Statement on Significant Matters - Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

*** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY ***

People are our most important Australian Defence capability.

The resilience, dedication and professionalism of the Defence and veteran community underpin our national security. 

We want Australians to be attracted to serving our nation in our Australian Defence Force, and confident that they and their families will be well supported by their leaders, their mates and the broader Defence organisation. In addition, they should be safe in the knowledge that whatever may befall them in service, they, and their families will be properly looked after, and their service acknowledged by a grateful nation. 

We know that when a person joins the Defence Force, their family makes sacrifices alongside them. It’s important families are looked after in all stages of their defence journey. 

It is our nation’s duty to empower and support the mental health and wellbeing of our Defence and veteran community. There is an expectation they will be looked after. 

For too long, this was not the reality. 

It was the families of our Defence personnel and veterans that had taken their own lives, people like Julie-Ann Finney, who campaigned in honour of her son David who is here today, and Senator Lambie who also joins us on the floor of the House who worked with us to secure the establishment of a Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide in 2021. 

The Royal Commission heard from thousands of current and former serving defence members and families, particularly the families of those who no longer are here to speak for themselves. 

We heard of systems that were frankly broken, of culture that was toxic, and that simply not enough was being done to support our Aussie personnel in, and following, service. 

We’ve heard those calls and we’ve been acting. 

The Royal Commission released an interim report in 2022 containing the recommendations they deemed the most urgent – we took action on them all.  

Actions like clearing the unallocated compensation claims backlog - the 41,000 cases that had been sitting un-actioned.

And actions like ensuring that new claims are now being looked at by someone in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (DVA) within 14 days of being submitted. 

Good progress is being made on speeding up the system. New liability claims under the Military Rehabilitation & Compensation Act 2004 – the MRCA – are being processed in around 100 days. 

There is still more to do: we know there are still complex claims working through the system; and it is still taking too long to get through compensation claims.

The positive changes have also seen a significant increase in claims being made to DVA and an increase in the complexity of those claims 

All of this has re-enforced the need to simplify and harmonise the veteran compensation system and the disaster of the current tri-Act structure that causes confusion and frustration, which the Royal Commission found was a contributor to suicidality amongst our veteran community. 

We listened to stakeholders and engaged with the veteran and serving communities. After hundreds of discussions and multiple adjustments, we were able to pass the VETS Act – the Veterans Entitlements Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act in February this year. 

That means that from the middle of 2026, all veteran claims will be assessed for compensation and rehabilitation under one single piece of legislation that will be simpler to use and faster to process. 

This is the most significant reform to how we support veterans in a century and means we’ll be able to better provide the services and supports the veteran community needs, when they need them. 

In response to Recommendations 9 to 13 of the Interim Report, DVA and Defence have both worked to improve access to information for veterans and their families, simplifying the application process and making sure staff receive trauma informed training. 

In September last year, the Royal Commission released their final report – it was harrowing reading. 

7 volumes, and 122 recommendations.

We were tasked with effecting a once-in-a-generation opportunity for cultural change and reform.

By December our Government responded – 

We agreed or agreed-in-principal to 104 recommendations, and noted 17 for further work. 

Work has been undertaken at pace in the 9 months since – even with a Federal election in the middle.

This is not another report destined to live on the shelves. 

This is a living, breathing to-do list for Government to do better. 

Those who have seen action – as well as those that haven’t – deserve action. 

In December 2024, we established the Royal Commission Implementation Taskforce within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to oversee the development of comprehensive and considered advice on a whole of Government approach to implementing the Government response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. 

We also funded DVA to undertake important consultations and co-design work on an ex-service organisation peak body and the establishment of a new wellbeing agency within DVA.

By February this year, we had legislated a new oversight body – what the Royal Commission deemed to be the most important recommendation – the establishment of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission. 

As at the beginning of August:

• 9 recommendations had been fully implemented;
• and a further 110 are underway, including a number that were noted,  

With a significant number of recommendations to be completed by the end of this year – one year from the Government’s response to the Final Report.

The Royal Commission Implementation Taskforce has identified 4 broad areas for priority action, being:

• Wellbeing;
• Addressing military sexual misconduct;
• The military justice system; and
• The establishment of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission.
• the Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan; and
• The Suicide Prevention Action Plan.  

