Brendan Simpkins

AUSTRALIA’S Royal Commission into Veteran and Defence Suicides has been welcomed by local former serving members.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week announced the long-awaited royal commission.

Members of the Veterans Motorcycle Club’s Mid North chapter said it was a good first step, despite feared it was too little too late.

From 2001 to 2018, there were 465 suicide deaths among serving, reserve and contemporary ex-serving ADF personnel, according to the Federal Government’s national suicide monitoring report.

Veterans MC vice-president Rob Kilmartin said the royal commission was a good start.

“I think it is a little too late for a royal commission; it is a start but how long is this royal commission going to take and what is going to happen?” he said.

Mr Kilmartin served with the Australian Army in East Timor and Afghanistan and suffered from undiagnosed PTSD. After being invited to join the club, he was able to be put on a path to get the help he needed after it was recognised by other members.

He said that there were some organisations and places in the country that were excelling at helping support veterans compared to others.

Club president Mick Dolensky said that integrating back into civilian life was a difficult aspect for defence personnel after they left the forces.

“What they forget to say is when people come back from the theatre of war, they are not ‘detuned’; they just go about their normal business,” he said.

“Eventually that is going to catchup with you, and that’s when you crack.

“There is no coming down when you come back because they don’t de-tune you.”

Morrison said the royal commission would be set up after listening to community calls for a national inquiry focusing on the systemic issues faced by ADF members and veterans that too often results in their loss of life to suicide.

“Suicide prevention is a key priority for the Federal Government,” he said.

“We have always recognised that the rate of suicide of Australian Defence Force members and veterans is unacceptably high.

“In recognising the sacrifices made by our serving and former members and their families on behalf of the nation, we owe it to members, veterans and their families to continue to take action.”

The royal commission will cover systemic issues and analysis of the contributing risk factors relevant to defence and veteran death by suicide, protective and rehabilitative factors for defence members and veterans who have attempted or contemplated suicide or have other lived experiences of suicide and engagement of defence members and veterans with Commonwealth, state or territory
governments about support services, claims or entitlements.