A message from our CEO on the Government's Response to the Royal Commission
On Monday, 2 December, the Australian Government handed down its response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
A message from our CEO on the Government's Response to the Royal Commission
04 December 2024
On Monday, 2 December, the Australian Government handed down its response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
It is heartening to see that the Government agreed to 104 of the 122 recommendations proposed, and agreed in principle to many more, which will help improve and better support the health and wellbeing of our Defence community.
Particularly, I’m encouraged that the Government has accepted recommendation 122 and has agreed to establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole Defence ecosystem as a priority.
Mates4Mates provides services to thousands of veterans and families, and we stand willing and able to work with the Government and the proposed taskforce to help implement the recommendations.
Yesterday, the Townsville Mates4Mates team were honoured to host Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh MP in the centre who met with staff to talk about the Government’s response and hear about the vital services we provide. This was a wonderful opportunity to highlight Mates4Mates continued support for the Royal Commissions’ recommendations and the work we do with current and ex-serving Defence Force personnel and families to improve their mental, physical and social health.
I felt honoured to play a role within the Royal Commission's hearings on behalf of Mates4Mates as part of the Stakeholder Reference Group, providing evidence on behalf of organisations who support current and ex-serving Defence Force personnel and families. The courage of those who came forward to share their stories and give evidence has made a significant difference and their bravery has not gone unrecognised.
I look forward to working with the Australian Government to implement their response to the Royal Commission's recommendations to help improve the lives of veterans and families in our country.
For crisis support, please reach out to Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or Lifeline on 13 11 14 (or text 0477 13 11 14). In an emergency, please call 000.
To view the Government's response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, click here.
