts as well. This is not a new idea. Those opposite might think that the world was created on the day the Albanese government came to office in 2022, but, let me assure you, some good things happened before that. This idea—this concept—of a national commissioner was actually included in coalition introduced legislation back in 2020. That bill, which proposed an independent statutory oversight body, with basically exactly the same structural features now being implemented today, was opposed by the Labor Party at that time. I was disappointed as minister that that occurred. I think it was opposed for political reasons. I was frustrated by the decision that the opposition took at that time, because the delays in implementing this independent commissioner have resulted in delays in having an independent statutory oversight body for the system. It matters because, working alongside the royal commission, we could have accelerated system reform in that period of four or five years.

It's fair to say that the coalition supports the national commissioner model being presented today, because it was our idea. It was our idea, and it came from feedback and from the lived experience of veterans and their families. I didn't make it up. It wasn't something I dreamed up one night by myself. It came about through feedback from ex-service organisations. It had strong support in the veteran community, but we weren't successful in getting it legislated back in 2020. I say to the chamber—and I say with all sincerity to our veterans community—the coalition will always look to find ways to put veterans and their families first, and we will support the government in this legislation with the amendment we're proposing, which I'll get to later on.

Our record as a coalition in terms of supporting veterans and their wellbeing is substantial. In our time in government, there were some substantial reforms by me as minister and other ministers on the coalition side, despite the rhetoric we hear from those opposite from time to time. During our time in government, the role of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs was actually in cabinet, and I think it's a mistake to not have it in cabinet. I'm not solely motivated by my best wishes for the minister's political career, but the minister should be in cabinet. There are 600,000 veterans in this country plus their families. The Minister for Veterans' Affairs should be in cabinet.

In our time in government, the support for our veterans and their families was in the order of $11 billion per year. There was the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which was established under the Morrison government. We introduced and passed the veterans' recognition act of 2019. We provided free non-liability mental health care for our veterans. We expanded and modernised Open Arms, the veterans counselling service. We initiated the Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program, which has been very well received and has resulted in literally hundreds of veterans receiving the benefit of a psychiatric assistance dog. The veterans themselves and their families have written to me personally and thanked me for that in some of the most beautiful letters I've received as a member.

We also established the Prime Minister's National Veteran Employment Awards, which I note have continued, and I thank the government for doing that. We launched the Veteran Wellbeing Centre Program, and the current government has added to the Veteran Wellbeing Centre Program. I encourage them to keep doing that, because I think those hubs are very important for providing accessible areas for our veterans, particularly in regional areas, to get the support they need when they need it. We created the role of veterans family advocate. We committed $500 million to the Australian War Memorial redevelopment, which will ensure the stories of our contemporary veterans are told in a timely manner.

We established the Joint Transition Authority, which is designed to make sure Defence is held more accountable for that critical time when our members leave the Defence Force and go into civilian life. We delivered provisional access to medical treatment. We increased the fees for health professionals. We improved financial support for veterans undertaking additional education. We boosted staffing and resources across the Department of Veterans' Affairs to speed up the claims processing.

We also added, for the first time, a question in the census to track the number of veterans in Australia. You'd think that would be a minor point, but, up until the 2021 census, we didn't know how many veterans we had in Australia. So simply adding that question to the census gave us the capacity to, first of all, measure the number of veterans in Australia—people who served at least one day in the Australian Defence Force—but also track where they are, in the sense of making sure services are provided in a manner that fits the veteran population in those communities. While it may seem like a small point, it's something I think will assist DVA and the minister in his role going forward. And I note, as I said earlier, that work in this space will never really be finished, because the needs of modern veterans will change. They'll be different to previous generations.

