Secret meeting allegedly thwarted public inquiry into Defence suicides

Emails exposed a secret meeting aimed at blocking an inquiry into Defence suicide deaths, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has heard.

A public push for an inquiry into shocking rates of military suicides was initially blocked after a secret forum was convened by the then Treasurer Josh Frydenberg with a select clique of “powerful” civilians, according to an ADF doctor.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has heard evidence the high level 2019 gathering in Mr Frydenberg’s Melbourne office included a “back door appearance” by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The then Coalition government in 2021 vocally opposed calls for an inquiry but did eventually buckle to public pressure to announce the royal commission.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Melbourne for a meeting mid-December 2019. Picture: David Geraghty.

But why the Coalition did not want the inquiry and why Frydenberg as treasurer convened such a secret meeting and who attended will remain just that – secret – after a claim of parliamentary privilege by Commonwealth lawyers.

Revelation of the meeting was made by former ADF Army doctor and captain Dr Daniel Mealey who was privy to a chain of emails which detailed the mid December 2019 gathering and which have now been suppressed.

He said the meeting was secret in that it was not advertised or promoted in the media despite it being convened by Frydenberg, attended by Morrison and “a group of mostly civilians in quite significant positions of power”.

Captain Daniel Mealey as an Australian Army Medical Officer deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan under Operation SLIPPER. Picture: Defence

Emails that recounted the minutes of the meeting revealed everyone at the table did not want the royal commission inquiry.

Instead it was proposed that an Office of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention be established and funding provided “for a project that was considered to be of value” to the organisations of the civilians present were linked to.

Commissioner Dr Peggy Brown asked why it was the then Treasurer was involved at all in such a meeting.

“I mean that’s a very good question, Commissioner Brown, why is the treasurer or the Prime Minister needed in … I don’t know what you want to call it … healthcare initiatives,” Dr Mealey said. “I don’t know. I think it’s excessive. It violates the principle of subsidiarily to have highest level of government to open healthcare and welfare services.”

Dr Daniel Mealey former Army doctor who served in Afghanistan, Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG, Victoria Cross recipient and James Brown retired captain and Afghanistan and Iraq veteran speaking at The Daily Telegraph’s Save Our Heroes Summit, held at The parliament of New South Wales. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Dr Mealey said it was never clear why the Coalition wanted to “experiment” with an untested national commission concept for one of the most traumatised demographics in the country.

He said after more than 37 reports, inquiries, and previous recommendations nothing has changed for veterans or those still suffering in the ranks.

“So something has to give and there has to be a morality shift in the leadership of the country and the leadership of the Defence Force that starts understanding that their leadership failures have caused over 1,600 deaths and countless lives ruined,” he added.

The latest royal commission hearing was at times combative with terse exchanges between the commissioners and lawyers representing the Commonwealth with interruptions, delays to evidence and demands for redactions mostly heard in-camera.

Originally published as Secret meeting allegedly thwarted public inquiry into Defence suicides