‘Broken soldiers’: Toowoomba RSL president questions outcomes, cost of suicide royal commission

A royal commission to investigate suicide rates among returned veterans appears likely, but the president of Toowoomba’s RSL is not convinced what results it will yield for the time and money spent.

Scott May of the Toowoomba United RSL sub branch. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The president of the Toowoomba RSL Sub Branch has come out against the push for a royal commission into suicide rates among returned service-people, saying it is unlikely to solve the problem.

Scott May’s comments come after the Australian Senate passed a unanimous resolution calling for one to investigate more than 500 veteran suicides over the past few decades.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated he wouldn’t be opposed to forming one.

While he acknowledged there were higher rates of mental illness and suicide among returned servicemen and women, Mr May said a royal commission was a costly and time consuming way of addressing the issue.

“The number of service-people who have taken their own lives has been over-representation (compared with the general public),” he said.

“I know of people who have committed suicide who served in defence, but they also had other things going on their lives.

“There are a lot of people calling for an RC, but I think it should be a broader look into suicide in our community.

“Nobody knows what it’s going to yield, and they take several years to get your findings.

“What do those proponents plan to do in the meantime when veterans are still killing themselves?”

Mr May said the RSL had placed a focus on encouraging defence veterans to seek out support for mental health issues.

He said the public, politicians and even veterans themselves fell into the trap of characterising returned service-people as “broken soldiers”.

“We hold our service personnel in high regard, but when they are discharged there seems to be a move away from them being ‘Diggers of the Anzacs’ to being broken veterans,” Mr May said.

“We need to take ownership of the problem and reach out to services.

“We get put up on a pedestal by the general population, and there seems to be an entitlement among the veteran population (because of that).

“We come from a vocation where we are taught to better ourselves all the time and think on our feet, yet when we get out of defence all that learning goes by the wayside.

“It’s almost a badge of honour to take on the mantle of the broken soldier.”

Mr May said he knew of many friends who returned to civic life with mental health problems but managed to overcome them and lead prosperous careers.

“(When I needed help) I got online and put through a claim into the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the amount of help I receive is amazing — I took control of my issues and dealt with it,” he said.

“I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD but it’s not who I am.

“I know a lot of guys who have injuries and illnesses who are also quite successful.

“My younger brother ran over an explosive in Afghanistan and he now works as a firefighter.”

Mr May encouraged any veterans who were experiencing mental health issues to call the Veterans and Families Counselling hotline on 1800 011 046, or speak to the Toowoomba RSL.