‘We weren’t ready’: Startling admission made in veteran suicide inquest

The Department of Veteran Affairs made a startling admission in its submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. See the claims.

They blamed old computers, a lack of staff and even their own former ministers.

But in the end the Department of Veterans Affairs in a startling admission claimed they simply did not understand the nature of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, behind the national tragedy of veteran suicide in Australia.

Even the Great War and Second World War didn’t encounter as many complex issues with returning soldiers as now, the DVA claimed in solemn evidence that left commissioners with raised eyebrows.

In evidence before the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, department officials largely dismissed criticism of their own lack of management and oversight which previous hearings had concluded fell well short.

Legacy processes were to blame for not coping with an influx of claims partly generated by a Veterans Recognition Program that attracted so much interest in White Card and other benefits and led to an influx of claims.

They hoped to get more veterans to engage with the DVA but were not ready for “new veterans” and were not well connected to Defence to understand the flow of contemporary veterans.

A Royal Commission into veteran suicide is currently underway.

“We weren’t as ready as we could be,” DVA acting deputy secretary Kate Pope told the commission, as she said the department could not anticipate the complexity of claims because they didn’t understand the wars.

Commissioner Peggy Brown repeatedly asked why the DVA did not anticipate the number of claims.

“We didn’t know very much about the experiences of those who served from 1999 onwards, we weren't in close sync with Defence, we were not having conversations about what the flow was going to look like, we should have been but we didn’t, we weren’t,” Ms Pope said.

“So we weren’t ready … I imagine Defence probably didn’t know what veterans would look like either. I think the frequency, tempo and rigours of deployment at that time both in peacekeeping and war like operations. I believe there is a description that that was the most intensive period in the history of Australia’s involvement in warfare – I might have that wrong – certainly the First World War and Second World War were very intensive but the repeated deployment and returns and the kind of conditions to which people were exposed had not been seen before and those things I don’t think we did a good job of anticipating.”

Department of Veteran Affairs reveals to Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide that it did not understand the nature of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Picture: Gary Ramage.

There was, the commission suggested, a complete lack of strategic outlook.

In earlier evidence, the commission was told an outside agency was brought in to look into its affairs.

A report concluded the department was a “bleeder” – described in graphic detail as akin to a bleeding artery that if not fixed would kill a patient.

“The need for focus is blindingly obvious and real … the department is in crisis, it is just that no-one realises we have a bleeder on our hands!” one internal report warned.

Other officials blamed legacy processes and systems, budgets and staffing levels and even defence and veterans ministers from the former Scott Morrison government who visited Defence bases and actively encouraged troops to make claims before they retired.

The shout out for claims by the Coalition government, and promoted by the department was made despite recognition changes were not in place to cope.

DVA Secretary Alison Frame is expected to give evidence all day on Wednesday.

If you or anyone you know needs help:

Lifeline : 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 635, beyondblue.org.au

Open Arms Veterans and Families Counselling : 1800 011 046, openarms.gov.au

Originally published as ‘We weren’t ready’: Startling admission made in veteran suicide inquest