Hearing Block 12 - Chair's Closing Address - Commissioner Nick Kaldas APM

as we come to the end of our final public hearing block we want to reflect on what we've leared Australia has a proud military history steeped in the anac legion forged in famous battles at galipoli on the Western Front in France on the Kaka track and elsewhere today just under 60,000 Australians are enlisted in our Defense Force and about 30,000 others are active reservists or time Personnel they pull on the uniforms of our Navy Army and Air Force and go to work each day at a time of heighten geopolitical risk regionally and indeed globally in service of our nation it's a unique sacrifice the vast majority of those who serve in our military have a rewarding career and go on to successfully transition to civilian life for many though that's not the case in the last three years we've learned much back in 2021 defense told us that the suicide rate among serving members of the ADF was lower than among the general Australian population and that serving in the ADF was a protective Factor against suicide in 2022 the chief of Defense Force reiterated these points based on the evidence at the time but this Ro commission has looked at the issue independently and identified that when looked at from different perspectives defenses prior understanding of the risk of suicide among currently serving ADF members does not necessarily hold true for example when we compare the suicide rate among currently serving ADF members with the employed population of Australia our preliminary results found that males serving in the permanent forces are around 30% more likely to die by Suicide this is a new insight that must drive a new approach and new policies some veterans struggle to find their Post Service identity in the civilian world or to secure gainful employment some find it difficult to make meaningful Connections in their new community while no longer enjoying the ease of contact with their former Defense our colleagues some suffer due to the permanent physical and mental health impacts from their service and we've heard firsthand from serving members about the cultural issues and occupational stresses that influence their health and well-being compounded by the barriers to seeking to help seeking including the stigma around mental health and being seen as week all of the above can lead them to dark places in their mind including to suicide and suicidality at least 1677 1677 serving and EXs serving Australian Defense Force members who served on or after 1st of July 1985 died by Suicide between 1997 and 2021 that's the official figure however we believe the true toll of preventable deaths to be upward W of 3,000 as we have said often suicide in the military context is an extremely complex and multifaceted phenomenon it's not just about mental health although mental health issues often do play a role nor as is widely assumed is it always related to trauma experienced in the theater of war although this too can play a role it's not a reflection of the character of the individual or indicative of some inherent inherent deficit in their s or their moral framework and lastly while suicide suicide may not be predictable in every individual it must be seen as preventable this role commission spent the best part of three years now examining the cultural and systemic issues across the veteran ecosystem that are failing past and present personnel and which are contributing to this National crisis it's been a mammoth task which we have been privileged to undertake despite at least 57 related inquiries over the last 20 to 30 years and hundreds of recommendations suicide rates have not improved it's apparent that there has been a catastrophic failure of leadership at a government level and within military to prioritize the Urgent reforms and Implement effectively the previous recommendations required to deliver improved health and well-being outcomes to defense personnel and Veterans over decades and despite all the rhetoric from those in position of power about people being defense's greatest assets the senseless senseless loss of life and the devastating impacts for families and loved ones continues to this day this final public hearing block has had a clear and determined focus on leadership and accountability issues we have sought to ask hard questions of senior ministers the military's leadership and departmental heads about how we've got to where we are today and most importantly how we avoid making the same mistakes moving forward it's been those with lived experience of suicide and suicidal Behavior who have bravely come forward and shared their stories with us at public hearings in private sessions and through written submissions it is they who have enabled us to shine a bright light on the many complex cultural and systemic issues that are failing serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families to them on behalf of the nation we say thank you we see you we hear you and we salute you we know many of our sailor soldiers and aviators continue to do it tough raising serious questions about what the ADF is doing to address the occupational stresses influencing the mental health and well-being of its people and their families and whether it's working we continue to hear troubling accounts of abuse assault bastardization bullying discrimination harassment misogyny and physical and sexual violence within the ADF all of which have considerable long-lasting impacts on victims and then there's the strong adversarial culture and suboptimal