Wagga veteran and lawyer David Thorley said the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is interested in the lived experience of soldiers and veterans. Photo: Davidf.
Wagga RSL sub-branch President David Gardiner encourages all defence personnel and veterans to make their submissions to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide.
“It is important for them to come forward and talk because that’s the only way the Commission can get information,” Mr Gardiner said.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established in 2021 to inquire into systemic issues and risk factors relevant to defence and veteran suicide, and to ADF (Australian Defence Force) members and veterans who may continue to be at risk of suicide.
The Royal Commission has conducted public hearings across Australia to hear evidence for the inquiry. It recently handed down its interim report with 13 recommendations for immediate action with an urgent call to clear the backlog of claims.
The public hearing for Wagga is scheduled for 28 November, with the location and time yet to be determined.
Wagga solicitor and veteran David Thorley said the Commission is interested in: the lived experience of soldiers and veterans, how their service and injury affected them and whether they were treated appropriately.
“There are two aspects, firstly what happened to them during the service in the ADF – with bullying, harassment, bastardisation and just unacceptable behaviour,” Mr Thorley said.
“The other side of it is the suicide ideation that people start thinking, ‘is it worth it?’
“The suicide ideation is not just from the bullying and merely the fact they’ve been injured. Sometimes soldiers get injured in the first year or two, leading to them being discharged.
“They have a sense of hopelessness and worthlessness and start to hear themselves as a failure.”
Mr Thorley said in some cases, soldiers and veterans have not been treated in terms of physical and mental health.
“If you’ve sustained a chronic back condition, that’s the end of your career,” he said.
Mr Thorley said the last Census showed 580,000 veterans and current ADF personnel in the country, but the Royal Commission has only received about 2000 submissions.
“It’s a very small proportion of the people are coming forward,” he said.
Member for Riverina and the former minister for veterans’ affairs and defence personnel and assistant defence minister Michael McCormack strongly encourages anyone who has a story to tell the Commission, or a suggestion on how to prevent self-harm among the defence personnel and veterans, to reach out and lodge a submission.
The submissions to the Royal Commission can be lodged online and can also be made anonymously. The Commission will still review the anonymous submission.
Mr Thorley advises those considering lodging a submission to the Royal Commission that may be defamatory to seek independent legal advice. He said Legal Aid NSW will provide legal assistance for those who wish to make submissions.
The Royal Commission will continue to accept submissions until 13 October.
Follow the link to share your story to the Royal Commission ahead of the hearing in Wagga on 28 November.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467.
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