Page 743 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 March 2021

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(b) on 18 March 2021 a motion was passed, unanimously, in the Australian Senate, calling on the Morrison Government to establish a Royal Commission into Veterans Suicide; and

(4) calls on the Australian Government to urgently establish a Royal Commission into Veterans Suicide, noting the Ministerial Advisory Council for Veterans and their Families have expressed a desire for a “standing”, or “rolling” Royal Commission, which allows for actions while any inquiries are undertaken.

I would like to acknowledge the thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are currently serving, or who have served, in the Australian Defence Force. I would also like to recognise and pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association of Australia, who work closely with other ex-service organisations to seek out Indigenous veterans and ensure that they receive the support they are entitled to.

I rise to seek the support of this Assembly to endorse and back growing calls from the community for a royal commission into veteran suicide. In doing so, I extend my deepest condolences to the parents, partners, children, friends and colleagues of veterans who have died by suicide. On 18 March 2021 the Australian Senate unanimously voted to support a royal commission. On 22 March the House of Representatives also voted to support a royal commission. This is due in no small part to Julie-Ann Finney’s tireless advocacy and her courage in sharing her very personal pain at losing her son to suicide.

The ACT has a significant veteran population, estimated at around 26,000 veterans and their families. I pay tribute to the organisations and groups that support our local veterans—ex-service organisations, local RSLs, the Veterans Support Centre, Canberra Legacy, Open Arms, Soldier On, the ACT Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen and Women Association, and many community-led groups that form a network of support on the front line of this issue. I thank them for their work and commit to supporting them in this.

The rate of mental ill health and suicide among veterans is much higher than in the broader community. Available estimates vary and, due to under-reporting, do not give us the full picture. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows that nationally there has been an average of one suicide death of a veteran per fortnight since 2001. I understand that since October 2020 that number is more like one per week. This data also does not take into account the “near misses”—those who have suicidal ideation but have not died by suicide.

The devastating impacts of suicide on families and the broader community are incalculable. For every life lost, a family and community experience the distinct grief and bereavement associated with suicide. Such bereavement can increase the risk of physical and mental health problems. It can be isolating and stigmatising.

Each and every death leaves a family anguished and searching for answers. Each loss exposes a chasm of complex systemic and institutional failings. Each death leaves a

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