Gembrook MP Brad Battin has indicated his support for a national Royal Commission into veteran suicide.
The Victorian Liberals, along with Mr Battin, announced support for a national Royal Commission on Tuesday 13 April, backing growing calls from RSL Victoria and the local veteran community to take action.
Since 2001, at least 500 ex-servicemen and women have committed suicide.
Nine veterans lost their lives to suicide in October and November of last year alone while in the first three months of 2021, 13 veterans have taken their own lives.
In a statement, Mr Battin said while the Victorian Liberals supported the Federal Government’s announcement of a national commissioner into the the issue, the veteran community was seeking a Royal Commission as a starting point.
“A Royal Commission is our highest form of independent inquiry and it is this process that will give the veteran community the confidence to come forward and share experiences and challenges,” the statement read.
Mr Battin said we must do more to support those who have served our nation, with an approach that not only delivers the intervention people need when they reach crisis point, but also in the years before they are at their most vulnerable.
“The harrowing numbers of veterans who take their lives cannot be ignored,” he said.
“We have a service to those who have served our country to ensure we as a nation identify our failures and do better.”
