Author: admin

Today’s announcement of a Royal Commission into Veteran and Serving Defence Personnel Suicides is not only a huge win for the community, who have been calling for greater support and for government to address the mental health crisis that is facing our veterans, but also a relief to the families who have been searching for answers.
Australian Greens Veterans spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said that it had been a hard slog to get to this point and that a lot more work needed to be done to ensure that the terms of reference for the Royal Commission met the needs of the community.
“Anybody who has spoken with a family that has been touched by suicide will know the pain that they feel and the desperate, urgent need for answers they all share about why so many of our veterans are being driven to take these actions,” Steele-John said.
“Understandably there are still many in to the community who are suspicious of today’s announcement as they have been cast aside and ignored by the Morrison government for so long.
“It is incumbent on the Morrison government to earn the trust of the veteran community and not simply assume that they now have it.
“We know from a report into Veteran suicides, released last year, that our veteran community is in crisis. Ex-serving men are 21% more likely to die by suicide and ex-serving women were more than twice as likely to die by suicide than the rest of the community.
“We must do better by the people who have served, and continue to serve, in our defence forces. We continue to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on new weapons yet we ignore the long lasting trauma and impact that war has on the people who have served in our name.
“I would like to acknowledge the strength and commitment of advocates around the country, like Julie-Ann Finney, and my Senate colleague, Jacqui Lambie, for her dedication to this cause.
“This is a win for you, for your family and for every single Australian who has sadly lost a family member or a friend to suicide.”

It is about time the Morrison Government has finally come around to the idea of a Royal Commission into veteran suicide.
Veterans, their families and Labor have been calling for this since 2019.
Since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, we have lost more veterans to suicide than soldiers killed in combat, while more than 18 defence personnel and veterans have taken their own lives this year alone.
While we are disappointed this has taken so long, Labor now stands ready to work with the Government in a bipartisan way to ensure this Royal Commission is vested with all the powers and resources it needs.
The Government needs to consult widely and wisely on processes, timelines and Terms of Reference.
The Commissioner, or Commissioners, appointed must be of the right standing andbe independent from the Australian Defence Force in order to ensure trust and confidence in this process.
In particular, we are concerned that the Government has said it wants to have a “standing Royal Commission” in tandem with a Royal Commission to look at this issue in an ongoing way.
Many veterans and families do not support the Government’s proposed National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, and the legislation is stalled in the Senate.
Labor, along with many in the veteran community, has said it is open to a permanent body to tackle this issue, but only if this is a recommendation coming out of an independent Royal Commission, which must happen first.
The work of Julie-Ann Finney and Karen Bird, and the other brave mothers and families of veterans must also be acknowledged. They have campaigned tirelessly for a Royal Commission, despite the personal grief and pain they have experienced.
Many parents of veterans who have tragically taken their own lives have said a Royal Commission will allow them an opportunity to have their say and be heard, while providing a powerful voice for their children.
Today’s announcement is a crucial step forward on this journey.