We support the extra scrutiny and the transparency in a timely manner, which is at the core of the appointment of a Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner who is going to be separate and independent from the department and separate from the minister. I flagged earlier that we'll also be moving amendment, and the amendment is quite a simple one. We'll be moving to bring forward the timing of the first implementation review by the commissioner. We're not aiming to hinder the passage of the bills, but, as currently drafted, the first assessment of the government's implementation of the royal commission's recommendations is not required to be completed until December 2027. That means that while the government may get the report in December 2027 it may not be tabled for many months after that; we could be well into 2028 before we see the report. We fear that's a bit slow and we feel it's a bit risky in terms of weakening accountability, and we'd be much more comfortable if we could bring that reporting date forward to no later than 30 September 2026.

Our view there is that veterans and their families were promised urgent reform out of the royal commission, and, unfortunately, royal commission reports in this country have a habit of sitting on a desk and eventually being forgotten about. We think bringing forward the reporting date—and that would coincide with the two-year anniversary of the royal commission's tabling of its findings—is a better way of ensuring that veterans and their families have confidence that the bureaucracy in Canberra is not slowing this down, that the commissioner will report back to the Australian public in a more timely manner. We will be able to see some evidence of what's been implemented and where we need to hurry things up a bit, and if there are any changes that need to be made the commissioner would be in a position to make those recommendations at an earlier date. We believe that's more than sufficient time to assess whether the early stage reforms have been delivered and whether the government commitments are translating into real action on the ground for Australian Defence Force veterans and their families.

We think the amendment is credible. We think it strengthens transparency and reinforces accountability, and it doesn't change in any way the commissioner's independence or the commissioner's powers. We commend our amendment to the government and to the crossbench. It is a simple amendment. It's all about making sure that there is increased transparency and that a sense of urgency is instilled into the bureaucracy. As much as I had an incredibly positive working relationship with senior members of the Australian Public Service during my time in ministerial offices, there were times where I was frustrated by the lack of urgency shown by some in the department. Let's put it politely: an occasional push along wouldn't hurt Australian public servants on some of these issues.

I'm going to finish where I started, with that simple line: 'For what they have done, this we will do.' It's a contract but it's also an action statement. 'This we will do'—it requires our action. These are not pretty words on a piece of paper just to be forgotten about. The veterans covenant is the contract for men and women who have never served, to recognise that there are people who have put on that uniform, have been willing to place themselves in harm's way and sometimes get physically or mentally injured in that process. 'For what they have done, this we will do.' We honour them and we respect them by living up to our side of that contract. They have done their job. We have to do our job. It's an action statement, and it requires us to take the action required to support our veterans and their families.

I urge the minister to think seriously about the amendment put forward by the coalition in this place. To every member in this place: we have the opportunity, and it's an incredible opportunity, to stand up here and make speeches which require action to be taken which improves the lives of veterans and their families. Subject to the coalition's amendment, I commend the bills to the House and I look forward to working in the same spirit of bipartisanship I've demonstrated in these comments today with the minister when I return from the sin bin on 1 March!

Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025, introduced by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I commend him for doing so, and I note his presence in this chamber today.

I'm proud to come from a family who has served our country. My grandmother Jean Lynette Jordan and her sister-in-law, Sergeant Margery Steele—also known as 'Sarge Marge'—supported the Second World War effort from Australia through their work with the Australian Women's Land Army. My grandfather Stanley Jack Jordan served in the Air Force in the Second World War. My dad's grandfathers, Robert Bruce Baird and Alfred Caldwell, also served in the Air Force in Darwin during the bombings of 1942, but returned home to Melbourne postwar. My great uncles were not so lucky, and, sadly, perished while they were serving overseas. These men gave their lives to our country, and I'm proud to stand on their shoulders.

Once the soldiers returned home from the Second World War, many received pieces of land in regional Victoria—including my great grandfather, Stanley Jack. Stanley Jack was my grandfather's dad. He was provided a soldier settlement farm by the Australian government near Tatura, along with many veteran families. But living postwar wasn't easy. My grandfather recalls a time postwar when his dad, Stanley Jack, had woken up in the middle of the night and jumped out of a window from the fear of a nightmare. This is post-traumatic stress disorder, and it's a reality that many veterans live with every single day.

