Defence is not doing enough to address suicides, according to the Australian Defence Force Chief, who has told the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide the ADF has inconsistent data on such deaths among its members.
The royal commission, which is holding hearings in Townsville this week, has so far heard from the Commander of the 3rd Brigade and two former ministers.
The Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, gave evidence to the inquiry on Thursday.
General Campbell admitted Defence "was not getting it right" when it came addressing suicide.
"Defence is doing a great deal, but as with many endeavours, there is more to do."
General Campbell said culture, privacy, information and support were key areas that needed improvement.
"I think that is a system which we are in the right direction to create," he said.
"We do not have time to realise perfect.
"We are trying to get to an aspired best place but, in doing so, we are using every opportunity to implement and apply as we go.
"We are not getting it right and there is a lot of work to do."
The commission heard there were "significant shortcomings" in Defence's ability to obtain data about suicide within the veteran community.
In his written submission, General Campbell said he became aware of suicides among the veteran community through "ad hoc and inconsistent mechanisms".
"There is no process of advice that consistently and comprehensively informs Defence of a death by suicide of a former ADF member," General Campbell wrote.
General Campbell told the inquiry it would be "very helpful" if police and state and territory coroners could work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide that information.
But General Campbell was intensely questioned about why he had not already made such efforts.
Counsel Assisting Kevin Connor SC asked: "Have you taken steps at all for identification on the police report to the coroner as to whether the person is a Defence member or a former Defence member?"
"I haven't … and this is something that we can do," General Campbell replied.
Mr Connor said the Chief of Defence Force could improve such reporting "within a few weeks, depending on their attitude".
"I would wish to and I think that they probably would too," General Campbell said.
In some instances, General Campbell said Defence was not made aware of veteran suicides "at all".
"If a person declines to engage with ESOs (ex-service organisations) and is not registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs, then it will be an after-the-event awareness, if at all, at this stage," he said.
Conflicting data
The commission also heard there was conflicting data on the number of permanent ADF members who had died by suicide since 2000.
The Defence Suicide Register indicated there had been 159, while the Consolidated Register of Suspected and Confirmed Suicide indicated there had been 178.
The Defence Force Chief said the anomaly was due to inconsistencies in the way data on death by suicide was recorded.
"This is an area which needs to be improved by Defence," General Campbell said.
The inquiry heard General Campbell intended to raise the issue with the new federal government.
Suicidal thoughts 'very serious issue'
The inquiry was shown data of the number of ADF members who had attempted suicide since January 2015 and had approached Defence for care.
"You can see that the rate is about four or more times the number of deaths per suicide each year," Mr Connor said.
Twenty-two ADF members had reportedly attempted suicide and sought care from Defence during 2022.
A 2015 survey of serving ADF members and transitioned ADF members showed 8.8 per cent of serving ADF members had suicidal thoughts within the past 12 months.
Mr Connor said to General Campbell: "It needs to be addressed, doesn't it?"
"I suggest to you that Defence has been a little slow in responding to this. Do you reject that?" Mr Connor asked.
General Campbell described it as being an "extremely complex challenge".
"There is a great deal of effort going on but more is needed," he said.
"Where issues of culture are at play, these things can take a number of years.
"I realise that we don't have a number of years. It is a very, very serious issue."
From the same data, the commission heard that of those people who had transitioned out of the ADF from 2010-15, 28.9 per cent had felt life was not worth living within the past 12 months, with 21.2 per cent feeling so low they thought about attempting suicide within 12 months.
"This is a very good indicator of the transition effect that we don't want," General Campbell said.
General Campbell will finish his tenure in the role next month.
