About 96 veterans have taken their own lives since the release of the Royal Commission’s report into defence force suicides, reveals Ian Lindgren, former soldier and the head of multiple organisations.
His comments come as part of the Senate Defence Committee’s review of the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025 (VETS Act)—aimed at streamlining veterans services.
“Since the Royal Commission [into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s] final report, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare approximates 96 veterans have taken their own lives, and behind each of that number is a destroyed family,” Lindgren told the committee.
“In addition to that, there are approximately 135 other Australians affected. That brings it to a total of 12,960 Australians now living with loss since September last year. The Royal Commission cost $200 million whilst it delivered a number, in fact, 122 recommendations.”
Tamara Paton, senior executive officer at Vasey RSL Care, a not-for-profit aged care provider in Victoria, pointed to the link between veteran suicide and homelessness.
“No commission, no agency, no task force can reasonably expect to address the crisis of suicide and poor mental health without directly addressing the veteran homelessness crisis,” she said.
“Veterans in Australia experience homelessness at a rate of 5.3 percent and this is almost three times the general population rate of 1.9 percent, meaning that around 6,000 veterans are homeless at any given time.”
“Failure to address veteran housing is one of the many endemic system failures contributing to veteran suicide statistics.”
When asked on impending decision to appoint a Defence and Veterans’ Services Commission to investigate and provide advice to the government on how to deal with the veteran crisis, Paton said it wasn’t an issue of concern.
“I’m not sure that it’s necessarily the most pressing thing on people’s minds,” she said.
“I think their immediate situation is the thing that’s pressing. They’re telling us that the system is failing through their experiences, through homelessness, through suicide rates, the prevalence of poor mental health, incarceration, unemployment, but there’s no chatter necessarily around this commission.”
New Independent National Commission on Veterans Affairs
The Commission is due to begin operations on Sept. 29 and is being led by Michael Manthorpe, who has served in the Australian Public Service for 37 years, including as Commonwealth Ombudsman.
“The [Commission] is being created in response to Recommendation 122 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. It will provide independent oversight and evidence-based advice to the Australian government on reforms to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members,” the government said in a statement.
The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee is expected to report on the matter by Aug. 29.
Mother of Deceased Veteran Says VETS Act a ‘Killer’
Julie-Ann Finney, mother of a deceased veteran, Dave Finney, who served for 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy, expressed her frustration at progress.
“When the former PM begrudgingly called for a royal commission into veteran suicide, I completely backed the Albanese government. I’m now unsure if he has made a complete U-turn on his promises, or if he is just unsure of what his ministers are actually doing,” she told the committee.
The grieving mother, who campaigned for the royal commission, said the proposed changes to the VETS Act was “quite literally a killer,” saying no real consultation process underpinned the process.
“To compensate for the lack of questioning and zero consultation or information sessions ... Now here I am, with 10 minutes or less to assure you that the legislation and this Schedule 9 [to establish the Commission) fall well short of anything that will save lives, well short of the commissioner’s intentions. Veterans continue to be profiled and put in the dangerous category, often effectively silenced.”
She backed an independent body not linked in any way to the existing Departments of Defence or Veterans Affairs.
