Labor to vote against plan for veteran suicide commissioner

Labor has refused to back a proposed veteran suicide commissioner to investigate the deaths of ADF members, leaving the government to seek support from the Senate crossbench.

Labor has refused to back a proposed veteran suicide commissioner to investigate the deaths of Australian Defence Force members, leaving the government to seek support from the Senate crossbench.

The Opposition has revealed it would not vote for the federal government’s National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention amid concerns it would not go far enough to address the alarmingly high rate of current and former ADF personnel taking their own lives.

The Opposition has claimed it would only support a full Royal Commission into the issue, but would accept a permanent body — like the proposed commissioner — be set up to deal with the issue on an ongoing basis after that.

Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester told The Daily Telegraph he “can’t understand” Labor’s position backing “nothing rather than something”.

Australian soldiers in the field at Northern Kandahar. Picture: Department of Defence

“After careful consultation with families, veterans and current serving members, we took the view that this approach would have a lasting impact,” he said.

Mr Chester said the commissioner would be “fully resourced” under the Attorney-General’s Department and at arms-length from both Defence and Veterans Affairs, “as requested” by stakeholders.

“The reason we’ve gone down this pathway is because we recognised this ongoing commissioner would have a long-term approach to the issue, rather than provide a point in time assessment,” he said.

With Labor no longer backing the proposal, and independent Senator Jacqui Lambie also confirming it does not have her support, the government is relying on the remainder of the Senate crossbench to pass the legislation.

“My message to (the crossbench) is the overwhelming majority of veterans groups have publicly supported this policy and the formation of the new commissioner because they recognise it is a suitable response,” Mr Chester said.

“It builds on a range of policy reforms that have been undertaken over the last years and we need to keep the momentum going to support our veterans and their families.”

Labor’s veterans affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann said there was “nothing” of value in the proposed commissioner set up, claiming it would only amount to a “desktop review”.

“They’re not systematically looking at this,” he said.

“This will achieve nothing, in fact the families are saying it would do more harm than good.”

Mr Neumann said the commissioner would only act in a “private” capacity, however the legislation makes provision for both public and private hearings.

Veteran advocate Julie Anne-Finney, who lost her own son David to suicide last year, said she believed only a Royal Commission would bring about judicial reform to prevent future deaths.

“We don’t want this National commissioner,” she said.

”It won’t do anything for veteran wellbeing. It won’t do anything to stem mothers like me standing up here in the future.”