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now I know the headlines this afternoon were focusing on social media bans domestic violence and changes to the Reserve Bank and although they are all legitimate issues I think our major media Outlets have missed the bigger story The handing down yesterday of the final report from the Royal commission into veteran suicide deserves far greater coverage and examination how this young and proud nation steeped in ously renowned history of military gallantry could allow 3,000 of our devoted soldiers to take their own lives over 30 years is a National Disgrace current and former service Personnel were 20 times more likely to die by Suicide than in combat the enemy at home is their Nemesis not war now it's all well and good to report on the findings and hear that our leaders in Parliament promise action but is that action going to stop this roll call of horrific death I don't think it will because our politicians sat back and allowed it to happen now they'll rip the guts out of the Department of Veterans Affairs that's a must they'll change timelines for compensation that's a must and they'll start sacking recruits who bully and sexually assault others that is a must but the political disregard and defense coverups at the top none of of that will stop unless culture is changed the Prime Minister said he'll apply all 122 recommendations but that's the easy response the truth is the political culture and Leadership didn't demand that these now deceased men and women were treated better the opposition leaders words were spoton defense has L people down the Department of Veterans Affairs has L people down both sides of politics over a long period of time despite the best of intent have let these diggers down as well and so in providing support to those who have given evidence and those families who remain um we pay tribute to all of them both sides of the house he said and he's right previous defense ministers should hang their heads in shame senior brass should hang their heads in shame and as the raw Commissioners stated Australian military personnel will continue to their own lives at staggeringly high rates without systemic change to the Australian Defense Force the problems are clear they're not new but they're clear and we hope that the Roy commission has achieved one thing which is to make the problems undeniable uh it's really up to the government and our Parliament now we will hand down our recommendations and findings today we hope they're approached in a bipartisan manner it should not be a political issue uh uniting to help and support support our veterans and our serving members now I'm not being critical of the inquiry the inquiry was in good hands commissioner Nick calos there is an acclaimed International investigator and the report is a mammoth 3,000 pages and seven volumes in length but the responsibility for what to do now is back into the hands of the same political class which allowed our departments to hurt our returned Soldiers the finding from commissioner Peggy Brown should ring in the ears of all MPS in our national Parliament the enemy is often within the Australian Defense Force rather than an external adversary this commission didn't just prove that post-traumatic stress disorder claim lives it did but more than that they discovered that it was the trauma through the cumulative impacts of what they experienced day in and day out through service and into their Post Service life which took most of those 3,000 lives and what did Australia do as these people engineered their own deaths as Nick Kos stated we simply turned a blind eye from top to bottom and yet those same troubled men and women have been responsible for defending our freedom today is World Suicide Prevention Day if there's one lesson we should all take from this final commission report is that we need to do a hell of a lot better yeah