The interim report from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is a confronting indictment of the way governments have treated both current and former services personnel.
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It presents a situation that is tragic in its personal impact on veterans and their families. The commissioners were tasked with asking hard questions of the institutions that affect the lives of serving and ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force, and they haven't flinched in outlining the clear and continued failures of successive governments in the veterans' affairs portfolio.
The report's commentary on the following statistics sum it up succinctly: commissioners identified more than 50 previous reports, and more than 750 recommendations, relevant to the topics of suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members.
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These failures over many years are not only a source of dismay, but also grief and, understandably, anger.
While the Royal Commission's terms of reference were broad, it is a poor reflection on previous governments that the interim report singles out changes needed in the public service as one of the immediate solutions. Some of the actions of the previous Coalition government - particularly its staffing cap and resourcing decisions - appear to have contributed to the failings of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
The Labor government has already promised to add 500 public servants to DVA's staffing.
The real test will be whether this is enough to clear the massive backlog in compensation claims. As the commissioners point out, Labor will have to listen carefully, and DVA will have to speak clearly, about the exact level of funding and type of resources needed for this. The interim report recommends the backlog is cleared by 2024. It should happen sooner, if possible.
The government can also act now by forming legislation that simplifies the diabolically complicated sets of laws overarching veterans compensation.
To make change, Labor will need to put reforming veterans services at the centre of its agenda. It will need to adopt a sense of urgency. Serving and ex-serving ADF members have waited too long.\
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