The establishment of a new oversight entity with a dedicated and sustained focus on suicide prevention was deemed by the Royal Commission as the most significant action the Australian Government can take to address defence and veteran suicide.

The Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission is a new statutory entity that will be up and running by the end of September – set to provide independent oversight and evidence-based advice to drive system reform to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for the Defence and veteran community.

The Albanese Government allocated $5 million to get the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission established, and today I can also announce that the Commission will receive significant operational funding of $44.5 million over four years.

We’re currently recruiting for the inaugural statutory Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner through a merit-based recruitment process. 

The Commission will perform their functions independently of Government to oversee reform across the Defence and veteran ecosystem. 

The Albanese Government has empowered the Commissioner with significant independent investigation powers into veteran supports and progress on implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

This appointment will drive systemic change and champion the wellbeing of serving and ex-serving ADF members across Government and the ex-service community. 

I want to acknowledge the recent Senate Inquiry Report into the legislative basis for the Commission and thank the Senators for their work and those that gave evidence. 

It has always been the Government’s view that the Commission would be best provided for in its own stand-alone legislation – something that was not procedurally possible for us to do at the beginning of this year – we will do this.

The Commissioner will be appointed by the Governor-General, to provide greater independence, and we will ensure there is appropriate inclusion of Defence and veteran families in its functions.

The Royal Commission identified the need to have a more holistic approach to wellbeing when supporting Defence personnel, veterans’ and families.

Today I’m pleased to share with you the joint Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. 

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and Department of Defence (Defence) have been working together, consulting since 2023, to develop the Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030 (the Strategy), together with: 

The Strategy complements the Defence and Veteran Family Wellbeing Strategy 2025-30 and the Veteran Transition Strategy – ­these are all key foundational documents for the new wellbeing agency.

In addition to early intervention and comprehensive care, it prioritises wellbeing from the day a person signs up for our ADF, until well after they have hung up their uniform for the last time. 

This strategy unites the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in their resolve to foster a culture of proactive wellbeing and mental health care – recognising that wellbeing exists on a continuum and cannot be segmented into service versus post-service life. 

This joint approach to improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for the Defence and veteran community will also begin to address recommendation 78 of the Royal Commission Final Report relating to moral injury, noting there is broader efforts, in partnership with Five Eyes nations, to research, minimise and prevent moral injury. 

Further, the Strategy underpins the activities in the Australian Government response to the Royal Commission Final Report. 

I sincerely thank all those current and former serving personnel and experts who have provided input to help shape the vision and goals of this strategy to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the Defence and veteran community. 

The Royal Commission laid bare the sad and disturbing failures in the treatment of women. Failures across the Defence and Veteran systems that reflect systematic and enduring problems that need to be acknowledged with honesty, addressed with urgency and never repeated.  

The Albanese Government is committed to addressing these failures through the development of the Women Veterans’ Strategy - a comprehensive plan to ensure both current and former serving personnel are valued and properly supported at every stage of their service and transition to civilian life.

This strategy will address either directly or indirectly 52 Royal Commission recommendations and is being shaped by the voices of women who have served. 

The strategy will address core areas such as health care, mental health, financial security, housing, and family support — all through a gender-informed lens.

This is about more than policy reform — it’s about fairness. It’s about ensuring that every person who puts on the uniform, regardless of gender, is backed by a system that truly sees and supports them. 

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide recommended the establishment of new agency to focus on veteran wellbeing, and to support ADF members’ transition to civilian life and their ongoing wellbeing. 

This is to make sure veterans who are transitioning, and their families, don’t fall through the gaps that can so easily emerge. 

The Albanese Government, provided $4.5 million to DVA to commence a co-design and consultation process with the veteran community on both the wellbeing agency and an ex-service organisation peak body.

A national roadshow has been held throughout this year with over 44 co-design discovery workshops across 15 locations around Australia, and online – working with more than 600 people. 

These sessions provided an opportunity for veterans, families, service providers, and Defence to help shape what the new agency should do and how it should do it. 