There's a reason we tell these stories. It's a part of us, and it's a part of our nation's shared history, shared heritage and shared culture. We tell these stories to keep them alive, to honour and remember those they're about, those who are no longer with us, those lives that were cut short at too young an age, like my great-uncles.

I'd like to tell you another story, about one of my mum's relatives. Hugo Throssell VC was an Australian soldier in the First World War. He served in Gallipoli, Sinai and Palestine, and he fortunately returned home to Australia safely. He was the first Western Australian and the only light horseman to receive the Victoria Cross, or VC, the highest award for valour in battle that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time. Unfortunately, even an honour like this doesn't take away from the pain. Hugo physically came home, but his mind never truly left the battlefield. Fifteen years later, Hugo committed suicide. These service men and women see unimaginable things. They go through unimaginable trauma and are plagued with this mental harm forever more. A statue of Hugo now stands in the Avon Mall in Northam, and his Victoria Cross can be seen in the Australian War Memorial here in Canberra. His legacy lives on and is a reminder to us all that we must do better. We must do better for veterans in our country, and that's exactly what this bill is about.

This bill is a response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which delivered its final report in September last year. I'd like to thank the current and former serving personnel and their families who have bravely shared their stories with the royal commission. The royal commission was an important moment for our country. It was a moment to give proper recognition to our ADF personnel and veterans for what they do for our country and at what cost. This recognition extends to the families and communities of ADF personnel and veterans. The royal commission was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to learn and strengthen Defence's approach to mental health and welfare and to create a better workplace experience for personnel. Most important were the findings. The royal commission found that, for our veterans and our servicemen, the system wasn't working.

The commission made 122 recommendations. Recommendation 122 was that the government establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole defence ecosystem. The royal commission said that this was its most important recommendation. It said that this recommendation would underpin all of the other recommendations that preceded it. This is the most significant action the Australian government can take to address defence and veteran suicide, so that's what we're doing.

In acknowledgement of the significance and urgency of this recommendation, in February 2025, the Albanese Labor government legislated the creation of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, and it's now been up and running since the end of September. Now we're establishing the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner and commission into its own standalone legislation, as it was always intended, and we're strengthening it. The role of the new statutory oversight entity is to provide independent oversight and evidence based advice to drive system reform to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for the defence and veteran community.

What's unique about this statutory oversight is its focus. There is a dedicated and sustained focus here on suicide prevention. Since this underpins the rest, it really matters that we get this right. We're ensuring that agencies implementing the royal commission recommendations are held to account in promoting long-term change and building the structural change the system needs to reduce the rates of suicide and suicidality amongst serving and ex-serving ADF members.

The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee gave a list of recommendations for what should be included in this bill. I'd like to thank the committee for their work, and I'd like to run through some of those really important recommendations now. The first recommendation is the implementation of standalone legislation for the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission, to reflect its independence. As I've mentioned previously, this bill is about delivering on this commitment. Recommendation 2 was that the commissioner functions include reference to veterans' families. The Senate committee review did just that. It means that stakeholders have an opportunity to raise their concerns with the legislation. These are the people who are closest to the issues at hand, the ones that will feel the impacts of these reforms every single day, and they're the people whose experiences have shaped this legislation.

There's no doubt that families of veterans play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of veterans. These families face their own unique challenges as well. That's why it's so important that these community members, the real people, form the building blocks of this legislation—because they really are the centre of it. I'd like to thank every member of the community who contributed to this committee's review. Your insights, your experiences, are invaluable.

This bill also strengthens the commissioner's independence and powers. The commissioner will be empowered to report to the Prime Minister when they are of the opinion that adequate and appropriate action has not been taken by a Commonwealth entity in respect to recommendations contained in a report of the commissioner. This is so powerful, because it truly puts the duty on the heads of Commonwealth entities to make sure that the commissioner is being assisted properly in carrying out their functions.