The National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response and changes to the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
There have been 29,500 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 910 people have died. More than 16.3 million tests have been undertaken in Australia.
Globally there have been over 141 million cases and sadly over 3 million deaths, with around 698,000 new cases and more than 9,000 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand. To date 1,586,252 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia. The number of administration sites continues to expand with 4,500 general practices, general practice respiratory centres and Aboriginal health services now administering COVID-19 vaccinations.
Today, National Cabinet received a detailed briefing from Professor Allen Cheng, Co-Chair of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on rare cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) associated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. National Cabinet will continue to receive updated advice on TTS including potential identification of risk factor and treatment options.
National Cabinet also received a presentation from the President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Omar Khorshid, on the vaccine rollout in phase 1b of the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy by GPs and other primary healthcare providers and the ongoing role for the sector.
National Cabinet welcomed Commodore Eric Young, CSC, RAN, who has been appointed as Operations Coordinator for the Commonwealth’s Department of Health’s Vaccine Operations Centre.
National Cabinet received a detailed update from Professor Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Caroline Edwards, Associate Secretary, Commonwealth Department of Health on domestic and international supply and changes to the Australian Vaccination Strategy.
The priority of the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy remains to vaccinate vulnerable populations under priority groups 1a and 1b. The medical advice remains that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe and recommended for Australians over 50 years old and all states will continue to be prioritised AstraZeneca for Australians over 50 years old.
National Cabinet agreed in-principle to a series of changes to the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy that will be put forward for approval at the next meeting of National Cabinet including options to bring forward the commencement of vaccinations for over 50 year olds under the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy priority group 2a, and the readiness of more state and territory-operated vaccination sites including mass vaccination sites, as vaccine supplies increase.
National Cabinet reinforced that general practice will continue to be the primary model of rolling out vaccinations for Australians over 50 years of age, with states and territories to consider options to supplement rollout through expanded state vaccination centres.
The Commonwealth will continue to finalise the vaccination of residential aged care facility (RACF) residents with Pfizer using an in-reach model.
National Cabinet will meet again on Thursday 22 April 2021.

The death of any Australian Defence Force member or veteran is one death too many and a tragedy that is deeply felt by all Australians. Tragically, and heartbreakingly, this includes death by suicide.
Recognising this, the Government will take the step of recommending to the Governor‑General the establishment of a Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, following a period of consultation on draft Terms of Reference, with the relevant community and state and territory governments.
The Royal Commission will complement the Government’s existing initiative to establish a permanent National Commission to proactively deal with future issues, including taking on other recommendations of a Royal Commission.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Royal Commission will be set up after listening to community calls for a national inquiry focusing on the systemic issues faced by Australian Defence Force members and veterans that too often results in their loss of life to suicide.
“Suicide prevention is a key priority for the Federal Government,” the Prime Minister said.
“We have always recognised that the rate of suicide of Australian Defence Force members and veterans is unacceptably high,” the Prime Minister said.
“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.”
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the Royal Commission was another step in our efforts to build confidence, trust and hope for current and future veterans and their families that they will be supported.
“This will provide an opportunity for us all to reset, further increase our understanding of this issue, and unite the Parliament, the ex-service community, and the families who have been affected by suicide,” Minister Chester said.
“As a nation we take great pride in the men and women who have served our nation in uniform, and as a Government we have committed to help them with any mental or physical issues that are a result of that service.”
The Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash said the Attorney-General’s Department will provide administrative support to the Royal Commission.
“Reducing lives lost to suicide is a priority for the Morrison Government.”
“Our aim for this Royal Commission is that it will shed light on the critical steps we need to take so that we can reduce these heartbreaking cases of suicide.”
Crucially, the Royal Commission will not defer, delay or limit, in any way, any proposed or announced policy, legislation or regulation that we are currently implementing.
The Government intends that the Royal Commission and the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention will be established together and operate in a complementary way to achieve long-term change.
The Royal Commission will look at past deaths by suicide (including suspected suicides and lived experience of suicide risks) from a systemic point of view, while the National Commissioner will have a forward-looking role, including overseeing the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations.
The National Commissioner Bill currently before the Parliament will be amended to ensure their work complements the work of the Royal Commission and examines deaths by suicide in the defence and veteran community that occur after the Royal Commission has handed down their final report.
Given the complex issues for consideration, and the importance of hearing from Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families, the Government envisages that three Commissioners will be needed to lead the inquiry. Consultation is underway to appoint these candidates.
Minister Chester will lead a public consultation process on the draft Terms of Reference and the Prime Minister will write to First Ministers inviting their contributions to the draft Terms of Reference with the view of a joint Commonwealth-State Royal Commission.
The Federal Government is committed to ensuring all the systems of support for our veterans and their families are working together, and importantly that when someone who may be struggling reaches out for help, which we are there to support them.