Television Interview, Sky News

SUBJECTS: Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide; Inquiry into sexual misconduct; wellbeing of serving and ex-serving veterans; the Defence Honours and Appeals Tribunal 

KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: It's one year since the Government provided its response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Today the Minister Matt Keogh addressed Press Club. I spoke to him a short time ago. Minister Matt Keogh, thanks for your time. You've given this speech today at the Press Club. Let's look at some of the big issues that you've raised. One, the draft terms of reference for an inquiry into sexual violence. Can you explain to us what, this has come from? It was a recommendation from the Royal Commission. But how broad will this be in terms of its remit?

MATT KEOGH, MINISTER VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: That's right. So, the Royal Commission recommended that there be a further inquiry that looks specifically at sexual violence, sexual misconduct in the Defence Force. There's been inquiries into this before. We're releasing the draft terms of reference today. There will be consultation that's going to be undertaken by the Australian Human Rights Commission over the next few months and that will then allow us to start that inquiry next year. So, it'll have a look back at what previous inquiries are looked at. It's going to look at issues in the Defence Force in terms of how it interacts with the military justice system. How are people supported, where are the gaps, what do we need to improve? It's really important that we get the inquiry so that any changes we need to be making in Defence we can get implemented.

KIERAN GILBERT: And when will it be done?

KEOGH: So, it'll stand up next year, it'll run for about a year. We don't want some open-ended, long-running inquiry. This is about making sure we can get advice back quickly. That's what the Royal Commission asked to have happen.

GILBERT: The cultural improvements then. There have been cultural improvements obviously over decades. How significant is the problem that remains in this space?

KEOGH: So, certainly for the vast majority, Nick Kaldas, who was the Chair of the Royal Commission, made the point, for the vast majority of people in the Defence Force, they have a good experience. but there are some that don't and we really acknowledge that. And it's clear that there are still issues around what's happening in Defence, where those problems, those issues, that behaviour that is not acceptable, is occurring and we need to really crack down on that. And so, what I've announced today in the speech are changes so that, for example, convictions in the military justice system will now appear on people's criminal records in the civilian system as well. We'll be making sure that it's incredibly clear to people that if you commit sexual misconduct offences, you're out of the Defence Force. There will be a presumption around that behaviour being something that leads straight to your dismissal. That's already happened through the CDF's directives, but we'll be backing that up with legislative force next year as well.

GILBERT: In terms of the overall sort of health questions, when you've made the point that the culture within DVA was seen as delay, deny and die, that's how veterans had looked at DVA back just a few years ago. Has that shifted now, that culture? Is it now where it needs to be, that department?

KEOGH: So, certainly, yeah, that was the feedback veterans were giving me that they referred to the culture at DVA is delay, deny, die. I want to consign that to the dustbin of history. I think the investments we have made, putting on those 500 additional claims staff making DVA now the best resourced that it's been in three decades, with a real focus on assisting veterans, not just in making sure they get access to medical supports and mental health rehab and compensation, but also now work we're doing about broadening that out to be a more holistic wellbeing approach. Making sure that we're giving access to the most cutting edge treatments and rehabilitation so that veterans actually have a better life going forward. They don't see their conditions become chronic, ongoing conditions. That's really important. But also setting up the new agency for veteran wellbeing, which we'll do next year, which looks at those more holistic wellbeing areas, is incredibly important.

GILBERT: The Royal Commission, and your speech marks 12 months since the Government's response to it, in relation to the number one recommendation, which was an oversight body that was put in place in September, a couple of months back. Is this not just another layer of bureaucracy? Why is that important?

KEOGH: Well, you know, this is unusual. We've accepted a recommendation that's going to literally mark my homework. The Royal Commission said it was its most important recommendation after looking at all the other inquiries that had happened before, recommendations that had not been implemented, to have a separate body independent of government that will oversight the work of implementing the recommendations and report back to government and the Parliament, so it's clear for everyone and provide advice to government on how we can do better. So, we got the final report in September last year. We provided the government response a year ago today and by February we'd legislated that new body. It started its work in September, and it'll do its first report on the Government's implementation of recommendations by today in 2027.

GILBERT: So, one of the questions, I guess, as we look at the address today and the Government's response. It's a year since your Royal Commission response. Why did it take 12 months for the terms of reference on this sexual violence inquiry? Why was that not like an immediate response?

KEOGH: Sure. And look, when I look at 122 recommendations, I'd love to have had them all done yesterday. But what we have done, we set up a task force in PM&C, in Prime Minister and Cabinet, deliberately not part of Defence, to provide advice to government on how do we roll out implementation of these recommendations? Where are the low hanging fruit that we can move quickly? Where are the things that need other things to happen first and foremost, making sure we do it in a quick way but also in a deliberate fashion to make sure we get this right. The task force worked on developing draft terms of reference with government and broader consultation within government. So, we've now handed that to the Australian Human Rights Commission to do that broader piece of consultation before we then start the inquiry next year. I understand that people would like these things to happen faster. I'm sure if you went and spoke to Chief of the Defence Force, the Secretary of DVA, they know I'm writing them every day to get things in terms of implementation moving more quickly. What's important though is we do it in a proper and methodical way. That's what we've done. We're giving people the opportunity to provide feedback on those terms of reference so that we can then start this inquiry.

GILBERT: And just finally, on a separate matter, the citations review that was going to be put in place or legislation restricting the time with which medals and citations could be honoured, the Government’s shelved that now. Is that you listening to the veterans’ community saying we got it wrong?

KEOGH: Yeah, we've heard the feedback. We saw the report from the Senate inquiry that was conducted into that legislation. There were areas that people didn't have any concerns within that legislation, but there were some areas where there was some very strong feedback about needing to change the approach we were taking. So, we'll do that consultation further. We'll engage with people and see what the process is on getting that right so that we have a modern, appropriate, best fit tribunal going forward.

GILBERT: Because you wouldn't want to deny, say a hero of yesteryear from an appropriate situation --

KEOGH: And I think what's important to understand --

GILBERT: Like Teddy Sheean or someone like that --

KEOGH: And I think what's important to understand, and that's a great example, is that nothing we were doing was going to stop people from being able to be honoured by Defence, or nothing was going to stop people applying to Defence for Defence honours. And when we look at the Teddy Sheean example, that was a process that was done outside of the tribunal anyway, so it wouldn't have been what happened there wouldn't have been picked up in this anyway.

KIERAN GILBERT: Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh. Always appreciate your time. Thanks.

MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Great to be with you.

ENDS