The chair of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has accused senior military leaders of waiting for his inquiry to end so they can go back to "business as usual".Nick Kaldas is accusing the defence force's top brass of wanting the royal commission into defence suicide to endThe royal commission is due to deliver its final report by June next year
"We commissioners fear the defence hierarchy is simply waiting for this inquiry to end so that it can go back to business as usual," he said."We still have not identified any strong evidence to suggest that defence is prioritising the mental health and wellbeing of its people in a sustainable way, nor does it seem to be responding adequately to the pressing issue of suicide and suicidality in its ranks with any sense of urgency.
"The only way you can change a culture in an institution like defence is by flushing out the leaders.Karen Bird says the commissioners should "keep pushing and keep calling it out". "I'm not crazy enough or silly enough to believe that we don't need a defence force, but what we do need is a system that looks after our defence members."Senator Lambie was full of praise for the way Mr Kaldas and his two fellow commissioners, James Douglas KC and Peggy Brown, have been running the inquiry, encouraging members of the defence community to come forward with their stories.