Federal Budget 2023: $129m for war crime investigations; $300m for vets’ health

The Office of Special Investigator received a major boost to probe alleged war crimes by Australia’s Special Forces in Afghanistan.

Investigators tasked with probing alleged war crimes by Australia’s Special Forces in Afghanistan will be given $129m over the next two years to bring cases to court.

The Office of Special Investigator (OSI) was set up in January 2021 to review findings made in the Brereton report into the actions of at least two dozen elite soldiers including alleged murders, unlawful shootings and cover ups by senior commanders.

The offences were claimed to have occurred during their deployment to Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

The figure includes $8.8m for legal advice and the securing of evidence from overseas witnesses including Afghanistan and Pakistan and $5.5m for the Commonwealth DPP.

The budget includes $129m over the next two years to bring Aussie war crimes cases to court.

Earlier this year the OSI made its first arrest and charging of a former SAS soldier for an alleged unlawful killing.

But the case load since the Brereton inquiry findings were made public in 2020 has expanded to more than 40 other potential incidents being probed including senior commanders altering mission briefs to cover up actions.

The OSI workload has seen a funding increase of about $2m for the 162 investigators and their operations including listening devices and telephone interception recordings.

$300M TO HELP AUSSIE DIGGERS

Investment in the welfare of our military veterans will almost double, with a more than $300m increase for handling their claims, pensions and post-service health needs.

In one of the most significant financial outlays in the federal budget for any government department, the Department of Veterans Affairs will receive an additional $328m on top of the $537.5m invested six months ago in the October 2022 budget.

The increase means the DVA – one of the most underfunded public services in Australia – will be supported at its highest level in about a decade at $627m a year.

The commitment follows last year’s Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans’ Affairs interim findings, which concluded the lack of financing over the years had created a “national tragedy” for serving and former personnel in Australia, with suicide rates above national civilian averages.

Soldiers will have better access to support under the changes. Picture: Cameron Bates

While the overall DVA funding was increased in the budget, so too were allocations specifically for veterans – with $318m in new money on top of the $354.8m allocation over the forward estimates to manage their welfare.

More than $200m will be invested to upgrade their IT systems for claims processing.

The funds will go towards boosting DVA staff resourcing to handle claims and reduce the backlog of payments that has plagued veterans and was cited by the royal commission as specifically contributing to their deteriorating mental and physical health.

Among the health-led initiatives will be the tripling in veterans access payment for GPs, and increase in medicines available on the PBS listings.

The government says veterans deserve better access to healthcare.

The funding package will also expand the eligibility for the Acute Support Package introduced in the October budget to include grandparents who are full-time carers of children of veterans.

This expansion acknowledges different challenges experienced by families and provides services such as childcare, counselling, household assistance, education support and financial aid for veteran families in crisis.

“Australia’s Defence Force personnel and veterans make a solemn commitment to serve and defend our nation,” Veterans Minister Matt Keogh said. “Their families also make significant sacrifices to support them. It is our duty to repay this in kind by providing effective transition, health and wellbeing support.”