The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has delivered its final report to the government today after a three-year investigation.
The organisation has presented 122 critical recommendations to the government to address rising suicide rates among Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and veterans.
Commission Chair Nick Kaldas has called the report a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to address the crisis.
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On today’s The Briefing, Jacqui Lambie speaks to Bension Siebert, arguing that failures by the Australian Defence Force are not only harming veterans and their families, but undermining our national security.
Ms Lambie is a long-time advocate for the inquiry. As a military veteran herself, she has been open about her personal struggles with mental and physical health after serving.
The report has revealed that at least 1,677 serving and former ADF members died by suicide between 1996 and 2021—a rate more than 20 times higher than combat deaths during the same period.
“It’s not about the military, it’s about looking after your people so you have a decent military. They seem to have lost that,” Ms Lamie said.
“They are not looking after their own and giving them further opportunities if they’re hurt. And that’s a real problem and they’ve got to move on this,” she said.
For those seeking support, Open Arms offers 24-hour free and confidential counselling for ADF members and their families at 1800 011 046
Lifeline is available at 13 11 14.
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