Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill 2026
Mr THOMPSON (Herbert) (09:27): I rise today to speak on the Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill. I start by acknowledging all those that continue to wear the uniform in service to this nation, our veterans and your families, and note that the freedoms that we enjoy today are on the back of hard fought battles, wars and sacrifices that you have made.
This legislation is not merely a collection of administrative adjustments or technical tweaks. It represents a significant legislative response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, a royal commission established by the former, coalition government. Every member of the House of Representatives carries a heavy responsibility to ensure that those who wear the uniform and those who have worn the uniform receive support, care and respect for their service.
We also carry a duty to the families who stand beside them, sharing the unique burdens of service life. The coalition recognises the profound importance of these reforms. The bill directly implements 15 recommendations of the royal commission, with a further 20 recommendations supported through its provisions.
Its objectives to strengthen the health, wellbeing and safety of our personnel are objectives that this side of the House wholeheartedly shares. For these reasons, the coalition will not oppose this bill in the House today. We approach this debate in a spirit of constructive engagement, acknowledging the valuable work of ex-service organisations, advocates and families who have fought for these changes.
However, our support is cautious. It is support predicated on the requirement that these reforms deliver genuine, tangible improvements rather than simply adding more layers of administrative complexity to a system that many serving personnel and veterans already find difficult to navigate. We must ensure that this legislation is effective, proportionate and capable of delivering the improvements that are needed, recommended and promised.
The measures contained in this bill are intended to place a greater emphasis on the support of our defence personnel and veterans across both the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. The royal commission was clear that, for too long, the systems designed to support our people have been fragmented. This has resulted in fragmented information systems, resulting in administrative delays, delays in support and, most tragically, missed opportunities to identify and assist those at high risk of suicide and self-harm.
By improving coordination between agencies and strengthening access to support services, this bill aims to ensure that the wellbeing of defence members, veterans and their families remains central to the service delivery. Schedule 1 is about addressing fragmented information systems. It establishes a new legislative framework to support health and safety by breaking down fragmented information systems.
It expands the functions of the Repatriation Commission to include wellbeing and transition support, and it creates a framework allowing Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs and other entities to share information for defined purposes. The intent here is understandable and, in principle, supported by the coalition. We acknowledge the value of reducing administrative barriers between agencies to allow for earlier intervention for vulnerable individuals and better integrated service delivery.
The bill's support for a veteran and family wellbeing agency and the National Veterans' Data Asset is particularly important as these will enhance our research capabilities and further deepen our understanding of suicide risk factors. In particular, the coalition supports the goal of enabling the earlier transfer of information from Defence to DVA. If this leads to reduced delays in claims processing and ensures veterans receive assistance at the earliest possible opportunity, then it is a significant step forward.
However, we must always remain vigilant. The collection and sharing of sensitive personal information—data relating to health, service history and personal circumstances—is a matter of the highest gravity. Defence personnel and their families rightly expect that this information will be handled with the highest degree of care and security.
While the bill includes requirements for ministerial guidelines and de-identification of information where practical, these safeguards require ongoing and rigorous scrutiny. We must ensure that any expansion of information-sharing powers is accompanied by robust protections, clear limitations on use and strong accountability mechanisms. While better data can drive better outcomes, that must not be achieved by placing sensitive information at risk of misuse, exposure or unauthorised access.
This has happened before with the department; I received texts from a third party wanting to talk about my health concerns and my injuries and illnesses. This particular part does create some angst and anxiety, but we have had a clear assurance from the government, the minister and his department—and I thank him for that—that that will not be the case. Nevertheless, we just need to keep an eye on these things.
The coalition will closely scrutinise the ministerial guidelines that will help protect this information and will work constructively, because it's our responsibility to make sure that our Defence Force personnel and veterans have that scrutiny and support but that, also, if it doesn't go in the direction it's supposed to, we can review it and change it. Schedule 2 is about the Defence health system, seeking to modernise its legislative framework.
The Defence health system occupies a unique and often difficult position. Unlike civilian services, it must provide individual care while simultaneously supporting operational readiness and assessing an individual's fitness for service. The royal commission found that existing legislative frameworks have not evolved in step with modern clinical practice in relation to mental health care, clinical governance and the management of health information.
The coalition supports the establishment of a clearer statutory framework that clarifies the roles within the system and provides authority for the collection of health information for monitoring and quality assurance. We welcome the alignment of Defence health governance with nationally recognised clinical governance standards. This has the potential to improve transparency and ensure that our personnel have access to high-quality care that meets contemporary expectations.
Providing legal protections for practitioners participating in quality assurance, similar to those in civilian systems, is also a sensible and necessary step. But, once again, a balance must be struck. While Defence has a legitimate need to access health information to support readiness and safety, we must ensure that the privacy rights of personnel are not unnecessarily eroded.
The success of these health reforms will be measured not by the creation of a new statutory framework but by whether they result in earlier intervention, improved continuity of care and better mental health outcomes. Schedule 3 is about supporting families. Schedule 3 is a critical component of this bill as it recognises that families are the backbone of the defence community.
We know that there is a profound connection between family circumstances, relationship breakdown and an elevated risk of suicide and self-harm. Behind every serving member is often a family sharing the burdens of service: the frequent relocations, the prolonged absences and the immense pressure of operational deployments. We must support measures that improve communication between Defence and families, ensuring families are better informed about the supports available to them.
