Veterans MP Darren Chester rejects calls for royal commission into veteran suicides

A grieving Adelaide mum’s battle for a royal commission into veteran suicides has suffered a major setback.

• Julie-Ann Finney’s campaign continues for royal commission
• Grieving mum seeks Royal Commission into son’s death

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Darren Chester says he will not support a royal commission into veteran suicides, despite meeting with a grieving Adelaide mother for the second time in Canberra yesterday.

Julie-Ann Finney, who has collected 264,000 signatures calling for a royal commission since her son David took his own life in February, met with Mr Chester and Department of Veterans’ Affairs secretary Liz Cosson.

“I told Mr Chester that the only support to deny a royal commission came from ex-service organisations and the Government, and that their reasoning was not valid,” said Ms Finney, pictured.

“I asked him to come out and support a royal commission because now is the time.

Julie Anne Finney holds an image of her son David at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/Advertiser

“While the initiatives are great, they don’t investigate the issues. He said he still doesn’t support one because it will bog the DVA down for two years. I said, ‘You can’t just bury hundreds of our bravest and not investigate their deaths’.”

Ms Finney made it clear that a royal commission would not only be investigating the DVA, but also the Defence Force and other organisations dedicated to helping veterans.

“Mr Chester said he would rather fix the veterans’ issues now, but I said, ‘Are you then going to have hundreds of coronial inquests?’ And he said, ‘Yes, if that’s what it takes,” she said.

A spokesman for Mr Chester said the minister “appreciated the opportunity to meet with Ms Finney again”, but it was a private meeting and it would not be appropriate to comment “out of respect”.

Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, VC, has backed a royal commission, saying it would allow an open and transparent look at the leadership of Defence, who he has accused of protecting their own careers rather than helping soldiers.

Originally published as Veterans MP Darren Chester rejects calls for royal commission into veteran suicides