Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members (ADF) and Public Service staff who share information with the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide are to receive stronger protections under a new agreement with key Government Agencies.
Chair of the Royal Commission, Nick Kaldas said a new information sharing agreement had been co-signed with the Chief of the Defence Force and Secretaries of the Departments of Defence and Veterans Affairs to ensure both past and present ADF members and Departmental employees could voluntarily share their stories without the fear of being punished.
“That’s on top of a commitment from Defence Chief, General Angus Campbell, in his evidence to the Commission in July last year that there will be no consequence for any former or current member who provides relevant information to the Commission,” Commissioner Kaldas said.
“Open, honest information sharing at all levels is critical moving forward as the inquiry sharpens its focus on key systemic issues relating to suicide and suicidality in the veteran community.”
He said increasing legal protections for serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members to engage with the inquiry was one of 13 urgent recommendations included in the Commission’s Interim Report, handed down last August.
Eleven of those recommendations have so far been adopted by the Australian Government.
“We’ve heard some current and ex-serving members and their families are unsure about sharing their very personal stories with the Royal Commission,” Commissioner Kaldas said.
“The agreement makes it okay for you to talk to us about these experiences and – as long as it’s relevant to our terms of reference – you can’t be penalised for doing so,” he said.
“Importantly though, in the vast majority of cases, it is not necessary for people to disclose operationally sensitive information when sharing their stories or their concerns about suicide and suicidality.”
Commissioner Kaldas said that to date, the Commission had received more than 3,000 submissions from serving and ex-serving ADF members, family and friends with lived experience, advocacy groups and experts.
