The massive backlog of compensation claims from injured veterans should be cleared within two years, the interim report from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has recommended.
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Funding the Department of Veterans' Affairs to eliminate the backlog by March 31, 2024, was among the 13 recommendations from the report, tabled in parliament on Thursday.
Responding to the interim report, Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said he was "deeply sorry" to any veterans who have slipped through the cracks, and to families who have lost loved ones to the "scourge" of suicide.
The inquiry's public hearings heard startling revelations, including a frank admission by Department of Veterans' Affairs secretary Liz Cosson of failings so profound the agency was "not fit" for their needs.
Ms Cosson conceded a backlog claims from injured defence members and veterans, which has left some people waiting for years, might have contributed to a spike in suicides.
The report recommended a "confusing and complex" compensation be streamlined, and bolstered legal protections for serving and former ADF members as they engaged with the royal commission.
'A national tragedy'
Commission chair Nick Kaldas described the veterans' suicide rate as a "national tragedy" that warranted urgent action.
Mr Kaldas said working through the nearly 42,000 outstanding claims, as of May, was "one of the most pressing issues" unmasked by the commission.
"We know that the long wait to receive entitlements can have a terrible effect on veterans' mental health and in some cases leads to suicide and suicidality," he said.
"Behind each claim is a veteran who needs support, and it is gravely important that this assistance is provided as quickly as possible - lives and livelihoods depend on it."
Minister Keogh offered an apology to any servicemen and women who did not receive sufficient support, but stressed it did not happen "under our watch".
He said Labor wanted to "make clear that there's a new sheriff in town", which would make addressing failings a priority.
"If there have been failings in the way in which Defence has operated, and failings in the way in which the Department of Veterans Affairs has operated, I'm deeply sorry about that. That is not what these agencies are set up to do," he said.
"We're sorry about that. It's why we wanted a royal commission, so we can find out what we can do better."
Minister Keogh said the royal commission must be assisted in "any way possible" to ensure it can combat the "scourge" of veteran suicide.
He said any Australian who signed up to serve their nation made "the ultimate sacrifice" and deserved support in transitioning to civilian life.
"This is a commitment that we owe our defence personnel, veterans, and [their] families," he said.
"We will now consider these recommendations from the royal commission in detail, and provide a formal government report short response shortly so that we can get on with the task of saving lives."
With the clearing of the backlog scheduled for 2024, Minister Keogh did not answer directly when asked whether he was concerned more veterans would lose their lives in the interim.
"It is important to recognise that veterans making claims through the DVA do have access to income support upon making those claims, and they do have access to medical support for conditions," he said.
"These are human lives that we're talking about. These are real people that are living lives [where] they are feeling things are not working out the way that they should be."
Minister Keogh conceded the "scope is huge" when it came to addressing failing, with around 591,000 living Australians having served at some point in their life.
And after the report also recommended caps on Defence staffing levels be permanently ended, he said Labor was committed to bringing forward the appointment of 500 additional staff to kickstart the response.
'Not about politics'
Coalition leader Peter Dutton said the opposition would support additional spending for veterans, but rejected suggestions the DVA had been allowed to fester under its leadership.
"This is something that's been going on for decades, back to the Vietnam War," he said.
"I think there is enough blame to share across both sides of politics, but I think this is not an issue about politics. It's an issue about how we help veterans and their families."
Mr Dutton urged Labor to return the veterans' portfolio to cabinet, saying former servicemen had been "dismayed" by its relegation to a junior position.
"The Prime Minister made a mistake when he removed [it] out of cabinet, because it didn't give him the prominence at a time when it really needed it, at a time when we should be highlighting and providing more support to veterans," he said.
"The Prime Minister took the decision to take the portfolio out of cabinet and put it into a junior portfolio. And I don't think that does it justice."
Former prime minister Scott Morrison announced the inquiry last April after a long-running campaign by former soldiers and family members, and amid pressure from all sides of parliament.
The commission, which was headed by former NSW deputy police commissioner Nick Kaldas, was tasked with examining the systemic issues behind the disproportionately high rates of suicides in the veterans population compared to the general public.
"I think and I hope it will be a healing process ... that will assist in the comfort that those families have been seeking," Mr Morrison said at the time.
'Large insurance company'
Excerpts from the royal commission heard the Department of Veterans' Affairs came across as "nothing more than a large insurance company" when dealing with claims.
Peter Jenkins, whose veteran son Shaun passed away in 2016, told the commission his wife as rebuffed when she attempted to access her child's medical records.
Instead, she was immediately told she was not entitled to compensation because she was not Shaun's partner or child, her husband said.
"We didn't want money, we just wanted answers. We wanted to find out what had happened to our son," Mr Jenkins said.
"It came across like DVA was nothing more than a large insurance company that was looking at protecting its assets, rather than providing any type of assistance or support."
Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan conceded veterans and their families faced "abhorrent" treatment which "should never happen".
"While I would aspire to have a navy and a defence force that is free of such behaviours, I also acknowledge that there are behaviours that occur from time to time still today that we are not happy with, not proud of," he told the royal commission in March.
The final report is scheduled to be handed down in June next year.
You can read the interim report here.
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Dan Jervis-Bardy