practices within DVA that have caused hurt and distress to many veterans and their families when seeking to access their entitlements or much needed Support Services over the past four weeks we've again heard heartbreaking and at times harrowing lived experience testimony from veterans and their loved ones about the challenges they have faced and how they've been let down by the systems that were supposed to be there to protect and support them Dr Karen bird lost her son private Jesse bird to suicide in June 2017 private bird served Australia in Afghanistan and struggled with mental health issues upon his return through civilian life Dr bird gave evidence that Jesse had submitted claims for assistance to DVA but those claims were not actioned by the department she fought back tears as she told the RO commission that Jesse suicide was preventable because he had a really good family behind him adding that Mal fence and maladministration had prevented her son receiving support in a timely manner Jess's claim for incapacity payments which previously had gone missing for a year was rejected in May 2017 a month before his death Dr Bert told us and I quote that was probably the final straw for Jesse I think he lost hope she emphasized the need for DVA to start treating veterans like humans not simply a file number while we acknowledg recent significant efforts to improve Within DVA we could not agree more retired Colonel sorry retired lieutenant colonel Paul Morgan gave evidence about an unacceptable Behavior complaint he lodged while serving in the Australian army colonel Morgan's complaint involved details of a Facebook hate group designed to intimidate gay members of the Defense Force he also received death threats and had threatening letters delivered to his home he told us his superiors were and I quote legally bound morally bound to conduct the quick assessment within the first 24 hours of receiving an unacceptable Behavior complaint it never happened end quote Australian Army veteran Penny luer told the Royal commission about multiple failures across the veteran ecosystem that left her feeling and I quote destroyed retired Sergeant looker told us of the immense pressure in her workplace and the lack of support offered to her she spoke of her reluctance to seek external support because she felt it would jeopardize her career in the Army and how she was hounded by colleagues after suffering a stroke and while on medical leave instead of being supported to recover and return to work Miss lucer was medically discharged his story also highlighted something we have heard from many veterans the lack of adequate support provided by ex-service organizations despite the funding they receive reflecting on her own experience seeking help Miss luer told us that greater accountability is needed across defense DVA and ex-service organizations to ensure veterans are better protected and supported she said and I quote we need to make positive effective change so that we do not keep losing veterans to have issues that start in defense through DVA and then into the ex-service organization sector it's just abhorrent to have so many people hurting so much and have nowhere to turn or the places we do turn do more damage it's disgusting end quote she also reminded us and I again quote policy without accountability isn't worth anything some of these Witnesses have waited many years to have their deeply personal stories heard but make no mistake while their cases might be historic the cultural and systemic issues they uncover are contemporary former Navy clearance diver excuse me John Armfield gave evidence about his struggle to obtain information from defense about the death by Suicide of his younger brother Royal Australian Air Force leading aircraftman Andrew Armfield he spoke about what he called the two teed culture with one set of rules for enlisted members and another for the officer class Mr Armfield also gave evidence he was silenced when he called for defense leadership to be held to account for the lack of care afforded to his brother Mr armfield's FK the justice for his brother ultimately cost him his career in the Navy a career he loved the way he was treated was appalling and the most concerning thing is that these events have taken place while this Royal commission has been on foot we asked Mr Armfield what he hopes will come from his evidence before the inquiry his response was clear and I quote I don't want this to happen to anyone else this has to stop this is simply leadership that is all it is end quote this Ro all commission knows strong determined leadership at all levels of government the military and the bureaucracy and indeed greater accountability will be required if we as a nation are to turn the tide on defense and Veteran suicide we've said previously that the first step to fixing a problem is to acknowledge a problem exists we have already heard from the secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs Allison frame her acknowledgement of the problems within the department and her commitment to continue to move forward so it's been heartening during this hearing block to hear from those in senior leadership positions within defense not only acknowledging that there is a problem but owning it appearing before us the chiefs of Army Navy and Air Force all recognize the link between service experience and negative and potentially tragic outcomes for veterans the chief of Air Force Air Marshal Robert Chipman conceded the ADF had been wrong to think there was not a link between service experience