Doorstop Interview – ANZAC House, Perth

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Doorstop Interview
ANZAC House, Perth
Tuesday, 9 September 2025

SUBJECTS: AIHW veteran suicide monitor; The Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide recommendations; Japan Defence Force rotations; Burswood racetrack

MATT KEOGH, MINISTER FOR VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Well thanks everybody for coming out today. It's lovely to always come and meet with RSLWA and I've been giving them an update on the Australian Government's progress in implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Final Report, which was received by government one year ago. And I was able to provide them with that update by pointing out that we've been able to already implement that what the Royal Commission itself said was the most important of its recommendations, the introduction of, the creation, of a new body. A statutory oversight body to monitor the government's implementation of the recommendations. But also, importantly, to provide ongoing advice to government about how we can continue to improve the life of our serving members, our veterans and families, and see the rate of suicide across our Defence personnel and veterans fall. We legislated that in February. And it will be up and running in just a few weeks’ time, in accordance with the timeframe set out by the Royal Commission. In addition to that, there's eight other recommendations we have already implemented, and we are working on a further 110 of the recommendations right now. We take the Royal Commission incredibly seriously, and implementing its recommendations is something that the government is absolutely committed to, making sure that we can see the rate of Defence and veteran suicide fall, and that we can improve the lives of our serving personnel, veterans and families. We released last week the Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and that includes action plans around more holistic wellbeing for our Defence and veteran community. But also a specific action plan for suicide prevention as well. And today, of course, we have received the latest update from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Defence and veteran suicide statistics. What we see in the latest update, which now takes us up to 2023, is that between 1997 and 2023 we had over 1800 Defence personnel and veterans sadly take their own lives. One death is one too many. But we are encouraged to see that over the last few years we have seen the number of personnel and veterans taking their own lives has started to fall. We obviously want to see that continue. And the things that we're doing to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission, to have a more holistic approach to wellbeing, the work we're doing to stand up a new wellbeing agency next year, is all targeted towards that outcome. The report of the Royal Commission was harrowing reading. The statistics we've seen released today in the latest update do not paint a pretty picture. The Australian Government is absolutely committed to dealing with the issue of Defence and veteran suicide properly. And that's why we are working so hard on implementing the recommendations to come out of the Royal Commission. And there's a great opportunity today to be able to provide that update to representatives of RSLWA here on Perth.

JOURNALIST: Obviously, there's been a slight decrease in the 2023 reporting period, but veterans still largely face higher rates of suicide than the Australian population. What more can the government be doing to address that statistic?

MINISTER KEOGH: Certainly, what we've seen in the statistics is that this still is the case, despite the falling number of suicides each year, is that the rate of suicide amongst the Defence and veteran community is higher than the general population. And that's why implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission is so important. The Taskforce that we established at the end of last year to guide and advise government on that implementation has set forward four priority areas. One was the implementation and standing up of the new Defence and Veterans Service Commission, the statutory oversight body. We've already done that, and it will start working. It's working just a few weeks’ time. The other areas that we are focused on, though, are wellbeing. And as I said, we've now released the Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, recognising that having a separate strategy for Defence and a separate strategy for veterans was not the right way to approach this. We have combined them so that we have a full life-cycle approach to supporting our veteran community when it comes to wellbeing. But also taking serious and important action when it comes to improving the military justice system, and also taking clear action when it comes to sexual misconduct and sexual violence in the Defence Force. That will not be tolerated and we have started the work already on the prevalence review that the Royal Commission called for, and we've already started developing the terms of reference for the sexual misconduct inquiry that will start consultation on those terms of reference soon, and that inquiry will start next year.

JOURNALIST: Can you just give us a bit of an insight into your reaction when you saw the statistics? Because, like you mentioned, as much as they are going down, it is still the number one cause of death for veterans in Australia.

MINISTER KEOGH: Suicide remains the number one cause of death for our young veteran community. It remains the number one cause of death for young people in Australia. But the rate of that suicide amongst our Defence and veteran community is higher than the general population and it remains higher. It's why we called for the Royal Commission. And it is a sad day every day we see this. Whether it's in a report which brings together those statistics, or whether it's in a media report or report that comes to me as Minister of somebody taking their own life, that is a tragedy. It's a tragedy for them. It's a tragedy for the family members that they leave behind, and it's why we're so committed to making sure that we implement the recommendations from this Royal Commission.

