LEGISLATION TO HELP PREVENT VETERAN SUICIDES
Helping to prevent suicide rates in current and past Australia Defence Force members is of the utmost importance to the Federal Government, Riverina MP and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack says.
Attorney-General Christian Porter has introduced legislation to establish the new office of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention and invited public feedback through a four-week consultation process.
Mr McCormack said the introduction of a National Commissioner was a significant step, particularly with a large population of veterans and defence force members in the Riverina and Central West.
“As the former Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel I will always hold the issues of our current and former defence personnel close to my heart,” Mr McCormack said.
“I fought to have the Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel to be included in the Cabinet and am pleased to be a part of a Government which is seriously tackling the challenges facing veterans, including mental health and suicide.
“Wagga Wagga plays such an important role in our defence forces as Australia’s only inland tri-service regional centre and is home to many veterans and current members.
“It is vitally important we look at ways in which we can take care of our more than 300,000 Australians which have served in our defence forces, in peacetime and conflict, both in Australia and abroad.”
The National Commissioner will have powers broadly equivalent to a Royal Commission. But unlike Royal Commissions which examine issues at a fixed point in time, the National Commissioner will be a permanent office that can continually monitor the implementation of its own recommendations to ensure long-term solutions are delivered, while also being able to examine new issues which may arise over time.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said the National Commissioner would be truly independent and would deliver genuine transparency as it helped to uncover the root causes and contributing factors in ADF member and veteran deaths by suicide.
"As the Prime Minister said when he first announced this important initiative, this is about being continually vigilant when it comes to the care and wellbeing of our veterans, as well as those serving men and women who protect our community and our freedoms," the Attorney-General said.
"The National Commissioner will also provide the opportunity for families and those people who have been personally affected by an ADF member or veteran death by suicide to share their story in a safe and supported way. Families will be very important to the work of the National Commissioner."
Feedback on the Bills is invited through the four-week public consultation process. Submissions received on the Bills will inform the ongoing refinement of the legislation for consideration by Parliament.
The Bills, and further information about the consultation process will be available at: https://www.ag.gov.au/about-us/national-commissioner-defence-and-veteran-suicide-prevention
Consultation page: https://www.ag.gov.au/consultation
Submissions on the Bills close on 24 September 2020.
If you, or someone you know, need support, you can contact:
• Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• Open Arms (current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel and their families are able to seek this free and confidential support) – 1800 011 046
• ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line (for current serving Australian Defence Force personnel and their families) on 1800 628 036.