and suicide and suicidality he said and I quote I think we now know clearly we sorry we I think we now clearly understand the Nexus between an individual's experience and service particularly if they experience negative outcomes where they're involuntarily separated or they're a victim of unacceptable Behavior if we don't address those issues while they're in service then at least the negative outcomes for them once they leave so it is a service issue end quote the chief of Navy vice admiral Mark Hammond cited this role commission as a once in a generation opportunity to get a better outcome for service personnel and their families he spoke of the importance of normalizing mental health challenges while serving and acknowledge defense needs to do better at managing those in its ranks who are experiencing mental health and I quote we do put our people in challenging risky environments and sometimes harrowing environments and it leaves a Mark we do a good job of rehabilitating physical injuries we've got to find a better way to rehabilitate and manage mental health injuries just Automatic Transition or leaning towards medical separation is not the answer it should be the path of Last Resort and chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stewart offered a genuine heartfelt apology to everyone whom the Australian Army has let down he said and I quote as chief of the Australian Army I offer an unreserved and sincere apology to everyone whom we have failed I want to thank you for your service and let you know that your courage will make a difference General Stewart also sought to provide us an assurance about ownership of the problem while stressing the significance of this inquiry to the future of the army and I quote to the point that Commissioners are seeking an assurance about ownership I can give you that Assurance I own this problem we own this problem and we are committed to doing something about it there are three generational influences on today and the future of the Australian Army one is the long shadow of Afghanistan the other is our defense policy as articulated through the Strategic review and the third is this Royal commission into defense and Veteran suicide the three service Chiefs acknowledgement and acceptance of the problem and their commitment to doing better is a significant step in the right direction and it's particularly significant given that one of these men could potentially succeed General lus Campbell as chief of Defense appearing before us earlier today General Campbell began by apologizing for deficits in the care defense has provided its people and and pledging to do better he told this roal commission and I quote our people deserve and should rightly expect the well-being support and care that they need both during and after their service I acknowledge that this has not always been the case and has tragically led to the death by Suicide of some of our people I apologize unreservedly for these deficiencies defense is committed and I am committed to doing better he also stated that defense is profoundly reforming Arrangements of its system so that culture change moves from aspiration to lived reality and reality that can be assured General Campbell whose tenure as Defense Force Chief expires in the coming months was asked by Council assisting what Assurance he could give the roal commission that the person replacing him will lean into this issue in the same way that he says he has and general Campbell told us and again I quote my colleagues like me are committed to seeing this organization function as an integrated whole and deliver for its people the aspiration is that we live that expression that our people are the most critical component of our capability and of our mission and I see nothing but commitment for all of my colleagues one of whom the government will consider to appoint as the next chief of Defense Force he or she indeed will have I think the complete support of the rest of the defense and in particular the ADF leadership Community but serious M questions do remain about the urgency with which defense as a whole is responding to the Dee rooted cultural and systemic challenges which are contributing to suicide and suicidality in oral evidence Lieutenant General Natasha Fox acknowledged that unacceptable Behavior remains a systemic issue for the Defense Force and that and I quote we have cases of unacceptable behavior that we should not have further Lieutenant General Fox accepted that those who experience unacceptable Behavior are at a much higher rate of psychological risk one type of unacceptable Behavior explored in detail during this hearing is sexual misconduct the consequences of which are known risks for suicide and suicidality we heard the ADF does not know how many of its members have been convicted of sex crimes because it must rely on them self-reporting their convictions it's also apparent The Specialist units set up to respond to sexual misconduct within the ADF the sexual misconduct prevention and response office or SRA is not appropriately resource to understand the prevalence of the issue in giving evidence associate Secretary of Defense Matt anopolis accepted that defense do not have a reliable an integrated data set for sexual misconduct and that without one the ADF the ADF cannot effectively understand the extent of this issue and if defense can't demonstrate it has a handle on the extent of the issue how can one trust it seriously committed to stamping out sexual misconduct in its ranks we also heard from comare the regulator