Interview, ABC Radio National, Government’s Response to the Royal Commission Interim Report

E&OE transcript
Radio Interview
ABC Radio National

HAMISH MACDONALD: The toll of battle isn’t just felt while soldiers are on the field. The rate of veteran suicide is higher than the general population. We know that. And now the Minister in charge has said sorry to former and current former military personnel, saying over the decades they have been let down. The apology is part of the Government’s response to the Royal Commission’s Interim Report. Matt Keogh is the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and joins us now. Good morning to you. 

MATT KEOGH: Good morning, Hamish.

HAMISH MACDONALD: You’ve said sorry in Parliament. What difference does an apology make? 

MATT KEOGH: I think an apology is important because part of the issue that veterans and serving personnel and their families, especially the loved ones of those who have taken their own life, have been grappling with is being heard and feeling like they’re being heard and having an acknowledgment that the way in which these agencies have operated has in some cases in no way been appropriate. And it’s important to acknowledge that to provide that recognition and to own up to the fact that the way these things have turned out, the way some of these agencies have operated at times has not been appropriate.

HAMISH MACDONALD: Matt, I’m just going to pause things for a moment. I think you’re in a studio in Parliament House; is that right? We’re just getting terrible audio from you. We think maybe the wrong microphone is turned on. I’m talking to Matt Keogh, the Veterans Affairs Minister, who has issued this apology on behalf of the Federal Government to veterans and serving soldiers as well in relation to the Interim Report from the Royal Commission. 

Let’s try and return to Matt Keogh and see if the audio is any better. Apologies for that sound. I’m not sure it is. No. We might just go to a promo and try to return in a moment. This is RN Breakfast. 

HAMISH MACDONALD: This is RN Breakfast. Thanks for bearing with us. Apologies for that. It’s 20 minutes to eight and Matt Keogh is the Veterans’ Affairs Minister. Thanks for being with us this morning. I think we’ve got those issues sorted. How do you tackle this suicide rate? What practically can be done to turn this around? 

MATT KEOGH: Well, there’s a lot to unpack here, Hamish, and there’s been a lot of reviews over a long period of time, and it’s why we were so supportive of the holding of a Royal Commission when we were in Opposition, because clearly something is going very, very wrong. Particularly when we look at the suicide rate within the serving personnel population, it’s incredibly low compared to the general Australian population, but with the veteran population, it’s much higher than the general Australian population. So, there’s a lot to unpack and that’s what the Royal Commission is doing. With its Interim Report here, it’s looked primarily at issues around how the Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates, and it’s highlighted, for example, that the long delays in the processing of claims are clearly adding pressure onto veterans and that they see that as contributing to suicidality. And that’s why looking at that backlog – from Opposition we made a commitment to employ 500 additional staff into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs so that we can get through that backlog.

HAMISH MACDONALD: Forty-two thousand claims, I think, are still being processed. How long will it take to clear that backlog? 

MATT KEOGH: The Royal Commission has said to Government that we should aim to get through that backlog by March of 2024. We’re advised by the department that by bringing on these 500 additional staff, we should be able to get through that backlog by the end of 2023 and that’s what we’re aiming for. Of course, if we can get through it faster, we would love to be able to achieve that too.

HAMISH MACDONALD: That does still seem a very long time away for these individuals. 

MATT KEOGH: Look, it’s certainly a long period of time and we would like to be able to get through it as quickly as possible, and the department’s also now implemented some triaging in its assessment of these claims so that it can prioritise those for veterans that are most at risk, those that need support most urgently, because we recognise that the length of time that veterans can be waiting is a long time. There’s also a number of conditions now that are pre recognised as being a result of Defence service so that as soon as those claims are lodged, treatment can be provided to veterans in relation to those claims. So, they can get the sort of rehab services and other services they need as soon as possible. And of course, for all veterans – and that’s anyone who served more than one day in our Defence Force – they are immediately able to access mental health supports. And so, we do urge people to reach out and get those supports through Open Arms and through contacting DVA if they feel they need that support so that we can provide the best support to veterans as possible even while we’re still processing the rest of their claims.

HAMISH MACDONALD: I’m just wondering, though, do you acknowledge for an individual that finds themselves in this circumstance where they have lodged a claim, it’s been with the department for some time, that waiting until the end of next year is itself not acceptable? 

MATT KEOGH: It’s a really difficult situation. It’s why we have taken on doing this triage processing and trying to prioritise those claims where people are most at risk or families are most at risk of those veterans so that those who do find themselves in the worst situations can get their claims processed more quickly than that. And yes, it is an unacceptable situation that we’ve now found ourselves in where there are 40,000-odd claims that are sitting in a backlog in addition to the 20,000 odd claims that we try to process every year through the department. And obviously we need to massively increase our rate of processing. The fact that this situation has been allowed to eventuate because of a lack of resourcing being provided to the department is terrible. It’s part of what I’ve apologised for in the Parliament yesterday. 

The important thing is that we are now taking the action necessary, employing the additional staff, implementing systems to make processing more efficient so we can get through this as quickly as possible, and making sure that those veterans that are in the harder situations get their claims prioritised.

HAMISH MACDONALD: What strikes me about meeting and interviewing so many of these veterans in recent years who are going through some form of trauma is that it’s not just the reality of what they went through on the battlefield and the impact that’s had on them, but it’s actually the reality of them being stuck in this system of trying to get a response and trying to get the help they need that seems to make it much worse. Do you acknowledge that – that actually it’s the system, it’s the way the Australian Government has handled this in the aftermath? 

MATT KEOGH: Absolutely I acknowledge that, Hamish, and the Interim Report goes to that; the delays and some of the processes involved contribute to the suicidality that we see in our veterans. And indeed, the transition process itself, especially for Defence personnel who are not voluntarily leaving Defence but usually because of a medical reason now find that their Defence career has come to a shuddering halt, and that’s a life-changing event for them and their families. And having to recalibrate themselves into civilian life when that was not what they were expecting or wanting to do is incredibly difficult for people to grapple with, and we need to make sure that our transition support services, that our veteran affairs services assist with that transition, make it as smooth as possible, give it the best landing and operate as efficiently as possible. 

Now, part of this backlog has come from the department being better at communicating to serving personnel about getting their claims in before they’ve even finished service. So, a big number of the claims sitting with DVA now are for people who are still serving. And that’s a good thing, that we’re getting those claims in now, because we do want them to do that so that they can be processed ahead of when they may leave Defence. But it’s also meant that what’s been the problem is that there hasn’t been a commensurate increase in the resourcing into the department, and that’s what we’re doing now.

HAMISH MACDONALD: I acknowledge that these are interim findings, but I wonder what your observations are now as the new Minister around the culture of the defence forces and what that culture enables the organisations, the structures to do, in circumstances where an individual I suppose falls outside of what was expected, what was anticipated. 

MATT KEOGH: I think what I have seen in the 100 or so days that I have been the Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs is that especially with Defence it’s a very large organisation and there is work going on around making sure that the policies and the processes best fit what our serving personnel and ex-serving personnel need. But what we do find is that we’ve got to make sure that that becomes embedded through all levels of the organisation, and that is a process that somewhat takes time. And I want to see that take as little time as possible so that all parts of the Defence organisation and all parts of Veterans’ Affairs are singing, if you like, from the same hymn sheet and have the same cultural response to individuals at a human level, and recognise that we need to work with people and look after people, especially as they’re transitioning out of Defence and reintegrating into civilian life.

HAMISH MACDONALD: Matt Keogh, we’ll leave it there. Thank you very much.

END

Authorised by The Hon Matt Keogh MP

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