JOURNALIST: Just one more thing, sorry. Mentioned as well that stats are, they've left for involuntary reasons. And you mentioned, obviously, that gives a focus on what you can do for greater support. How will these changes, kind of like target that cohort?

MINISTER KEOGH: Yeah, one of the things we see in the statistics that's come out from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is that the highest rates of veteran suicide is amongst that group of people that have involuntarily left the Defence Force. It's mainly those that have left because of injury. And so the standing up of a new wellbeing agency by the government, following one of the recommendations of the Royal Commission, which will assist in the managing and assisting that transition for people who, when they're leaving the Defence Force, especially that cohort who are leaving involuntarily, usually because of injury, making sure that they get the additional support they need. And not just at that time of transition, but being able to provide that assistance as they transition into civilian life and on an ongoing basis to meet their needs. Because sometimes, we find that it's not at that point of transition or immediately after, it can be a couple of years down the track that things really kick in for some people, and they need that additional support. And if we're going to turn around these statistics, we need to make sure those supports are available when they're needed to make that difference.

JOURNALIST: And did this report make you feel like you need to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission faster?

MINISTER KEOGH: Certainly, we were very clear as a government when we received the final report of the Royal Commission a year ago that we needed to take action, and we needed to do that quickly. And it's why we provided the government's response to the Royal Commission within only a few months of receiving that final report. So there was a clear articulation of what government would be doing. And we've been working, particularly initially after that, on how do we stage that out. Some of these recommendations take longer than others because they're interrelated and there's co-dependencies. But we are taking action swiftly. And I think every time we see a report like we've received today, it just reinforces the need to work through those recommendations in a methodical way, making sure that we're doing the work to get them implemented as soon as possible, bearing in mind that some of those recommendations rely on other recommendations being put in place first.

JOURNALIST: And you've said that there's nine recommendations that have been have already taken, have begun or been completed. You were specific about one of them, but what are the other recommendations? What are you doing?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, in addition to setting up the new Defence and Veteran Service Commission, the oversight body, the recommendations already implemented largely revolve around the discipline system within the Defence Force, and to some extent, also sexual misconduct policies within the Defence Force as well. Making sure that a tough approach on those issues of sexual misconduct, sexual violence, is very clear through the Defence Force and with commanders, as well as making it clearer for people that are going through some of those discipline processes that they'll still be supported. But it's important that we take a tough line on some of these issues where that has not occurred before. For example, that there is a presumption of discharge for people that commit sexual crimes in the Defence Force, just like if you are found to be taking drugs. Making those policy changes of what we've been able to do so far, and there's a lot more to do.

JOURNALIST: In your role as Defence Personnel, Richard Marles last year said that a Japanese Defence Force rotation would be coming to Northern Australia in 2025. They didn't, they went to Townsville. There was previously an expectation that they would be annually based alongside US troops in Darwin. Do you know why they've decided against going to the Northern Territory?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well so far they've been to Townsville as part of that effort. A lot of the work that happens through exercise Talisman Sabre, which happens every two years, is based out of Townsville and Rockhampton, because that exercise is held in northern Queensland. But what you'll find across all exercises like Talisman Sabre and others is they work across the entirety of northern Australia, and no doubt they'll have engagement with the Australian Defence Force in various different modes, in different places.

JOURNALIST: The NT Chief Minister says, though, the territory can't rely on Canberra to help get forces to the jurisdiction. Is that fair?

MINISTER KEOGH: One of the things that we did when we first came into government was the Defence Strategic Review. And part of the recommendations that came out of that, and that's reflected in the National Defence Strategy, was a need to have a more northern focus on what we do in the Defence Force. And you've seen that, both in our posture around Townsville and Darwin, but also the hardening, strengthening and expansion of bases across the entire North, including the north of Western Australia, bases like Curtin, but also what's happening in Learmonth, what's happening Cocos and Keeling Islands. And so it's not just about where those personnel are based, but it's also about where they operate from and are able to deploy from. And we've been implementing those recommendations to government from the Defence Strategic Review that will go to that.

