Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Matt Hepworth spoke with Federal Member for Solomon Luke Gosling

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Matt Hepworth spoke with Federal Member for Solomon Luke Gosling · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, we know that, the Federal Member for Solomon, Luke
• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Gosling says, as the top end continues to wait for
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: the promised Veterans and Families Well Being Center to be established.
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  Speaker 1: The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures on
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  Speaker 1: defense and veterans suicides, so we are failing our veterans
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  Speaker 1: and we urgently need a Royal commission into this tragedy
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  Speaker 1: to talk more about it. Is the Federal Member for
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  Speaker 1: Solomon and the co chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Veterans,
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  Speaker 1: Luke Gosling. Luke, good morning, Good morning, Mattie. Look, can
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  Speaker 1: you talk us through some of the latest figures in
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  Speaker 1: this AIHW report on Defense and veterans suicides. It's still
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  Speaker 1: far too many, isn't it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a lot, Mattie. The latest figures we've got
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  Speaker 2: through in that report is in the thirties for twenty eighteen,
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  Speaker 2: and you know that's almost as many as we've lost
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  Speaker 2: in twenty years of combat operations in Afghanistan. So it's
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  Speaker 2: still a significant problem. And what we're finding the most
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  Speaker 2: is that those that may not have necessarily even served
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  Speaker 2: overseas but got discharged for medical reasons they were sixty
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  Speaker 2: six percent more likely to die by suicide than their contemporaries.
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  Speaker 2: So that is a concern. And one of the issues
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  Speaker 2: here is that massive loss of identity where everything the
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  Speaker 2: military when you're in it, obviously know from personal experiences
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  Speaker 2: that it's huge. It's your mates, it's your career, it's
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  Speaker 2: your vocation. And then when you injury yourself, which can
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  Speaker 2: happen in the military, then and you're asked to leave,
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  Speaker 2: then it's that sort of feeling of loss of identity
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  Speaker 2: and wondering how you're going to go on the outside
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  Speaker 2: and dealing with the processes of the claims process through DBA.
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  Speaker 2: And I'm not having a go at the Department of
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  Speaker 2: Defense or Veterans Affairs or even the federal government. A
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  Speaker 2: lot of good stuff has come out recently, like there's
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  Speaker 2: some great stuff in the federal budget for mental health.
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  Speaker 2: DVa's processes are getting better, but there still is a need,
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  Speaker 2: I think, to get to the bottom once and for
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  Speaker 2: all after World Wars, our experience with Vietnam and into
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  Speaker 2: the current day where there's still too many service people
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  Speaker 2: patriot Australians becoming unwell, and obviously that's the reason behind
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  Speaker 2: the well being center that was funded by the federal government.
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  Speaker 2: Well hasn't been funded yet, it doesn't exist yet. But
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  Speaker 2: eighteen months on from the last federal election, I guess
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  Speaker 2: what I'm saying is let's get the well being center established,
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  Speaker 2: but also let's for once and for all have a
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  Speaker 2: look at the process through defense into veterans affairs and
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  Speaker 2: the roles of ex service organizations to stop people that
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  Speaker 2: have served us for taking their own lives.
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  Speaker 1: Where are we at with the Veterans and Families well
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  Speaker 1: Being Center for Darwin. I know it was something that
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  Speaker 1: Federal Labor had promised going into the election. Was it
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  Speaker 1: something that the Liberal government had matched? Are they committed
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  Speaker 1: to doing that?
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  Speaker 2: So they announced that they are, and they've now selected
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  Speaker 2: a very good ex service organization called Mates for Mates.
