Nearly 70 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel have taken their own lives since the release of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s final report — a tragic continuation of the crisis the inquiry sought to end.
Despite the federal government’s pledge to act, not one of the 122 recommendations from the seven-volume, 3000-page report has been fully implemented almost a year on. Families of the fallen, veterans, and advocates are now voicing outrage over the pace of reform, calling the delay “deeply disappointing” and “devastating.”
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, a former lieutenant colonel in the Army, said the suicide toll remains constant at three every fortnight. “This will not change until the recommendations are fully and effectively implemented,” he warned.
Among the grieving is Cheryl, mother of Michael, a 34-year-old Navy leading seaman who died by suicide at HMAS Kuttabul in 2022. In a private hearing, she and her daughter Melissa revealed that Michael had endured bullying, discrimination, and sexual abuse during his service — particularly aboard a Collins Class submarine. His suicide note blamed the Royal Australian Navy for his death.
“How many more sons and daughters do we have to lose before urgency becomes real?” Cheryl asked. “Michael’s final words must not be ignored. Honour his death with action.”
Patricia Fernandez de Viana, whose son James took his life in 2019 while serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, echoed those sentiments. “The ADF and government want to ignore this truth because it is too unpalatable,” she said. “Nothing has changed.”
The Royal Commission, led by former NSW deputy police chief Nick Kaldas, found that Defence personnel are 20 times more likely to die by suicide than in combat. Key recommendations included the establishment of an independent national suicide register, urgent action on sexual abuse and bullying in the ranks, and a full review of the military justice system.
While the Albanese government supported 104 of the 122 recommendations in principle, 17 were merely “noted,” and survivors say they’ve seen little to no progress. A promised independent inquiry into sexual violence in the ADF remains without a leader or structure ten months on.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said “significant work is underway,” pointing to the creation of the Defence and Veteran’s Services Commission, led in the interim by Michael Manthorpe, and consultation with veterans on a new wellbeing agency.
For the families left behind, these assurances are not enough. “We don’t need more promises. We need delivery,” said Wilkie.
