Wednesday, 30 August 2023

Ministers statements: veterans support

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:10): This morning I appeared on behalf of Victoria at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and I was pleased to be able to make a contribution to that very important inquiry into the fact that systems right across our country have failed those who have given so much in the defence of our freedom and in the maintenance of peace. Our defence force personnel put themselves in harm’s way. They are people of great character and integrity, and we should be there, all of us as governments, to support them, particularly when they are vulnerable and particularly when they need that important backing – that support, that sense of belief, that sense that we believe them when they come forward and need support.

I do want to acknowledge that the shadow minister was at the royal commission hearings today as well and I acknowledge the bipartisan support across this chamber for our veterans program. We of course as a state were the first state to have a Minister for Veterans, the first state to have a proper architecture, an office of veterans, a veterans act and a really comprehensive program of important support to look after those who have given so much.

In a relatively lengthy presentation today I highlighted a number of commonsense and practical things that we can do to better support our veteran community, particularly at times of great vulnerability, and there is no more vulnerable time than the transition from defence force life into civilian life. At the moment we simply do not receive the data that we need, even names and addresses of those who leave the Australian Defence Force so that we can reach out to them and provide them with support and an understanding of all the different programs, not least of which the Victorian Veterans Card, an election commitment last year being fully delivered at the moment. I do thank the Commonwealth government for their cooperation in validating so that we can issue those cards. This royal commission is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do more and do better, and Victoria stands ready to play a part in that.