Veterans demand public tracker on defence suicide reforms
Veterans say the government lacks transparency about Defence and Veteran Suicide Royal Commission reforms. They say momentum has drifted.
Two years ago, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide gave 122 recommendations. Veterans and researchers now say the government lacks clarity about progress.
The government claims it is on track to implement two-thirds of the reforms by year's end. Advocates say momentum has drifted.
A new campaign by Flinders University's Open Door Initiative is pushing for a public tracker. The tracker would show which reforms are underway, who is responsible, and when each will be complete.
Professor Ben Wadham is a veteran and member of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission. He said government statements are hard to verify.
Navy veteran John Armfield served 20 years as a clearance diver. His brother died by suicide after military service.
He said he only learned about an official inquiry into his brother's death ten years later. He said no one has been held accountable for the failures he identified.
- 122
- Recommendations issued
- Two years since Royal Commission report
- Time elapsed
- Two-thirds implementation by year's end
- Government pledge
- Flinders University's Open Door Initiative
- Campaign source
Why it mattersWithout clear public accountability, veterans and families cannot track whether reforms are working. This matters for preventing future suicides in the defence community.
AustraliaThis affects thousands of serving and former Australian defence personnel and their families seeking mental health support and clarity on system changes.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 12 d ago