responsible for Education prevention and regulation of workplace workplace health and safety for ADF members and defense staff comare agreed that leaders in defense must be proactive in identifying and mitigating psychosocial risks but comare is entirely relling on defense's own practices in identifying and disclosing psychos social risks to comare and these are still evolving it was pleasing to hear however that there has been some acceleration in the standing up of the new mental health and well-being Branch within defense headed up by Brigade Caitlyn Langford Brigade Langford told us in Perth there would be would not be a mature fully resourced and functioning Branch until at least January 2025 however she has given evidence at this hearing that the branch is now I quote in a much healthier state with more than 40 staff employed she acknowledged and again I quote the isas that question we have a problem and we need to get it this quickly but it's how we Corral the expertise once you've got the people then you can start to understand how it functions and then what it might deliver for the Enterprise and that's going to take time the final report of this role Commission due to be handed down in September will be a blueprint for the long avue cultural and systemwide reforms required to deliver improved health and well-being outcomes for our serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families former commander of Australia Special Forces retired Major General Jeffrey John singleman described military suicide as a problem that would require a national undertaking to address he spoke of the need for a center of excellence to bring together researchers and thought leaders and Turbo Charge a unified effort and purpose to find better solutions to suicide and suicidality through collaboration however knowing what we know after almost three years of this roal commission Mr Sing singleman made it clear to us that defense should not be waiting to act I quote this is urgent this is a national priority we don't need to ask the Australian people they've already told us how important this is to them we need to act as quickly as we can on this the question is how do we act the right way way end quote so what will it take for a large Enterprise such as defense to change in his evidence associate secretary yannopoulos acknowledged that defense can be resistant to change commissioner Brown impressed on associate Secretary of Defense Matt yannopoulos the need for Clear articulation from the top down throughout defense that suicide prevention is of the highest priority up there with nuclear submarines and everything else he stated and I quote when we are trying to mess where the Enterprise is going if our Command all the way down does not Echo and repeat it or amplify it or worst says that's interesting but we're not going to change then it's not the fault of the individual down at the working level it's somewhere in that middle management that's decided Well that's not going to apply for US Secretary of Defense Greg moratti rejected a suggestion from Council assisting that his Department had a blind spot on veteran suicide until recent times but stated the Afghanistan inquiry and other recent experience ERS have intensified defenses focus on these issues Mr moradi acknowledged his own views on veteran suicide were previously very simplistic and narrow but had broadened during his time as secretary he told this role commission that he sees mental health and well-being and culture as being inextricably linked acknowledging poor culture can lead to adverse mental health and well-being outcomes for members the secretary did state that defense could have done more to deal with the stigma attached to mental health and I quote in the past there have been failures and further leaders at all levels should have been very conscious of the reality of stigma why our members didn't want to come forward or present as needing help there has been some real challenges for us in terms of dealing with stigma and making it acceptable for people to say I've got an issue here and finally he stated and again I quote we have let some of our own people down with appalling consequences of course our FOC focus is not only on the ADF and defense the cultural and systemic challenges within the Department of Veterans Affairs that have come to light during this Ro commission are well documented and disturbing to say the least we welcome the significant progress made in response to our interim report recommendations towards simplifying the legislation governing veterans entitlements the department has also publ publicly stated it has now cleared the enormous backlog of unprocessed claims while we acknowledge this is a significant result we knowe that this does not mean those claims have been determined the commission will be watching closely over coming months to see whether or not the 73,74 claims with a DVA officer as at the 29th of February this year are dealt with it in a more timely manner and whether their business's usual approach delivers faster decisions for veterans and their families who historically have been driven to the brink and in some magic cases Beyond while waiting years for their claims to be even looked at independent Senator Jackie lamby has previously given evidence about her own battles with DVA for compensation after she was medically discharged from the army with a back injury at this hearing Senator lamby told us that her office has become the last Port of Call for many serving and EXs serving defense members