This bill will also make sure that the commissioner has all the relevant information needed for a special inquiry, enabling them to gain access to documents by remote means. It includes new offences for the provision of false and misleading information or the destruction of documents or things. These are all to support the commissioner to carry out their job to the best of their ability.

As for ensuring the commissioner's independence, a person will not be eligible to be appointed as commissioner if they have served in any capacity in the ADF within the past five years. The commissioner will be appointed by the Governor-General after a merits based and public recruitment process. This is important to mention. It's important that the commission and the commissioner remain independent so that we can ensure the purpose of this bill is met: independent oversight and evidence-based advice.

The bill also expands on the scope of witness protection by ensuring a person providing information to an inquiry is protected in doing so. And it improves the transparency of the work of the commission to ensure accountability for the commission itself and those subject to its oversight. This includes statutory deadlines for the completion of two inquiries into the Commonwealth's implementation of the government's response to the royal commission recommendations.

Veterans are really important. They have done so much for our country, and they do so much in our local communities. I'd like to share a little bit about the amazing Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch in my electorate of Gorton. This sub-branch RSL was established in November 2013 by Vietnam veterans Peter Burquest and Murray Lewis to support the growing number of veterans in Melbourne's western suburbs. The Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch began with just $65 in the bank. It officially opened in February 2014, and has grown into a thriving non-profit community hub with over 300 members. These 300 members are service personnel, veterans who have themselves served and their families, who have supported and stood by them.

This group is focused on welfare, companionship and supporting veterans from World War II to Afghanistan. This sub-branch is known for not having poker machines in their venues because they understand the potential for gambling harm. They're known for fostering veteran and family welfare and have strong community ties with local schools, scout groups, football clubs and other local community organisations. They're out and about in schools, talking about their experiences as ex-service personnel and about the impact of war. I'm proud to say that the SBS aired a documentary highlighting the history of the Caroline Springs RSL sub-branch, interviewing a number of members. The documentary shared the sometimes untold scares and sacrifices in the service of the Defence Force. It looks honestly at the impact of service on these veterans.

If I may, I'd like to share a brief story of Bryan Ross. Bryan served in East Timor in 2002 and struggled with the transition to civilian life after his return. He found himself snapping at his wife and children. The turning moment for Bryan was when his son came home and told him that he'd never been the same since he'd come back from East Timor. It was then he knew that he needed help and he turned to Open Arms for counselling. Open Arms—Veterans & Families Counselling was founded by Australia's Vietnam veterans. It is Australia's leading provider of mental health assessment and counselling for Australian veterans and their families. Bryan is now actively involved with the RSL and is in a much better headspace with his family.

Early intervention and supporting mental health are so incredibly important for our veterans and their families. Our veterans and their legacy are ingrained in my community. We have a walk of honour in Aintree, which is a 600-metre walk in Woodlea Estate that features 150 individual plaques honouring veterans—each with their own story, their own experience and their own legacy. The 'Ode of remembrance' is played at 6 pm every Friday at the WestWaters Entertainment Complex in Caroline Springs. This social gathering provides a constant in the lives of veterans and their families and in our wider community as well.

The health and wellbeing of our veteran community is a priority for the Albanese Labor government. There's no doubt that we're committed to providing more effective and efficient support to veterans and their families. On Monday, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs announced that the Albanese Labor government is investing $739.2 million to improve the provision of the treatment and rehabilitation for veterans to reduce the impact of injury on them and improve their lifetime wellbeing. Modern clinical evidence shows that early access to the right care helps in a number of ways. It helps to improve daily functioning, prevent conditions from worsening, reduce long-term impairments, support mental health and strengthen long-term wellbeing and quality of life.

This reform is one of our government's responses to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. It's a response which recognises that fostering the wellbeing of veterans is one important protective factor against suicide. Mental health is so important. For so many, government mental health measures are a lifeline. This includes our veterans. These veterans have served in our communities and defended our country. They deserve their wellbeing to be accounted for—and their families too.

