Message from the State President: Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide update

We thought it important to update you on RSL Victoria’s position after the Federal Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

While it was encouraging to see the Government respond quickly to the Royal Commission’s final recommendations, RSL Victoria believes there is much more work to do.

Our concerns are sadly backed by the increasing numbers of veterans seeking support from RSL Victoria.

Our team is looking at all aspects of the response for a more detailed review in early 2025 with the purpose of advocating to all political parties ahead of the 2025 Federal election.

However, right now there are many areas that all in the RSL community can join us in advocating for.

ALL RECOMMENDATIONS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED

There were 122 recommendations made in the Final Report of the Royal Commission, and they are all there for a reason; our veterans need them.

At this point in time, 20 of the recommendations are only agreed to in principle, while 17 are still under review and one is not supported.

While each recommendation may have varying levels of importance, we support all of them being implemented.

The sooner all recommendations are implemented, the healthier and safer our veteran community will be.

Of the recommendations that are not being implemented immediately, we have identified some as absolute priorities:

• 81 – The Department of Veterans’ Affairs to fund a program to support members’ wellbeing during transition to civilian life (Government response – agree in principle)
  Why we support: Understanding civilian life will support community integration which should not only help to reduce isolation but also support a transition of identity and reapplication of skills. This can enable the start of successful new careers or finding purpose in other pursuits.
• 87 – Establish a new agency to focus on veteran wellbeing (Government response – agree in principle)
  Why we support: Supporting veterans and their families to integrate with their new community, or returning to their pre-ADF community, is a key to wellbeing, support and new purpose following ADF life.
• 88 – Develop a national funding agreement on veterans’ wellbeing (Government response – additional work and consideration is needed to respond)
  Why we support: There is evidence that there is an overrepresentation of certain veteran demographics experiencing homelessness and incarceration.
• 99 – Improve compensation advocacy by funding professional, paid advocates (Government response – agree in principle)
  Why we support: The current grant scheme disadvantages charities and disincentivises a holistic care model and therefore presents service sustainability and service delivery challenges to support veterans and their families. A new approach is crucial to addressing these challenges.

The recommendation not supported by the Government (90(a) – remove the service differential for permanent impairment compensation) is one that we believe needs further investigation.  Currently the service differential can deprive some veterans of appropriate levels of compensation for injuries incurred during peacetime service.

Additionally, we note that the Royal Commission has shone a light on military sexual violence, the majority of which occurs during peacetime service with the victims being overwhelmingly female.

The service differential can mean female victims of sexual assault receive less compensation for any psychological injuries sustained.

WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE?

Through our day-to-day interaction with veterans we know that there are many areas beyond those 122 recommendations that also require urgent attention.

Given the response and the implementation that will commence in 2025 (an election year), this is a moment in time where the political microscope will be focused on how veterans are treated. This is a timely and important moment – one we will use to ensure that the voices of our veterans are amplified and heard.

An example of this was letters from RSL Victoria to the Federal Government and Opposition earlier this month on an area not covered by the recommendations, trusts for lump sum veteran compensation payments where applicable.

Our correspondence with Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh MP on this matter was featured in The Australian on Friday 6 December:

We can all help by reaching out to our local Federal MPs and urging the implementation of all recommendations. The specific recommendations mentioned in detail above are a good way to start that conversation.

At State Branch, we would like to work with you to bring to life the stories in your own communities that demonstrate why these recommendations need to be acted upon swiftly.

As mentioned, in early 2025 we will be circulating a more forensic review of the response designed to advocate directly to Federal Parliament before the election, but as we go into the holiday break RSL Victoria is already working proactively to see that our veterans get the results they deserve from this seminal moment.

Warm Regards,

Dr Robert Webster OAM

State President

RSL Victoria