Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with Member for Solomon Luke Gosling about the Royal Commission into veteran suicide

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Katie spoke with Member for Solomon Luke Gosling about the Royal Commission into veteran suicide · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: It is fifteen minutes away from ten o'clock. Coming your way.
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  Speaker 1: After ten o'clock, we are going to be speaking to
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  Speaker 1: the Police Association President, Paul mchw. We know that the
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  Speaker 1: government announced over the weekend that they're going to be
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  Speaker 1: investing an additional ten million dollars into the Northern Territory Police,
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  Speaker 1: Fire and Emergency Services. So it's a one off payment
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  Speaker 1: which the government says recognizes the ongoing service and dedication
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  Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory Police Foreign Emergency Service members who've
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  Speaker 1: worked tirelessly to keep the community safe during COVID nineteen.
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  Speaker 1: So we'll find out exactly what that money's going to
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  Speaker 1: be invested in and the response from the Police Association.
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  Speaker 1: But as we know well, the Royal Commission into Veterans
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  Speaker 1: Suicide it started on Friday with a ceremonial hearing with
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  Speaker 1: participants to begin giving evidence as of today, it was
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  Speaker 1: established on July eighth this year to address high rates
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  Speaker 1: of suicide among those who've served in the Australian Defense Forces.
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  Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line to talk more about
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  Speaker 1: about this is the Northern Territory's Federal Member for Solomon
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  Speaker 1: Luke Goslin. Good morning, to you, Luke.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Katy Luke.
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  Speaker 1: The Royal Commission it is going to be considering systemic
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  Speaker 1: issues relevant to the death by suicide of defense members
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  Speaker 1: and veterans, as well as risk factors and protective measures
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  Speaker 1: and the ability or the availability, i should say, of
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  Speaker 1: support services. Luke, what are territory veterans telling you about
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  Speaker 1: the Royal Commission getting underway at this point?
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  Speaker 2: They're very glad that it's begun. There's different levels of
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  Speaker 2: faith in the process. I think that's fair to say
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  Speaker 2: in that some people see this as the opportunity to
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  Speaker 2: fix the system in a systemic way, as you just mentioned, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Others have seen other reviews come and go with issues
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  Speaker 2: in the system not being resolved. But overall, I think
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  Speaker 2: people are hopeful and glad that in particular the families
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  Speaker 2: of those that we've lost, we'll get to tell their
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  Speaker 2: son or daughter's story and in particular with the other
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  Speaker 2: family members, and that will put together a picture I
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  Speaker 2: think of where veterans have fallen through the gaps in
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  Speaker 2: the past, so that we can make sure that we
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  Speaker 2: plug those gaps by this system the systemic changes that
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  Speaker 2: we need.
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  Speaker 1: Look, do we know exactly how it's going to work.
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  Speaker 1: You know, who are the Royal commission like, who are
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  Speaker 1: those commissioners are going to be speaking to and hearing from.
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  Speaker 2: Anyone can ask to give evidence, either in written form
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  Speaker 2: or in person, and in fact you can ask for
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  Speaker 2: a private hearing. I'm assisting a member of the Defense
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  Speaker 2: Forces who's still serving in Darwen's family at the moment
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  Speaker 2: with issues to do with that individual's case and how
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  Speaker 2: that's progressing with the Department of Veterans Affairs, so you
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  Speaker 2: could you would understand, Cady that some people who are
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  Speaker 2: still serving want to sort of be careful if they
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  Speaker 2: want to stay employed. Not the d IDF would act
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  Speaker 2: out against anyone who was making their case known. But
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  Speaker 2: just this morning, I've been talking to a member from
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  Speaker 2: the Navy. You had a serious back injury, and I'm
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  Speaker 2: assisting him to get some better assistance, and he told
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  Speaker 2: me about two other people that have been in wheelchairs
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  Speaker 2: for some times. I know that a soldier that I
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  Speaker 2: serve with is still in a wheelchair many years after
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  Speaker 2: the injury, and we're still trying to make sure that
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  Speaker 2: they're getting more support from the Department of v Affairs.
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  Speaker 2: And I think we're seeing some movement in that, but
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  Speaker 2: serious injuries can happen, whether it be on operations overseas
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  Speaker 2: or here in Australia or during training, and we've seen
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  Speaker 2: a correlation. I think the Royal Commission will show this
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  Speaker 2: that it is those that their medical situation, their mental
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  Speaker 2: health situation is not addressed appropriately early, that there's a
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  Speaker 2: deterioration in faith in the system, there's a deterioration in
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  Speaker 2: the well being of the individual and that's what we've
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  Speaker 2: really got a nip in the bud with better services
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  Speaker 2: upfront and the well being centers such as the one
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  Speaker 2: in Darwin that started in an interim way by Mates
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  Speaker 2: for Mates is a bit of a start to recognize
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  Speaker 2: that people and their families need a lot more support
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  Speaker 2: earlier and that will lead to much better outcomes.
