Jacqui Lambie slams government at senate hearing into veterans affairs

Sparks have erupted in Canberra after senator Jacqui Lambie lashed the federal government for perceived inaction on a key recommendation into Australia’s rolling defence suicide crisis.

The irate Tasmanian senator, appearing at an estimates hearing into veterans’ affairs, called for the immediate establishment of Recommendation 122 from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide that calls for a new and independent oversight body to regulate the Defence Department and Department of Veterans Affairs on reducing suicide risk.

With her temper flaring, Senator Lambie asked why the new body had not been set up ahead of an expected vote on the government’s Harmonisation Bill, which is designed to streamline how veterans receive benefits and health care.

“Your first priority should have been setting up that body,” she said, her voice rising.

“You need policing over the top of you.

“It just blows me away.”

Recommendation 122 serves as the royal commission’s marquee recommendation in its final report into the suicide crisis that has roiled Australia’s defence and veteran community for decades.

“The Australian government should establish a new statutory entity with the purpose of providing independent oversight and evidence-based advice in order to drive system reform to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members,” the recommendation states.

Labor senator Jenny McAllister, responding to Senator Lambie’s tirade, said the government had accepted the recommendation.

Senator McAllister said the Harmonisation Bill had flowed from the royal commission, which has long called for a simpler healthcare system for veterans to navigate.

She said the government had consulted widely with veterans and defence personnel to get the legislation right.

“Had we not commenced the process of consultation, people quite rightly would have been incredibly frustrated,” she said.

“We spent two years working with vets communities to get the legislation right.”

But Senator Lambie, at times nearly yelling at the witnesses and interrupting them as they tried to answer questions, said a vote on the Bill before the body had been set up was “absolutely ridiculous” and a “slap in the face” to veterans.

“It is so disrespectful,” she said.

“They want the body first. They don’t trust DVA. They don’t trust you.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs secretary Alison Frame said the government “was working to the time frames and recommendations from the royal commission”.

She said the harmonisation legislation had been the focus of extensive consultation with the veteran community.

“It has not been rushed,” she said.

Ms Lambie said putting the Bill before the new entity was “absolutely absurd”.

The government is reviewing the royal commission’s final report and is expected to deliver its full response in December.

The commission was launched to address a persistent gap in suicide rates between the defence and veteran community and the civilian population.

According to the commission’s analysis, males serving in the permanent forces are 30 per cent more likely to die by suicide than employed Australian males, and ex-serving males who served in the permanent forces are 42 per cent more likely to die by suicide than Australian males.

Ex-serving females who served in the permanent forces are 110 per cent more likely to die by suicide than Australian females.

There have been 2007 confirmed suicide deaths among ADF members between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 2021, the report states.

Some 581,000 Australians, or about 2.8 per cent of the population aged 15 years and over, have served in the ADF at some point in their life, according to the 2021 census.

Greens senator David Shoebridge questioned the witnesses about veteran access to mental health services.

Senator Shoebridge said a veteran had reached out to him to say he had requested mental health treatment from the DVA but could not find any immediate help through the agency or Open Arms, a support service for military personnel.

He then sought help from a private psychologist, costing him some $300 a fortnight, Senator Shoebridge said.

The veteran said the DVA offered a provider about six months later after he had already formed a professional relationship with the private psychologist.

“What’s the point of having a gold card if the delay destroys the purpose?” Senator Shoebridge asked.

Andrew Kefford, speaking for the DVA, said it appeared some “processes” had not worked in the case.

“A cardholder doesn’t have to use Open Arms, a card holder can use Open Arms,” he said.

He said the DVA covered mental health care for veterans, regardless of whether they linked with a private practitioner or through Open Arms.

Ms Frame said the DVA now offered “full non liability cover for mental health”.

“We have processes in place, they shouldn’t be out of pocket for those services,” she said.

War Memorial boss denies upgrade overspend

Australian War Memorial director Matt Anderson has faced a grilling over the landmark’s controversial $550m redevelopment, which was lashed by the Australian National Audit Office for dodging ministerial oversight.

The report found contracts were broken up to avoid reaching the $1m cut-off that would have required ministerial approval and said advice provided to the minister for veterans’ affairs was “insufficiently detailed to support the minister in carrying out their duties”.

Asked by Senator Shoebridge whether he accepted the Auditor-General’s criticism, Mr Anderson said while staff could “improve behaviours and standards”, he said the same mistakes would not be made again.

Mr Anderson said the assessments were “reasonable,” and made with a “very high confidence” that they wouldn’t surpass the estimated amount.

“I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with the memorial making that assessment. Would I make it again following the audit? No,” he said.

“But at the time, I believe it was a reasonable assessment. I believe that those involved in it did so in good faith.”

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