Work is now occurring to finalise the wellbeing agency operating model, including: its structure, functions, and areas responsibility, with a view to commencement mid next year.

Consultations have also been underway regarding the establishment of an ex-service organisation peak body as recommended by the Royal Commission. 

It is vital that this peak body is developed and owned by the veteran community, to ensure it achieves this vision. 

The Government supports this initiative and is up for the challenge but can only realise it if the ex-service organisation sector itself grasps the opportunity.

I encourage ex-service organisations, of all sizes, locations and focus to share your feedback on a peak body. It is only with your collaboration, engagement and support that this important recommendation can be realised. 

Continued improvement to veteran wellbeing requires co-ordinated and ongoing research across a range of fields by Defence and DVA. This was recognised by the Royal Commission across a number of recommendations. In particular, and understandably, there is significant interest in the Royal Commission’s recommendations relating to brain injury. 

The Department of Defence is working on a range of preventative measures to minimise exposure to activities with a link to causing brain injury. Additionally Defence is working with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, on the establishment of a comprehensive brain injury program to improve prevention, early detection and treatment pathways for current and former ADF members with neurocognitive issues. 

They will work together with other partner nation Defence forces to benefit from their research as well.

I am pleased to announce that DVA and Phoenix Australia have entered a strategic partnership to deliver a new model for research and evaluation in DVA. The model is called the Veteran and Family – Learning and Innovation Network of Knowledge (VF-LINK) and represents an investment of around $25 million over 5 years.

Phoenix Australia will lead a consortium that brings together expert researchers and research translators from across Australia, to undertake work relating to numerous recommendations relating to research and evaluation.  

This work is being prioritised so we can improve how we can better protect people from injury in service, and support them following service. 

Across Defence there has been significant progress in how mental health is supported, how mental health issues and concerns about suicidality are identified and the training provided to personnel in this space. 

There’s been huge take up of training – some 67,300 Defence personnel completed the Defence Suicide Awareness training between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.

Programs are being piloted across ADF training establishments, including at the Australian Defence Force Academy, to better support mental health, resilience and leadership development. 

This includes initiatives focused on early access to mental health services, peer mentoring and wellbeing resources.

The Royal Commission’s final report also contained a number of significant recommendations relating to Defence’s response to sexual violence. 

Defence is taking decisive and immediate action to strengthen the way we respond to sexual violence within the Australian Defence Force.

Recommendation 15 has been implemented through an updated central policy on sexual misconduct, which now provides clearer, more consistent guidance for commanders and managers. It outlines when to engage the Joint Military Police Unit, how to determine whether conduct may constitute a criminal offence, and introduces structured return-to-work protocols for those impacted by misconduct.

While the military justice system serves a distinct function, let me be clear: ADF personnel, like all Australians, are also subject to Australian civilian law — and our policies must reflect that accountability.

To improve clarity and alignment with civilian legal standards, Defence is reviewing and updating key frameworks — including the Defence Complaints and Resolutions Manual — to ensure that definitions of sexual offences and reporting pathways are clearly articulated and in line with equivalent civilian provisions.

Importantly, ADF prosecution counsel are now required to invite victim impact statements to be considered by a service tribunal during sentencing — aligning military practice with long-standing procedures in the civilian courts. This change will soon be reinforced through legislative reform.

Further, in November 2024, the Chief of the Defence Force issued a directive relating to recommendations 18–21 from the Royal Commission for the need to consider suspension from duty and involuntary separation of members alleged to have engaged in serious misconduct, including sexual offences, sexual harassment, intimate image abuse and stalking.

In response to Recommendation 22, Defence has now completed work to support the implementation of a presumption of discharge in circumstances where ADF members are convicted of sexual and related offences. This measure will be in place before the end of the year and supported by further legislative change.

These reforms represent a critical shift. 

They send a clear message: sexual misconduct has no place in our Defence Force. 

We are building a culture that does not tolerate abuse, that acts decisively when harm occurs, and that places the safety and dignity of all members — especially those who have suffered in silence for too long — at the centre of our actions.

The Royal Commission identified the need for independence in both research on the prevalence of military sexual violence among current and former serving ADF members and the establishment of independent inquiry into military sexual violence in the ADF. 