I will note that this has developed over many years and has gotten better, but we can always strive to be better. The operational deployment tempo, the training tempo, the humanitarian tempo—they're all at high. Our members of the ADF could, with a moment's notice, be anywhere around the world, but we need to make sure that Defence has the supports in place for the families because the families are not just the backbone but also the driving force of many people's service.
There's an old saying: 'A distracted soldier is a dead soldier.' It's quite a blunt saying, but, when you're on operations, the last thing you want to be thinking about is: Are my family getting the support they need? Are we relocating? Is there a GP in location?
How is the schooling? Is the family unit going well? So we do support better supports for the family.
I also want to highlight that, most importantly, the schedule addresses the harrowing reality of family and domestic violence. The schedule ensures that a former partner is not excluded from support services simply because their relationship with the serving member has ended. Facilitating access to assistance for safe separation and improving the safety of victims-survivors are objectives the coalition strongly supports.
No-one, regardless of service, has the right to commit heinous crimes and domestic violence, and the former spouse should not find themselves left without supports. This is a good part and a good measure, and I thank the minister for it. In the sensitive context of relationship breakdown, the need for stringent privacy protections and support is paramount.
Families must have the confidence that their information will be handled appropriately, and we will be looking closely at the safeguards governing these specific information-sharing provisions. Schedule 4, on integrity and service requirements, focuses on the standards of those who serve, establishing a more structured framework for service eligibility and separation.
The coalition firmly believes that those entrusted with our national security must uphold the highest standards of conduct. Public confidence in the Australian Defence Force depends on maintaining a professional, disciplined and trusted military force. We strongly support the principle that individuals convicted and imprisoned for serious, violent or sexual offences should be automatically removed from the ADF and ineligible to return.
I know that sounds like something that should just be a norm, but it hasn't been. We must maintain the highest standard of the ADF and never have loopholes or backdoors for those that have been convicted and imprisoned for violent offences or sexual offences to be able to continue to serve or get back into service. These reforms create a more coherent and consistent framework for defence personnel and decision-makers, offering greater clarity and certainty around the processes and standards that apply across the member's service.
By more clearly defining legislative requirements and decision-making criteria, they reduce the likelihood of inconsistent, subjective or ad hoc outcomes and support more transparent and accountable approach throughout Defence. Importantly, the reforms ensure that decisions regarding entry into service, ongoing suitability and separation are grounded in clear principles, fairness and appropriate oversight.
In doing so, they enhance confidence and defence personnel's management processes and ensure decisions align with contemporary expectations of integrity, accountability and sound governance. Schedule 5 is the importance of independent oversight. Finally, schedule 5 contains amendments to support the independence and effectiveness of the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner.
Independent oversight is not just an administrative hurdle; it is essential for driving lasting change and ensuring that governments remain accountable for delivering meaningful reform. Effective oversight will be the key to ensuring that lessons of the royal commission are translated into lasting and systematic improvements. The coalition supports the objectives of this bill.
We are mindful of the history of reform in this area. For too many, the system has been the source of frustration rather than support. We must be vigilant to ensure that these reforms do not simply result in further delays or layers of administration.
The true measure of this legislation will not be the number of new frameworks created or the breadth of the provisions; it'll be in the lived experience of ADF personnel, veterans and their families. Will they experience faster claims processing? Will access to services and supports be improved?
Will we see earlier and more effective information and intervention for those who are at risk? These are the metrics by which the parliament and further governments will be judged. The coalition supports the referral of this legislation to a committee inquiry in the Senate.
This process is not about delay; it's about diligence. It provides the opportunity for defence personnel, veterans, families and ex-service organisations to contribute their expertise and ensure that we get the details right. We owe it to our service community to ensure that the legislative framework reflects and supports the purpose it is intended to achieve.
We look forward to engaging constructively throughout this process to ensure the legislation is fit for purpose. The coalition recognises that the Defence Legislation Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 2) Bill is a significant step in the right direction. We will not stand in the way of this bill's progression in the House today.
We owe a debt of gratitude to our ADF members and our veterans and their families. We must ensure the systems of support are worthy of their sacrifice. I think, throughout these schedules, the expectation of what is needed is quite clear, but one of these schedules also places an expectation on our members of the ADF about what's acceptable behaviour and what's not.
I think that's a good thing because we cannot have issues, violent outbursts, convictions or sexual offences be not spoken about or create a backdoor for those who have committed these crimes to get back into the ADF. The general public around the country expects members of our ADF to be at the highest standard, and so do I, because when the time comes—and history shows it will—we will ask our brave men and women to travel to a foreign land, to stand side-by-side with our allies with the Australian flag on their shoulder and their will to win.
They know there is no second best on the battlefield. Failure means death. They expect their government to have their back, support them, look after them and create legislation that reflects their needs.
That's what I think about when we bring legislation before the parliament for our brave men and women. If something happens through their service, whether it be in combat or training or humanitarian, they should get the support that they need and their families get the support they need because they deserve it. We in this place, on Anzac Day and every day, look at our veterans and say, 'Thank you for your service.' This is about ensuring that that thank you is not hollow, that that thank you has meaning and that they get that support.
This bill, I believe, is a step in the right direction. I really do. The Senate inquiry will examine, look through, poke holes and will fix some holes hopefully, and we'll be able to work together to consider feedback we've received from the ex-service organisations, from the veterans, from their families, from still serving people and from people that love the ADF that read legislation and want to add some free feedback as well.
I think that that's a good thing. This is about getting it right the first time so we don't have to come back here and do it a second time. The coalition remains committed to that goal to support the health and wellbeing of those who serve, those who have served in the past and their families.
We'll do this for you. Debate adjourned.