Overview of the Interim Defence and Veterans’ Services Commission
In July we met with the interim Defence and Veterans’ Services Commissioner. We heard firsthand about the significant work going into the establishment of the commission and what its remit would be.
Key priorities and advocacy
We discussed our respective submission to the Senate Inquiry into the enabling legislation with the interim commissioner highlighting some key changes he thought necessary including:
- The need for the Act to be separated from the Veterans and Defence legislation.
- Strengthening and protecting the independence of the Commission.
- Enhancing the reporting and transparency requirements of the Commission; and
- Ensuring the Commission can access the evidence it needs to conduct its inquiries and investigations.
Concurring with all of these points we also highlighted the substance of our submission, calling for two major changes:
- Strengthening of the objects of the commission; and
- Ensuring the impacts of families are included within the remit of the commission.
Highlighting that compared to the general population:
- Veteran families are 25% more likely to experience suicidal ideation.
- Children of veterans are 9% more likely to experience childhood distress; and
- Parents and partners of veterans are 14% more likely to experience psychological distress.
Looking ahead: systemic change and next steps
Ensuring that the commission can inquire into the mental health impacts of service beyond a veteran is fundamental to taking a systemic approach to change in our sector. The families of veterans shoulder the human costs of maintaining Australia’s peace, security, and way of life. Defending Australia has real impacts beyond the veteran and those too need to be factored into system reform.
We look forward to seeing how the Commission evolves and being part of the changes within our system. Keep up with our current submissions and consultations by signing up for our advocacy updates here or on our News Page.