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  Speaker 2: They'll establish the services here in Darwen. It's unclear where
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  Speaker 2: they'll physically operate from it this stage or indeed I
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  Speaker 2: understand they might be close to selecting a general manager
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  Speaker 2: or a CEO for the facility. But it's a year
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  Speaker 2: and a half now. We're getting on. And whilst I
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  Speaker 2: always go to great links and I will to say
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: that two employers out there the best thing you can
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  Speaker 2: do is to employ a veteran because they've got a
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  Speaker 2: whole bunch of skills and energy and drive and they
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  Speaker 2: can just get things done. But there are, albeit small,
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  Speaker 2: but there are veterans right now in the greater Darwin
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  Speaker 2: area who are on the edge and people that I
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  Speaker 2: work within the ex service community are working them with
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  Speaker 2: them on a daily basis, and we're still waiting to
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  Speaker 2: see that the well being center and the services come about.
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  Speaker 2: There are some good news with an organization called Soldier
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  Speaker 2: On who have now got employed people, full time people
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  Speaker 2: on the ground in Darwin that are there to help
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  Speaker 2: with that transition from the military into employment. Because we
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  Speaker 2: know that if that happens, and obviously it's great to
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  Speaker 2: have soldier On supporting that process, then we're going to
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  Speaker 2: get a better outcome with our veterans cohort out there.
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  Speaker 2: But yeah, we continue Federal Labor has been consistent with this.
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  Speaker 2: We continue to call on the federal government to announce
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  Speaker 2: a Royal Commission into Veteran suicide. Let's get all the
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  Speaker 2: experts to provide all the guidance on how we can
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  Speaker 2: do this better, and that's only going to be better
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  Speaker 2: for everyone into in the long term.
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  Speaker 1: I know in February Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a
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  Speaker 1: National Commissioner for Defense and Veteran suicides. Is that different
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  Speaker 1: to a Royal commission? Though we've got the commissioner. Is
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  Speaker 1: there going to be a royal commission into this though.
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  Speaker 2: The government, the federal government, aren't committed to a royal
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  Speaker 2: commission And this is sort of a workaround is to
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  Speaker 2: announce this position, which is and I hope it doesn't
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  Speaker 2: become this, but it's essentially a glorified national coroner to
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  Speaker 2: look into those who are those veterans who have committed
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  Speaker 2: suicide and to sort of work backwards the ambulance at
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  Speaker 2: the bottom of the cliff, to workout what happened in
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  Speaker 2: that individual's case, what services did they access, Where did
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  Speaker 2: they put their hand up and say they needed help,
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  Speaker 2: or why weren't they identified as someone needing help? Now
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  Speaker 2: State and territory coroners obviously already provide that service, and
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  Speaker 2: it was a person that is very experienced, but that
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  Speaker 2: at the end of the day is from the system itself.
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  Speaker 2: So what we're arguing on behalf of veterans and I'm
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  Speaker 2: getting contacted by a lot of veterans in Darwen and
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  Speaker 2: Parmesan saying Luke, we still need that Royal Commission and
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  Speaker 2: I agree, because we need an outside look into the
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  Speaker 2: system that cares for people who serve our country and
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  Speaker 2: that's how we'll get the best recommendations.
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  Speaker 1: So what powers I guess does the commissioner have? I
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  Speaker 1: guess you mentioned some before. Are they still able to
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  Speaker 1: provide recommendations and then can they be put forward towards Parliament?
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  Speaker 1: I guess what is the big difference between the commissioner
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  Speaker 1: and a commission.
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  Speaker 2: The work of the commissioner is a lot more in
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  Speaker 2: house whereas obviously a royal commission. And this is a
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  Speaker 2: whole idea behind a royal commission is it's a public process. Now,
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  Speaker 2: no one will certainly my experience and the fact that
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  Speaker 2: my brother's are veterans, my dad's a veteran, his dad
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  Speaker 2: pop was a veteran. There is the Isralian Army, in
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  Speaker 2: Theustralie Defense Force are magnificent institutions. The Department of Veterans
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  Speaker 2: Affairs has great people in it doing a great job.
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  Speaker 2: That doesn't mean the system's perfect, that doesn't mean we're not.
