Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence — hearing of 18 September 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence

18 September 2026

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Contents updated on 18 Sept 2026

The committee opens the hearing with the Defence and Veteran Suicide Commissioner, examining the new Commission’s legislative mandate, powers and independence, then moves into detailed questioning on suicide risk trends, data, reform impact, remit, resourcing and stakeholder engagement flowing from the Royal Commission.

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Defence and Veteran Suicide Commission — mandate and early scrutiny

25:59

Hearing opening and Commission mandate

25:59

Hearing opening and Commission mandate

25:59

Hearing opening, acknowledgements and member introductions

25:59

Commission establishment, mandate and independence framework

28:21

Commission inquiries, advisory structures and powers

31:41

Current inquiries and Commissioner’s Advisory Group

31:41

Chair–Commissioner Q&A: relations with DVA and Defence

36:04

Chair: adequacy of Commission legislative powers

39:44

Suicide risk, data and impact of reforms

40:59

Suicide‑prevention concerns and data trends

40:59

Emerging suicide‑related issues in Defence and veterans

40:59

Chair: current suicidality data and helplines

44:08

Suicide trends and monitoring reform impacts

57:58

Member: reasons for decline in ex‑serving suicide

57:58

Unintended consequences of Royal Commission reforms

59:19

Commission remit, resources and stakeholder engagement

47:14

Commission remit, funding and workload

47:14

Sharma: remit for Royal Commission‑related inquiries

47:14

Resourcing and capacity for multiple inquiries

51:41

Stakeholder engagement, issues raised and public awareness

54:21

Member: contact volumes and predominant issues

54:21

Public awareness and limits of Commission’s role

56:37

Military sexual violence inquiry and ANAO oversight of Defence and DVA

01:01:45

Inquiry scope and transition to ANAO evidence

01:01:45

Commission inquiry scope and focus on military sexual violence

01:01:45

Chair: scope and distinctiveness of sexual violence inquiry

01:01:45

Women veterans’ accounts and inquiry’s future focus

01:06:53

Royal Commission recommendations on sexual violence

01:11:35

Commission contact channels and trauma‑informed practice

01:12:29

Transition from Commissioner to ANAO witnesses

01:13:48

ANAO witnesses introduced and role outlined

02:02:01

ANAO on DVA performance and compensation surge

02:05:39

ANAO assessment of DVA performance and reporting

02:05:39

Chair: overall ANAO assessment of DVA

02:05:39

Context from earlier ANAO audits on DVA

02:08:03

Outcome 1 targets, timeliness and backlog effects

02:09:27

Linking performance outcomes to funding inputs

02:13:45

Outcome 1 targets — which eight were met

02:20:41

Maturity assessment baseline rating and war graves data

02:23:14

Royal Commission scrutiny and performance audit risk

02:27:44

Military compensation provision surge — initial drivers

02:14:32

Sharma: surge in military compensation provision

02:14:32

Drivers of $152b liability and data gaps

02:17:03

ANAO — IT systems, financial risks and compensation liability

02:18:29

DVA legacy IT, payment processing and key financial risks

02:18:29

Sharma: DVA legacy IT and claims workflow

02:18:29

Wallace: key financial risks and DVA payment systems

02:29:03

Military compensation provision — nature and calculation

02:33:07

ANAO evidence on veterans’ compensation liability

02:34:43

Growth trajectory of the provision since 2017

02:34:43

Royal Commission era cohort and emerging conditions

02:37:25

Actuarial re‑estimation process and experience adjustments

02:40:48

Possible fraud, advocacy agency behaviour and liability impact

02:41:56

History of the provision and liability vs contingent liability

02:43:12

Planning for the liability and improving estimates

02:45:57

Clarifying liability estimate method and VETS Act impact

02:47:26

DVA mandate, performance, integrity and advocates

02:50:22

DVA mandate, Royal Commission response and performance

02:50:22

DVA opening, Royal Commission implementation and war graves audit

02:50:22

Transition from ANAO to DVA witnesses and DVA opening statement

02:50:22

DVA response to ANAO war graves A‑finding

02:58:52

War graves data gaps and future IT system

03:00:35

Claims performance targets and new VETS Act framework

03:02:26

Performance targets, timeliness metrics and staffing surge

03:02:26

Shift to streamlined performance framework under VETS Act

03:13:22

DVA integrity framework and commercial advocates

03:16:32

Veteran claims integrity, commercial advocates and free support

03:16:32

Fraud risk and $150m integrity funding

03:16:32

Commission‑based advocates and new professional standards

03:20:26

Statutory formula, impairment points and free advocacy

03:24:49

Predatory claims advocates and veteran awareness

03:41:07

Burnell: self‑lodged claims, advocacy and vulnerable cohorts

03:41:07

Burnell: claim literacy and predatory advocates

03:45:14

DVA: vertically integrated claims–medical business model

03:48:19

High‑cost medical reporting schemes and provider oversight

03:53:03

Constraining excessive medical report fees while protecting veterans

03:53:03

Location of high‑charging providers and SE Queensland context

03:59:03

Allied health cap policy and long‑term liabilities

03:26:33

Allied health cap removal and compliance rationale

03:26:33

Allied health cap policy, savings and compliance

03:26:33

Sharma: scrapping $5,000 cap and budget impact

03:26:33

Sharma: design and status of $5,000 allied health threshold

03:29:52

DVA explanation of overservicing and projected savings

03:36:09

High‑cost allied health outliers and provider compliance action

03:37:14

Compensation liabilities, brain injury evidence and scheme settings

04:01:41

Actuarial compensation liability and scheme shifts

04:01:41

Wallace: sharp rise in compensation liability

04:01:41

Shift from VEA to MRCA and liability ‘maturation’

04:09:29

Brain injury, blast overpressure and evidentiary standards

04:13:08

Brain injury program and blast overpressure work

04:13:08

RMA evidentiary standard: correlation vs causation

04:17:20

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Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence

18 September 2026

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence Fri, 18 Sept 2026 Australian Parliament

25:58 - 26:07

Speaker 1

Our witnesses from... We haven't said the opening words. Thank you very much.

26:07 - 26:50

Speaker 3

I declare open this public hearing of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence for the inquiry into the annual report of the Department of Veterans' Affairs 2024 to 2025. Today I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to elders past and present. In accordance with the committee's resolution of 12th May 2026, this hearing is being broadcast on the Parliament's website and proof of official transcripts of proceedings will be published on the inquiry website. I remind members of the media of the need to fairly and accurately report the proceedings of the committee and I invite members of the committee to introduce yourselves. We'll start with you, Ms. Mascarenhas.

26:51 - 26:59

Speaker 2

Good morning, my name is Zaneta Mascarenhas, member for Swan, based in Perth, Western Australia, and at home with an unwell child, so apologies. Continue.

26:59 - 27:04

Speaker 5

Thank you very much. Senator Dave Sharma, Senator for New South Wales.

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