Julie-Ann Finney responds to announcement of commission into veteran suicide
Julie-Ann Finney returned to the grave of her son David this week, to tell him a commission into veteran suicide had been announced.
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The Adelaide woman who led the successful national campaign for an investigation into veteran suicide has told the man who mattered most on her journey.
Julie-Ann Finney has been to the grave of her son David Finney, a navy veteran with PTS who died by suicide last year, to tell him Prime Minister Scott Morrison has finally agreed to a top level inquiry.
“I told my son I was incredibly proud of him and proudest of all to be his mum,” Ms Finney said.
“David matters and what he wanted matters. When the Prime Minister phoned me I knew I had to tell David first.
“It was a moment I could tell David there is an achievement here but also that we still need to look at the detail.”
Backed by many others, Ms Finney has fought a nine month campaign for an inquiry into the rate of veteran suicide that significantly exceeds that of the general population.
She collected almost 300,000 online signatures calling for a royal commission.
The 58-year-old from Blair Athol says she is yet to “fully understand” the difference between that and the PM’s announcement he will appoint an independent commissioner with the powers of a rolling royal commission.
“I’m getting calls from veterans who are scared that this investigation won’t be what’s required,” Ms Finney said.
“I have that bit of cynicism as well, as we all know the devil is always in the detail, so I will be asking to meet with Mr Morrison to understand more.
“But I am very grateful to the Prime Minister for this massive step forward.”
Mr Finney said she was “completely shocked” by the PM’s call as it came “totally out of the blue”.
She took the call in a taxi from Adelaide Airport having returned from Melbourne where she had attended the coroner’s inquest into the suicide death three years ago of veteran Jesse Bird.
“I was completely taken aback and overwhelmed because there had been no indication this was about to happen,” she said.
“It is a big moment for all of us who have campaigned so hard for the first national investigation into this horrendous situation that has been around for 100 years.”
The Government has announced initially it will spend $40 million to establish a permanent National Commissioner for Defence and Suicide Prevention to examine every suspected veteran and Australian Defence Force suicide.
Ms Finney said the focus could not only be on suicides.
“We can’t get our children back so we’ve got to look at veteran wellbeing and we can’t just focus on suicides,” she added.
“I’m not a veteran, I’m the mother of a veteran and I need to get some feedback from them about what happens next.
“I will be calling together a group to help advise on the terms of reference for the inquiry.
“This is the first day of the next part of the journey to get justice for those we talk about as our bravest and best but have treated so badly.”