Coalition has ‘nothing to lose’ and ‘votes to gain’ by calling a Royal Commission

Retired Special Forces Commander Heston Russell is calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to “take action” and convene a Royal Commission into veteran suicide. A motion for a Royal Commission passed in the Senate last Thursday with the support of Labor, the Greens and One Nation and will soon be voted on by the House of Representatives. Mr Russell said the prime minister “needed to take action immediately” as a commission of inquiry would not allow for an investigation which sufficiently met the gravity of the situation. “A Royal Commission is the highest investigation in the land which is completely independent and maintains the highest level of government integrity,” he said. “We need to go back and dig up all the systemic failures from those within defence, the department of veterans affairs, the ex-service organisations and the community around that to help us commence this healing of this moral injury that’s been inflicted over the last few decades.” Mr Russell said there was a big difference between a motion being passed by Mr Morrison unopposed and the prime minister taking action and supporting the motion. “The Coalition has nothing but votes to gain by calling this”. “No one is going to be hurt by calling a Royal Commission. Lives are going to be saved and hope is going to be given by simply calling this.”

from Breaking National News and Australian News | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/2NCnIVR