CONTENT WARNING – this story includes mentions of suicide
It’s a cold morning in Geelong.
With few people braving a walk down the street.
Although plenty are in their cars, driving to work, taking kids to school, going about their days as normal.
But one woman, in a thin black T-shirt, is walking up and down the gardens outside the office of Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Where she has been, and still is, placing photographs in the garden bed, with an Australian flag behind every one of them.
There are more than 30 already there – and this woman is still far from done. Her suitcase is still full of more photos and flags.
On this chilly morning Julie-Ann Finney’s T-shirt is emblazoned with the question: “Ask me why Dave is dead?”
“I’m Dave’s mum,” she says.
In February of 2019, her son David, a Royal Australian Navy petty officer, died by suicide.
He’s far from alone.
“We’ve had more than 3000 veteran suicides this century so far, a century just 24 years old, and nobody is really taking any notice,” she says.
“My son is just one of these.”
According to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, there were 1,677 deaths by suicide among permanent, reserve and ex-serving ADF members between 1997 and 2021.
Julie-Ann walks to one photo.
“There are four here that have given me permission to put them here. They’re still alive. Barely.”
Julie-Ann was a pivotal driving force behind The Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide; and its report was handed down last week.
“It has been sobering to hear of experiences of our current and former personnel, their families and loved ones, particularly where Defence has let people down, and not aligned actions with our values of Service, Courage, Respect, Integrity and Excellence,” a statement from the secretary and the chief of the Defence Force reads on the ADF website.
Julie-Ann says the reports needs to remain front of mind – for every Australian.
“We had a Royal Commission, and the report was handed down on Monday. Then it was filed while we brought out the Brereton report.”
That report was the conclusion of an investigation into ADF conduct in the Afghanistan war zone.
It is set to see some Australian military officers stripped of honours.
Julie-Ann is fearful of what this will lead to.
“This government promised us transparency and accountability. To strip people of medals without any judgement or court case, it’s going to cause more deaths.
“These men served our country, and now this makes them look like criminals, like weak men and weak women.
“They are none of that. These are people who signed on the line to serve this country. I want us to be proud of that again.
“But I can’t, we can’t, with the way this Defence Minister is treating these veterans.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
