Australia to hold inquiry to examine veteran suicide by Reuters
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By Colin Packham
CANBERRA, April 19 (Reuters) - Australia will hold a Royal Commission to examine suicides among serving and former military personnel, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, bowing to public pressure to find ways to stem a mounting toll.
More than 500 have died from suicide since 2001, government data shows, a statistic that has fuelled public anger, including among the prime minister s own Liberal party. I think and I hope it will be a healing process, Morrison told reporters in Canberra, as he announced his call for a commission to be set up.
Veteransâ suicide royal commission to shine spotlight on Defence Force
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A royal commission into veteransâ suicide will shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the Defence Force, looking at how personnel are recruited, their training and service, and support for transitioning back into civilian life.
After months of resistance, Prime Minister Scott Morrison bowed to pressure from veterans and their families to announce the establishment of a royal commission, just days after announcing the withdrawal of Australiaâs final 80 troops in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing the royal commission into veteransâ suicide on Monday.Â
Brook Mitchell
Releasing draft terms of reference, Mr Morrison flagged that up to three commissioners could be appointed for an inquiry that could take up to two years.
Government launches royal commission into veteran suicides
The prime minister said governments made difficult decisions to deploy soldiers into war zones, but also needed to consider what happened to soldiers when they returned home. There is a far greater cost that is borne beyond those deployments, and that is the mental toll taken on the veterans after they return, he said. That cost is most significant when we see it in the death by suicide of our veterans.
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The prime minister has previously rejected calls for a royal commission to be established, preferring his permanent model.
But he was dragged into action after members of his own backbench threatened to cross the floor in support of a royal commission.
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