Wounded young Veteran’s story another good reason to sack Veterans’ Affairs Minister

To view YouTube click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjR6L8DhLTA

Independent Senator for Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie has released another YouTube short film featuring a wounded young veteran. (Michael Lyddiard.) Senator Lambie has called on the Prime Minister to sack Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson and support a call for a Royal Commission into the management of Veterans’ issues.
“Michael shared his story at a function which raised funds for young Veterans to undertake a Kokoda Trek as part of their ongoing rehabilitation. While I’ve seen many injustices different Australian governments have caused to our Veterans, it still shocked me that someone who had been as badly wounded as Michael, is still being forced into a fight with a Department led by Minister Michael Ronaldson.

It’s a national disgrace, which unfortunately, is being repeated thousands of times every year. The average Australian would be forgiven for not realizing that in the last 15 year nearly 70,000 young Veterans have served in war-like or war conditions in East Timor and the Middle East.

Many young Diggers I’ve met said they’d rather face the Taliban than the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Many Veterans also say that after discharge from the ADF, they have suffered more harm at the hands of our Government, than they suffered because of enemy action.

I know that many former Diggers are carrying injuries both physical and psychological, which have not received the medical treatment they need to properly recover – or have been denied fair compensation by uncaring governments.

Only a Royal Commission will have the powers and capacity to uncover the truth surrounding the lethal dysfunction and under-resourcing in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Only a Royal Commission will uncover the true level of harm and suicides experienced in the Veterans Community. And only a Royal Commission will make recommendations, which will provide a remedy for the growing Veterans’ Affairs crisis.” said Senator Lambie.
Rob Messenger