In Australia, we do a damn poor job of looking after our veterans. This Anzac Day, can we just admit it?
Take this nightmare case from my patch of the world. For more than 18 years, veterans in the Riverina have been raising serious concerns. They’ve been met with silence. In fact, they claim that the issues they’ve raised, like the illegal wearing of military medals (commonly referred to as stolen valour), the liquidations of local RSL sub-branches, and the mismanagement of service records and funds, have been allegedly hushed up.
These claims aren’t surprising. For years, the Coalition and Labor have mismanaged Defence and Veterans’ Affairs departments. Despite repeated calls from veterans both in Riverina and across the country, the system continues to fail those who have served our nation. Retired personnel, sometimes suffering physical and mental complications as a result of their service, are forced to navigate a bureaucratic maze in order to access their entitlements. Reports of delays, lost paperwork and inadequate support are countless.
Michael McCormack, both a former Deputy Prime Minister and Veterans’ Affairs Minister who had the power to effect change when he was in government, continues to amaze with his penchant for turning a blind eye. This is a man seeking re-election in Riverina who claims to represent his electorate – despite the fact that he’s onboard with Net Zero renewable energy policies and that he was an initial supporter of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
The army’s recruit training centre at Kapooka and the Air Force’s base at Forest Hill train over 5,000 personnel every year, as well as employ more than 1,000 uniformed staff. That the federal parliamentarian whose seat these national facilities exist within is so nonchalant towards veterans’ concerns is, from a political perspective, just incredible.
There is now a grassroots action – not the worst outcome, all things considered. Feeling abandoned by the one person whose job it is to represent them, some veterans in Riverina have taken matters into their own hands. Wagga’s Pro Patria Centre was independently established by local retired servicemen to provide holistic health and wellbeing support in lieu of institutional aid.
The Riverina deserves better political representation, and so do our veterans. The time for silence is over. That’s why, if elected on May 3, I’m committing to a comprehensive plan to restore integrity and accountability to Riverina’s veteran community.
I want an inquiry into stolen valour, sub-branch closures without consultation, and the alleged mismanagement of veterans’ assets. Particularly, I want stronger penalties for stolen valour under Defence Act 1903, including mandatory community service for convicted offenders and public disclosure of their names within a national database. I’ll also work to establish an independent federal medal review tribunal to investigate disputed medal entitlements and resolve claims of stolen valour. We must restore the integrity of the system that veterans depend on.
In addition, I’ll introduce legislation to protect sub-branches from arbitrary closure. No sub-branch should be dissolved without a full vote of its membership. Furthermore, independent audits must be conducted before assets can be transferred. This ensures that resources within local veteran communities stay where they belong, instead of being deliberately redeployed where they don’t.
Protections for whistleblowers within the veteran community, like those who have exposed fraud and mismanagement, must be increased. I’m committed to enacting legal safeguards for those who come forward so that they can speak with honesty and without fear.
We must also recognise the immense impact that stolen valour and failing government infrastructure has on veterans’ mental health. We know that servicemen, whether enlisted or retired, feel fraudulent claims and institutional failures erode their dignity and identity. That leads to depression, anxiety, and increased suicide risk. If we canned the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme, which shovels $730 million each year into the bank accounts of retired politicians, we’d have more than enough money to set up the mental health clinics our veterans, as well as the broader community, need.
This isn’t just about medals or cash payments. It’s about our national character. The legacy of those who have served and fought for Australia must be defended. Whilst Michael McCormack sleeps, I’m not resting until our veterans are afforded the respect and dignity they deserve.
Lest we forget.
Cr Richard Foley currently serves as an independent Wagga Wagga City councillor. Get involved with Richard’s campaign to win Riverina.