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  Speaker 1: And look, this is something that you and I have
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  Speaker 1: spoken about on numerous occasions. I know that you know
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  Speaker 1: You've had you on the show prior to the Royal
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  Speaker 1: Commission actually being well getting underway, and you were always
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  Speaker 1: very vocal saying that it needed to happen. I'd sort
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  Speaker 1: of said to you, yeah, but is it going to
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  Speaker 1: mean that it takes an awful long time and nothing
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  Speaker 1: changes in the meantime, Do you sort of have that
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  Speaker 1: confidence that we are going to see some changes in
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  Speaker 1: this space that really do try to help our veterans
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  Speaker 1: and those that are still serving.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm confident GUARDI that there will be real change
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  Speaker 2: come out of this Royal Commission. Of course, it comes
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  Speaker 2: down to the commitment of the federal government of the day,
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  Speaker 2: veterans affairs being a federal issue, but also obviously in
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  Speaker 2: Darhen we've got Paul Kirby, he's the Veterans Minister from
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  Speaker 2: the anti government's perspective, and there's state and territory ministers
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  Speaker 2: that focus on these issues as well, but it is
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  Speaker 2: a federal issue, a federal labor successful at the election
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  Speaker 2: federal election early next year, are we pushing to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that there's the full support that we can bring
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  Speaker 2: to enforcing the recommendations? And likewise, if the current government continues,
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  Speaker 2: are we pushing them to make sure that the sufficient
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  Speaker 2: supports given to the implementation of the recommendation so that
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  Speaker 2: it's not just another parliamentary report that gathers us without
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  Speaker 2: any real and meaningful change.
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  Speaker 1: Luke, before I let you go this morning, just on
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  Speaker 1: another topic, I know that nationally, it is being reported
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  Speaker 1: that social media social media companies could be forced to
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  Speaker 1: reveal their identities or the identities of anonymous users in
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  Speaker 1: an effort to crack down on online trolling. Now, these
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  Speaker 1: changes are going to fall under new legislation which is
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  Speaker 1: being drafted by the federal government and is expected to
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  Speaker 1: be introduced to Parliament next year. Currently, could see or
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  Speaker 1: would see companies required to create a complaints process for
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  Speaker 1: people who feel that they've been defined online, and laws
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  Speaker 1: would allow courts to force companies to hand over the
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  Speaker 1: identities of users if people wanted to pursue legal action. Luke,
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  Speaker 1: will this work?
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  Speaker 2: Hard to say, Cadie. I think there'll be other experts
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  Speaker 2: that might have a view on how affected this is
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  Speaker 2: going to be. All I would say to people, as
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  Speaker 2: someone sort of been on the receiving end of anonymous trolls,
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  Speaker 2: a great deal, you know, you take that it comes
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  Speaker 2: with the territory in politics, But a lot of harms
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  Speaker 2: done to people by anonymous users of social media platforms.
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  Speaker 2: So I'll just ask people who do use anonymous sites
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  Speaker 2: just to think carefully about what damage you might be
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  Speaker 2: doing to someone. And you know, we need to be
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  Speaker 2: a bit kinder. I think if you think he wouldn't
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  Speaker 2: say to someone's face, and there's probably not a good
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  Speaker 2: idea to say it. But I think with the changes
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  Speaker 2: of laws Cadie and some defamation suits that have been happening,
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  Speaker 2: this is a moving feast. I was given some advice
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  Speaker 2: recently about, you know, to be very careful about what
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  Speaker 2: other people comment on my page because I might be
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  Speaker 2: liable for things that other people say. So every now
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  Speaker 2: and again you get people who are rude or disrespectful
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  Speaker 2: online and they should one not do that, but just
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  Speaker 2: be aware that, you know, they may be liable in
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  Speaker 2: the future for any harm that comes about it as
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  Speaker 2: a result of their words.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think it is certainly well worth having
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  Speaker 1: a think about. And those that are behaving in a
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  Speaker 1: poor way online just stop. We will talk to you
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  Speaker 1: again very soon. Thank you very much for your time
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  Speaker 1: this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you,