who are suffering she stated that on average two veterans every day reach out to her office for help often because they feel unsupported by defense the DVA or ex-service organizations Senator lambi told us and I quote usually when a veteran comes to our office they're on their last legs if we don't do something we will probably lose them it's further evidence of the desperate circumstances many veterans and their families find themselves in due to a lack of timely access to appropriate Support Services the scope of our inquiries covers a broad and complex landscape including commonwealth state and territory governments oversight bodies as well as health ex-service and other support organizations among others so ministers responsible for veterans issues in New South Wales Queensland and the act used their appearance in this hearing block to call for greater use and sharing of data between jurisdictions to determine the location of veterans and their needs and to inform possible improvements as to how veterans are treated in our healthc care system we also recognize the role exer organization have to play in tackling issues related to defense and Veteran suicides we're pleased to hear from a panel comprising representatives of a number of EX service organizations Young Veterans mates for mates women veterans Australia RSL New South Wales and The Bravery trust about their commitment to the establishment of a national Peak body for esos to represent and Advocate the needs of the sector as well as veterans and their families the path to better collaboration is clear and they are right it as we have said we acknowledge there is no quick fix to this National crisis success will take time and a concerted effort from both sides of politics it's imperative that these issues are not politicized we are ple we were pleased to hear from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for defense The Honorable Richard miles MP and the minister for veteran affairs and defense Personnel The Honorable Matt K MP who gave evidence to this Royal commission for the first time it was particularly significant that the Deputy Prime Minister gave a Comm commitment to make meaningful changes to address the issues that contribute to suicide in the military and Veteran Community Minister miles stated and I quote we need to follow through and put in place the thrust of what this commission recommends we need to do that because that's what we need to do for veterans Minister Kia also acknowledged the need to better support defense families telling us and I quote where the fam is not happy people will leave the Defense Force so the better we can support families in service as well as families out of service we will get better results for our Defense Force and its capability we'll have better well-being for our serving Personnel we'll have better wellbe for our veterans so that's absolutely something that I think is a good thing and that we're committed to trying to do end quote we appreciate the size of the task ahead but the Deputy Prime Minister said this needs to be a moment of change and if a ro commission cannot be the Catalyst for change I'm not sure what can we have known about mental ill health suicide and suicidality linked to service since at least the first world war now that the defense hierarchy has accepted its part of the problem and it owes to its people past and present to prove to them that they are indeed its greatest asset and embrace the Urgent reforms required to ensure their lifetime health and well-being we commission Commissioners are determined to deliver a final report with robust evidence-based findings and practical recommendations to deliver real meaningful and long-lasting improvements to the lives and livelihoods of serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families Key to Our Success will be an enduring powerful new body to hold government the ADF defense DVA and other relevant agencies as well as state and territory governments to account to make sure they prioritize the major long-term and complex reforms that are required as we've said before this body must not only be independent it must have the confidence of serving and ex serving ADF members of all ranks and seek direct and significant input from them it must be an over it must be an overside body it cannot usurp the leadership of the ADF or defense or DVA is it must not absolve that leadership of its primary responsibility for the well-being of Defense members and Veterans and it must have sufficient powers to deal with the issues it faces during this hearing block we Commissioners engaged in a robust but informative discussion with members of the Afghanistan inquiry implement ation oversight panel about the role such an oversight body might play in ensuring mistakes from the past and not repeated we appreciated the insights provided by members of the panel which was appointed by government to provide independent oversight and Assurance of defenses responses to the high-profile buron inquiry Professor Rufus black acknowledged The Dilemma this role commission faces and finding a mechanism by which to ensure the enormous deep and fundamental change as he called it that is acquired to be achieved he told the hearing and I quote I I think the question really is what's the architecture that achieves that this is about ensuring what's the Deep systemic change that puts welfare at the core of a total system of accountability of which oversight can be important end quote further he added sometimes oversight is important not