Sky News Afternoon Agenda

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Sky News
Afternoon Agenda
Tuesday, 9 September 2025

SUBJECTS: Royal Commission into Veterans Suicide report, Implementation of recommendations from the commission, Access to support services for Defence personnel and veterans.

HOST, ASH GILLLON: Welcome back with Afternoon Agenda. It's been a year since the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide was issued. The latest data released has revealed there were 73 suicide deaths of current or former Defence Force members in 2023. Joining us live now in the Perth studio, the Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh. Minister, thank you so much for joining us --

MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL, MATT KEOGH: Good to be with you, Ash.

ASH GILLLON: -- we really appreciate it. 73 in the year, that's clearly far too many.

MINISTER KEOGH: One death is all too many, Ash, and I think especially not just for the individual and whatever they were going through, but for the family that they leave behind. The report showed that there's been over 1,800 serving personnel or veterans that took their lives between 1997 and 2023. This report gives us that last 2023 snapshot, but encouragingly, we're seeing that the numbers each year are starting to fall, but there's still a lot more work to do.

ASH GILLLON: And there is, especially when you look at that Royal Commission report and what's been implemented and what's still to go. As I understand it, nine recommendations have been implemented, 110 yet to be fully in effect. Are things moving at the urgent pace you would like them to be at, or how would you characterise the rate of progress?

MINISTER KEOGH: Look, I'm someone who would always like everything to have happened yesterday, Ash. But importantly, what the Royal Commission itself said was its most important recommendation to set up a statutory oversight body, the new Defence and Veterans’ Services Commission. We legislated that back in February. It will start formal operations later this month. We've had an interim head running that, and we're in the process. We're currently advertising for the permanent head for that body, and that will provide oversight both on the Government's implementation of recommendations, but also provide ongoing insight and advice onto what we can keep doing to bring down that rate of Defence and veteran suicide.

ASH GILLLON: And we've heard from a lot of victims throughout this process of learning more about veteran suicide and the causes. And what often keeps coming up is the toxic culture of Defence. Is that still the right term, do you think, to talk about the Defence Force? Toxic in culture?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, certainly, I think it's right to talk about culture, and that has a big impact. And if we look at the other recommendations we've already implemented, a lot of them go to that cultural change and strengthening some of the military discipline issues that arise from misconduct when it comes to sexual misconduct, but also making sure that we are taking the appropriate steps around personnel, where there's criminal allegations in the civilian side as well. But there is more to do. And as you mentioned, whilst we've got nine already implemented, there's 110 that we are also working on, and that'll include standing up the wellbeing agency next year. This year, we've been doing the work the Royal Commission called for on co-design, working with the veteran community to make sure we get the design of that right. And in particular, when it comes to veteran suicide, helping with that transition for people when they're leaving Defence service, rejoining civilian life. Because when we look at those stats that came out today, we see that where we see that the highest proportion of suicide is amongst that group that leave Defence involuntarily, usually because they've suffered an injury, that means they have to leave Defence service, making sure they get the right support services. That holistic approach to wellbeing is terribly important.

ASH GILLLON: The data also told us, for those people that did take their own lives, the majority of them had actually sought help in the year prior to that occurring. When it comes to the help that veterans are seeking and getting, I know there was a real problem for many years with the backlog of veteran claims. Where is that up to now? How long is the time period now for when a veteran will lodge a claim to when they can actually start receiving a case officer or someone to support them?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, when we came into government a bit over three years ago, there was about 42,000 claims sitting with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs that hadn't been looked at by anyone. And we've ingested all of those. We've worked through that backlog. Some of them are still being processed, but the vast majority of those claims have been now dealt with. Importantly. Now, for a veteran who lodges a claim for initial liability so they can get access to the health cover and services they need, that'll be looked at by someone within 14 days, and we're seeing them processed in around 100 days. They then go on to the next step, which is compensation. So, like a lump sum payment, that part is still taking some time. But being able to get access to the support services, the health services, if they need income support payments, getting able to get access to those now, on average, being done within 100 days is a huge improvement. Still more work to do, but it's a big change to what people were confronting only three years ago.

ASH GILLLON: I mean, the compensation side is really important too, though. So, when you say that takes some time, what are we talking? Weeks, months, years?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, that's taking a bit longer. That's probably another. It depends on the sorts of compensation sought and the different schemes that they come under. So, one of the issues we confronted was there was three different schemes, and some veterans could come under all three schemes, and that would really complicate the system. We've changed that law. So, from the middle of next year, there'll be one scheme that everyone comes under that means it will be quicker to process those claims as well. But you're still adding a couple of hundred days on top of the initial 100 days for compensation. We're trying to bring that down as well. Simplifying the system, which kicks in next year, will go a long way to helping with that as well.

ASH GILLLON: Yeah, we all hope that it works. Minister, really appreciate you coming and joining us. Thanks.

MINISTER KEOGH: Great to be with you.

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