In my local community, in Melbourne's western suburbs, we have a beautiful war memorial opposite Lake Caroline. Like many in our community, I often go there for moments of peaceful reflection. I think about those who have given their lives to serve our country. I think about those who return home but live with the mental anguish of war. I think about those families who have grieved for their loved ones. I think about my own family and the legacy of Hugo Throssell VC. This bill is for all of you. I commend this bill to the House.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Link to 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.

Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was one of the most confronting and sobering inquiries this country has ever undertaken. It heard testimonies that no family should ever have to give or experience—parents speaking about the children they lost, partners describing the lives forever changed and mates remembering those who never made it home, not from war but from the aftermath of service. Again and again, the royal commission was told the same story of people who served their country with pride, who asked for help when they needed it and who became lost in a system that was fragmented, a system that was too was complex and too often unresponsive, a system that failed to see the human cost of delay, confusion and silence.

The royal commission made clear that these deaths were not inevitable. They were not isolated tragedies. They were the result of systematic failures that compounded trauma, injury and distress over time. That is why the royal commission identified its recommendation to establish a new independent statutory entity to oversee reform across the entire defence ecosystem as a key recommendation—not because it was easy but because it was essential. This was a call to action and a call for enduring oversight, real accountability and sustained reform long after the headlines fade and the hearings end.

The families who came forward did so not just in grief but in hope—hope that their loss would lead to change and hope that the future generation of serving and ex-serving members would be better supported than their loved ones were. This legislation is part of how we are going to honour that courage. It is how we ensure that the findings of the royal commission do not sit on a shelf but instead drive lasting cultural and structural change. It is about saying clearly and unequivocally that the lives of our defence personnel and veterans matter not only in service but long after it ends.

I'm honoured to speak in support of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. Together they represent an important step in strengthening the independence, authority and effectiveness of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner. They reflect the government's commitment to ensuring that the system reform across the defence and veterans system is enduring, transparent and accountable, and that it has sustained focus on suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes.

This Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025 replaces the current enabling legislation for the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission. In doing so, it transitions the commission and the commissioner out of the Defence Act and into standalone legislation. This approach is deliberate. It reflects the seriousness of the role the commission is intended to play and reinforces its independence from the agencies it oversees.

This bill also reflects the government's response to the recommendations from the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee following its report on 29 August 2025 into the existing enabling legislation. That committee recommended, among other things, that the functions of the commissioner explicitly include reference to veterans' families. Wellbeing does not exist in isolation. Supporting veterans means supporting the people who stand behind them. This recognition strengthens the commission's work and ensures reform is informed by the lived experiences of the entire defence and veteran community. The government has listened carefully to the committee's findings, to the evidence put forward by stakeholders and to the concerns raised during the inquiry process.

A key feature of this bill is strengthening the independence of the commission. To support that independence, it provides for the appointment of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner by the Governor-General. This is a significant safeguard. It ensures that the commissioner is appointed through a formal, merit based and public recruitment process, and that the role is clearly established as independent of Defence and other agencies. Prompt passage of this bill will facilitate the appointment of the inaugural commissioner in accordance with the provisions relating to appointment and terms, ensuring that the commission is fully operational and able to carry out its critical functions.

These reforms must also be understood in the context of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The royal commission deemed recommendation 122 of its final report to be the most important recommendation. The recommendation called for the establishment of a new statutory entity to oversee systems reform across the whole defence ecosystem. The royal commission was unequivocal in its findings. It identified that fragmented responsibility, insufficient oversight and a lack of sustained accountability had contributed to systematic failures with devastating consequences for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families.

In acknowledgement of the significance and urgency of the recommendation, the Albanese Labor government legislated the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission in February 2025. The commission has been up and running since the end of September last year. These bills build on the foundation by ensuring that the commission is placed on the strongest possible legislative footing. The role of this new statutory entity is clear: it is to provide independent oversight and evidence based advice to drive system reform, with the objective of improving suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for the defence and veteran community.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may resume at a later hour. The member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.