necessarily just because of what it can achieve but because of what it stands for and the signal that it sends as a statement of value values and about what's important I think there can be a justification for oversight simply to send a signal that gives expression to Australian values end quote it's clear to us that the problems we're grappling with a lack of public interest in an understanding of the issues a level of distrust in defense's ability and willingness to change and the need to maintain a Relentless focus on these issues once the RO commission ends all of these warrant the standing up of an independent body to watch the space for the foreseeable future future we will provide a report to the governor general with a recommendation to government about this new entity in June this year at that time we will also release a special publication honoring all those with lived experience whove contributed to our important work by sharing the powerful stories in 5,889 submissions close to 750 private sessions and through evidence at 12 public hearings accordingly I'd like to take this opportunity to extend our deep and sincere thanks to everyone who courageously came forward and shared their experiences with us this inquiry would not have been possible without your participation your courage has been inspiring we will continue to work through the outstanding private sessions excuse me supported by assistant Commissioners Bob Atkinson and Dr Susan young to ensure that those who asked to share their experiences with us have the opportunity to do so before the RO commission ends I want to reiterate that we as a na must do better to protect those who protect us Australia has let down its veterans and their families for far too long far too many lives have already been lost as I said at the national Press Club last year no longer can we allow the preventable deaths of our finest to occur and so I implore the media and public to maintain a keen interest in these issues and to demand action we all owe it to our Sailors soldiers and aviators and their families to ensure they receive the protection and support they need and deserve the deputy prime minister asked that he be judged on his actions and I quote what is actually going to matter is what you recommend and what we ultimately Implement history will be our judge end quote history will indeed judge those who are in a position to make a difference and service members veterans their families and the future Workforce of the ADF will be watching fixing the cultural and systemic issues we've identified will establish the ADF as an employer of choice at a time of geopolitical uncertainty when our Navy Army and Air Force need to be attracting the right people in right numbers it will help stop the revolving door of employee turnover that poses a real risk to Australia's defense capability we want to thank everyone who has engaged with the roal commission during this final public hearing and over the past few years it's been a huge effort pulling this hearing block together today marking our 101st day of hearings across Australia I want to make special mention of those with lived experience who have followed this role Mission as we visited cities and Garrison towns across Australia many who have attended our hearings at significant personal cost and and time we recognize how extraordinarily tough it is to be away from home and your support networks and to sit through the evidence we've been hearing as we look around we can see many familiar faces whose presence here demonstrate their commitment to this role commissioner and what it seeks to achieve we thank you all for your support to our dedicated hardworking team within the roal commission whove supported us on this journey to those in the commonwealth state and territory government agencies who' have assisted our important work to the academic and research Community have provided tremendous Insight on key issues and to the mental health and suicide prevention sector to the ex-service and other veteran support organizations who've engaged with us and finally to The Wider defense and Veteran Community thank you for your support of this inquiry was absolutely U appreciated and essential for our success we'll continue to provide updates on our work through our usual channels and the lead up to our final report which is due to the governor general by the 9th of September our next major event will be the ceremonial closing to be held at the State library of New South Wales here in Sydney on the 28th of August we will release more information about that event in due course I want to leave you with a quote from Madame arbore the former Canadian Supreme Court Justice former United Nations High Commissioner for human rights and former Chief prosecutor in a number of prominent United Nations tribunals she stated that her independent inquiry into the Canadian Armed Forces had and I quote shed light on a deeply deficient Culture fostered by a rigid and outdated structure that did little did little to modernize it for all the hardship it has caused over decades the attention that this issue has recently attracted presents opportunities for change that might have been unim inable without such a shock to the system we hope this roal commission has been the much needed shock to the system and that it will inspire change required to address the national tragedy of defense and Veteran suicide once and for all for now though to those who are traveling stay safe happy Easter to everyone and we'll adjourn thank you [Music] [Music]