RSL calls for sustained investment in veteran wellbeing ahead of Federal Budget
MEDIA RELEASE
Australia's leading veteran service organisation has called for sustained investment in veteran health and wellbeing ahead of this year's Federal Budget while signalling that the responsibility for reform now extends well beyond government.
The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) has commended the Federal Government, Minister for Veterans' Affairs Matt Keogh and DVA Secretary Alison Frame for what it describes as a genuine and substantive response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
RSL Australia National President Peter Tinley AM said the Government deserves recognition for moving decisively on reforms that previous administrations deferred.
"Credit where it's due, this Government has done more to act on the Royal Commission's recommendations than many expected, and Minister Keogh has driven that with real commitment," Mr Tinley said. "The legislative reform, the resourcing uplift, the new oversight architecture are not token gestures. They represent serious structural change."
The RSL acknowledges the Government has already moved to address cultural and systemic issues identified by the landmark inquiry, including:
streamlining complex laws governing veteran compensation and rehabilitation through the landmark VETS Act
increasing resourcing for the Department of Veterans' Affairs to accelerate claims processing
new measures to crack down on unscrupulous fee-for-service advocacy providers
establishment of the independent Defence and Veterans' Service Commission to oversee implementation of the Royal Commission's recommendations
funding for the Veteran Wellbeing Agency to support transition from military to civilian life, and
commissioning a national inquiry into military sexual violence in the Australian Defence Force.
Mr Tinley said these reforms represent meaningful progress but that the next phase of reform requires the veteran service sector itself to match the Government's ambition.
"The Government has committed to doing its part. The Royal Commission has delivered its roadmap. The question now is whether the veteran service sector, including the RSL, is prepared to step up with the same urgency and discipline," he said.
"We can't ask Government to invest in structures that the sector itself isn't ready to lead. The upcoming Budget is an opportunity to lock in long-term reform, but it must be met by a sector that is coordinated, accountable, and genuinely committed to working together."
The RSL's 2026–27 Pre-Budget Submission outlines practical, targeted measures to ensure the momentum generated by the Royal Commission translates into real and lasting outcomes for veterans and their families.
Key priorities include:
fully funding implementation of the Royal Commission's recommendations,
improving healthcare access and DVA fee settings,
sustained investment in DVA resourcing to prevent a repeat of claims backlogs,
strengthening transition and wellbeing supports,
and investing in high-quality professional advocacy services.
The submission also seeks a five-year commitment for the establishment of the new national peak body for veteran service organisations and a $3 million investment in professional advocacy to ensure veterans receive the support they need to navigate the system.
Mr Tinley said the RSL is committed to leading by example.
"The RSL is contemporising, investing in our national capability, strengthening our advocacy, and building the partnerships the sector needs. We are asking Government to invest in a sector that is prepared to be held accountable for outcomes, not just activity," he said.
"Australia's 580,000 veterans and their families have earned the right to expect that both Government and the organisations that represent them will deliver. The RSL stands ready to do its part."