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  Speaker 2: It's our responsibility to make sure that the people who
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  Speaker 2: sign up. And I'm approached by parents all the time.
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  Speaker 2: You know, should little Johnny, little Sally joint? And I
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: say yes? But the confidence to say yes is one
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  Speaker 2: of patriotism in that people serving our country. There's no
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  Speaker 2: more important time than right now facing all the challenges
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  Speaker 2: we do to have good people in our defense forces.
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  Speaker 2: But it also doubles the responsibility on us to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that the supports around them when they transition are
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  Speaker 2: the best they can possibly be, so that they continue
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  Speaker 2: as healthy members of the community, healthy families, well families.
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  Speaker 2: That's the most important thing here, and I think an
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  Speaker 2: outside inview is going to get us a better result.
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  Speaker 1: Look, just coming back to those support services, Darwin City
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  Speaker 1: has been without an RSL clubhouse for more than two
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  Speaker 1: years now and it really does quite minimize their footprint.
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  Speaker 1: And I guess that the services that they can offer.
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  Speaker 1: Do you think a lack of RSL presence in the
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  Speaker 1: city is having an effect on our veterans And comes
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  Speaker 1: back to the fact that they're I guess a lack
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: of some of those support services.
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  Speaker 2: What we did a little while ago is and when
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  Speaker 2: I say I was able through some grand funding to
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  Speaker 2: support the RSL to set up Bill Roy House at
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  Speaker 2: the rath Base. So that's been a great interim well
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  Speaker 2: being center if you like. Together with Veterans Australia and
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  Speaker 2: Tea out in the rural area and the Palmerston RSL,
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  Speaker 2: there have been the three main touch points for veterans.
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  Speaker 2: But again they're very very good volunteers. What we need
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  Speaker 2: is permanent professional people and this is what the well
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  Speaker 2: Being Center is supposed to provide. Counselors, but full time counselors,
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  Speaker 2: full time people as we have now with Soldier on
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  Speaker 2: helping people into work. So let's I guess separate that
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  Speaker 2: in a way from where a future Darwin RSL should go.
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  Speaker 2: Should they rebuild on their current site, should they go
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  Speaker 2: to the Vick in the mall. There's various sites that
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  Speaker 2: I'm sure are being talked about at the moment. What
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  Speaker 2: is important to veterans that I've been speaking with, and
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  Speaker 2: I don't speak for all veterans at all, but just
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  Speaker 2: I have conversations with a lot of them, is that
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  Speaker 2: the sacredness of that cenotaph area is maintained and the
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  Speaker 2: community is supportive of what happens at that site. Around
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  Speaker 2: the cenotaph. That's what's important there. But there's no doubt
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  Speaker 2: that everyone wants to see the RSL rebuild. It's an
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  Speaker 2: important part of our community and I look forward to
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  Speaker 2: just having my voice as does everyone else in Darwin
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  Speaker 2: and the greater Darwin area about the future. But I
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  Speaker 2: would just remind everyone that a club is a club,
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  Speaker 2: but our veterans are our veterans and supports support services
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  Speaker 2: for them are absolutely essential, and we still haven't got
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  Speaker 2: permanent support services here. In saying that, I just want
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  Speaker 2: to take my hat off to Open Arms now. They
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  Speaker 2: are government funded out in Winelli. They are there to
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  Speaker 2: support you used to be called veterans and veterans Families
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  Speaker 2: counseling services. They've got professional people to assist you. So
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  Speaker 2: if you need that support, reach out to Open Arms,
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  Speaker 2: reach out to your local ex service organizations, and let's
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  Speaker 2: get the best possible services for our people that we can.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: We certainly can. The Federal Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling
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  Speaker 1: will have to leave it there. Thank you so much
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  Speaker 1: for your time this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks for your time, Maddie
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  Speaker 1: And if you or anyone you know has been affected
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: by this conversation can also contact Lafeline on thirteen eleven
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  Speaker 1: fourteen