Given the focus on these recommendations being delivered independently of the ADF, the Taskforce is leading on both. 

The Royal Commission expressed concern about Defence’s lack of reliable, integrated datasets for military sexual misconduct and its inability to quantify the prevalence or measure the effectiveness of interventions. 

Recommendation 14 sought research into the prevalence of military sexual trauma. 

Such research will to inform Recommendation 25, an independent inquiry into military sexual violence. That research will commence shortly.

Work is also underway to develop the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry which will include consultation with current and former serving victims of sexual violence in the ADF. 

The Inquiry will commence in 2026, and its report and recommendations to Government will be made public. 

In relation to military justice, in parallel to the Royal Commission, the 20 year Review of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force – the IGADF – also occurred. 

The outcomes of that review were considered by the Royal Commission.

The Military Justice System seeks to balance the need for military discipline with the protection of individual rights, fostering a fair and ordered working environment for ADF members that minimises adverse mental health impacts on those who engage with the system. 

In August 2024 the IGADF commenced an independent inquiry into potential weaponisation of the military administrative system, examining whether the system has been, or could be, misused in ways that cause harm to ADF members and recommend improvements, in line with recommendation 30.

In November 2024, the Chief of the Defence Force directed commanders and decision-makers to consider involuntary separation in cases of substantiated serious misconduct including criminal conviction.

In December 2024, Defence established the Military Justice Assurance Branch to strengthen coordination of governance, assurance and policy functions within the military justice system. 

To improve the quality, consistency and communication of the inquiry process, Defence has created a dedicated Joint Workforce Capability Employment Manager role to strengthen training and provide guidance for those conducting administrative inquiries. 

The Office of the Inspector-General of Australian Defence Force continues to provide independent oversight through statutory functions such as reviews, inquiries, investigations and audits. 

The Government is implementing recommendations to improve the independence of the IGADF, including conditions of appointment, strengthening the IGADF under separate legislation and enhancing independence in staff selection.

Consultation has occurred on the introduction of a mandatory obligation to consider mental health issues during involuntary separation processes. These changes will require amendments to the Defence Regulation 2016, meaning implementation will be aligned with legislative change timelines. 

Defence is also assessing whether the support mechanisms available to members involved in the military justice processes are effective at meeting their needs and preventing harm. 

This is closely linked to broader work examining whether involvement in the military justice system may lead to adverse outcomes - Recommendation 33. 

Recommendation 23, to record convictions of civilian equivalent offences within Australian Defence Force together with civilian criminal records is also in train.  

Technical changes are required to ensure service convictions can be ingested by the National Police Reference System and to the National Police Checking Support Service System and should be in place by the end of the year.

There is of course still a lot more work to come on implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission, but a year on from its final Report, we’re making good progress. 

However, the Government has not limited itself to just the work coming from the Royal Commission, we set about improving supports for Defence personnel, veterans and families before the work of the Royal Commission was complete.

We’re better supporting people in service and we’re seeing more people choose to stay in the ADF for longer as a result. 

We’ve also expanded our Veterans’ and Families’ Hub network so people can access support close to home.

A common theme throughout the Royal Commission was discussion on difficulties engaging with both the Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs in relation to information access. 

While the implementation of recommendations 9 to 13 of the Interim Report have significantly improved this, there is still more to do.

On a very practical note, engaging with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is not as straightforward as it should be for the veteran community, and mechanisms like the DVA website were perhaps more of a barrier to providing useful information than a useful tool. 

And so I am really pleased to share with you that today the new and improved DVA website has gone live, it is more user friendly and includes a first of its kind for the Federal Government AI search tool that will actively answer questions from veterans about the supports and services they can and should receive. 

The Royal Commission’s task for us as a government is no small feat but we have no doubt that delivery of this will ensure the most comprehensive reforms to the systems, processes and culture to support Defence personnel and veterans and families ever undertaken in Australia. 

Implementing these reforms from the Royal Commission are not a nice to have, they are vital in ensuring that defence personnel, veterans and families receive the care, services and supports they not only need, but they deserve. 

We will continue to do what’s right – to take action on the Royal Commission as quickly as we can – it’s the least we can do.

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