Veterans in Australia call for transparency on reforms
In Australia, veterans, their families and researchers have called on the authorities to ensure greater transparency and more actively implement the 122 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Two years have passed since the commission’s final report was released, but participants in the new Open Door Initiative campaign at Flinders University say the pace of implementing the recommendations has somewhat slowed, ABC News Australia reports.
Call for open oversight
Flinders University professor and veteran Ben Wadham, who serves on the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission, said it is difficult for the public to find specific information on the progress of implementing the recommendations. In his view, a public register is needed containing information on responsible implementers, stages of work, completion deadlines and the impact of changes on veterans and their families.
The Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission was established in accordance with Recommendation 122 of the Royal Commission as a new statutory body to oversee systemic reforms in the defence sector. As part of the campaign, the Open Door Initiative also presented a 10-minute documentary film about the impact of veteran suicides.
Testimony from veterans and families
The film featured Navy veteran John Armfield, who served for 20 years as a diver in the Royal Australian Navy and had five operational deployments. His brother Andrew, who served in the Air Force, died by suicide. Armfield said that after his brother’s suicide attempt in 2011, he reported what he believed were shortcomings in the treatment, but his appeals were not heard.
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Armfield said he learned about the investigation into his brother’s death only 10 years after the tragedy. According to him, his mental health deteriorated, and in 2023 he was medically discharged from service. He also claims that the military justice system was used against him and that those responsible were not held accountable.
Open Door Initiative researcher Karen Bird, whose son Jesse served in Afghanistan and died by suicide in June 2017, also demanded specifics regarding the recommendations. She questioned the meaning of general statuses such as “in progress.”
Government position
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Matt Keogh said that by the end of 2025, a quarter of the recommendations had been implemented. According to him, the government expects to implement two-thirds of the recommendations by the end of 2026. He also mentioned the establishment on July 1 of the Veterans’ and Families’ Wellbeing Agency and an independent inquiry into sexual violence in the Australian Defence Force announced in December 2025.
According to Keogh, the government has strengthened its response to a further 15 recommendations and is working with the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission, which is to provide overall oversight and transparency of the reforms.