JOURNALIST: Minister, what are your thoughts on the proposed or the proposed project that is going ahead at Burswood at the moment, the racetrack and entertainment precinct? Two of your federal colleagues have weighed in. Where do you personally sit on the project?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, my electorate's not that close to Burswood. The issues that have been raised with me by my community are much more focused on the work that the government is doing to make housing more affordable and accessible to the community. things like the new 5 percent deposit requirement go down very well with my community and our laser-like focus on the cost-of-living measures, whether that's through cheaper medicines or the work that we've done to bring inflation down across the board. That is really the issues that my community is focused on. And I'm not, I know people have got some very strong views about that proposal at Burswood, but it's not something that's impacting on my community.

JOURNALIST: So you don't agree with what Patrick Gorman said on Sunday about his thoughts about the project?

MINISTER KEOGH: I completely understand local members have got some very strong views that reflect the views of their communities. I'm just saying it's not something that I've engaged with with my community, which is not really that close to Burswood.

JOURNALIST: Do you think he should have, you know, come out criticising the WA Government?

MINISTER KEOGH: I'm not going to run a commentary on what Minister Gorman, as a local member for Perth. He's reflecting the views of his communities, and that's what I think we would expect any local MP should do.

JOURNALIST: Do you understand? I mean, has it? Have you seen it as like, quite a divisive project, given our two federal MPs have weighed in, and we understand there's been a tension within state Labor. What are your personal thoughts on the project?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, I'm not so concerned about that project, because I'm much more concerned about what affects my community directly as a local MP. But I think it's clear from what you've articulated that there are a diverse range of views about the project.

JOURNALIST: Couple of Defence related questions from Canberra. When will the ADF Weaponisation Inquiry be completed and handed to the Minister?

MINISTER KEOGH: Yes, so the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force is running that inquiry into the weaponisation of the military justice system. That was something that was called out by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Submissions for that inquiry have now closed, and the IGADF will work through the conclusion of that. But the IGADF is independent of government, so I'm not clear on when he intends to produce the final report on that.

JOURNALIST: Okay, and will Defence release or not enforce NDAs on sexual assaults that were routinely signed, given the alteration for the first one this year?

MINISTER KEOGH: I would need some greater context on that question. But I will say this, certainly I was not in any way supporting enforcing NDAs when it came to giving evidence to the Royal Commission, I want to be clear about that. But I don't know the broader context of what you’re asking.

JOURNALIST: Just back on the Royal Commission with the veterans. We've got 122 recommendations that you're hoping to have implemented eventually. Do we have a timeline for that?

MINISTER KEOGH: So that's what we've been working through with the Taskforce that was set up right now. So we are working through the final timelines. The priority areas for implementation, as I said, right now, are around the new commission that stands up in just a couple of weeks’ time, implementation of the wellbeing recommendations, in particular supporting the new wellbeing agency to get that up and running next year, the sexual misconduct inquiry next year, and also making the changes that are necessary, both in regulations and in legislation, over the course of next year as well. And those things are necessary too, and they will enable implementation of a whole range of other recommendations that come from the Royal Commission. Part of that will then be in the hands of the Parliament. The quicker we can move through those changes, the quicker we can then get on with the changes that rely on those the recommendations that rely on those changes as well.

JOURNALIST: So I guess you've mentioned 2026 a lot, but how about, are we expecting to go into 2027, and 2030?

MINISTER KEOGH: My expectation at this stage is that the vast majority will be implemented by next year, but there will be some that will follow on a little after that. And that, bearing in mind, some of the recommendations specifically say that work should happen in certain time frames, and some of them call for reviews to happen a few years after the implementation of recommendations. So even according to the timeline set out by the Royal Commission, you wouldn't have all of them done by 2027. Just some of them they've set out past that point.

JOURNALIST: Sorry, just a follow through on the racetrack. Did you view Madeleine King's comments yesterday as pushing back on Patrick Gorman and kind of pulling him into line a little bit?

MINISTER KEOGH: No I didn’t see.

JOURNALIST: Well she basically, she reiterated her full support, and did push back on …

MINISTER KEOGH: Yeah, I'm not running a commentary on what different people’s views are on a state government project.  

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides 24/7 free confidential crisis support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families on 1800 011 046 or the Open Arms website. Safe Zone Support provides anonymous counselling on 1800 142 072. Defence All-Hours Support Line provides support for ADF personnel on 1800 628 036 or the Defence Health Portal. Defence Member and Family Helpline provides support for Defence families on 1800 624 608