Save our Heroes: Scott Morrison meets grieving mums to outline veteran suicide inquiry
A week after an independent commissioner with the powers of a rolling royal commission to investigate veteran suicide was announced, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has met privately with the grieving mothers spearheading the calls.
NSW
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The trio of brave mums driving the investigation into veteran suicides have met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Julie-Ann Finney, who has collected almost 300,000 signatures calling for a royal commission since her 38-year-old navy poster-boy son David died a year ago, met with Mr Morrison on Wednesday in Canberra.
She was joined by Nikki Jamieson — who buried her army private son Daniel Garforth, 21 — and Colleen Pillen, whose son Michael Powers died before he was due to be deployed to Iraq.
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The three mothers met with Mr Morrison to discuss their concerns around the newly announced commission.
“We wanted to know the details of this rolling commission and what exactly it is compared to a standing royal commission and also whether the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Force will be held accountable,” Ms Finney said.
“The Prime Minister reassured us and I did ask for him to write it officially in a letter how this review will be the same as a royal commission and he agreed to that.”
The grieving mother — who was backed by The Daily Telegraph’s Save Our Heroes campaign —. said while she “remains grateful” for the government’s commitment to veterans and their mental wellbeing, a royal commission is the “right thing to do”.
“I have always started with we need a royal commission and I have actually ended with we need a royal commission.
“As I went into the detail I realised there was so much in the past that is not going to be unpacked,” she said.
The government announced the standing commissioner would have the powers of a royal commission to investigate past and future suicides.
Ms Finney’s petition was presented to Senator Jacqui Lambie in Canberra yesterday.