‘I want to do what’s right for veterans’: PM under pressure to launch royal commission

Veterans and families of veterans are this morning protesting outside Parliament House to increase pressure on the Morrison government to announce a royal commission into veterans suicides. Attendees are urging Coalition MPs to vote in support of a motion calling for a royal commission which will enter the lower house this week after passing unanimously in the Senate last week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was probed this morning on breakfast radio about whether he would support the motion, saying “we won’t be opposing that motion at all.” “We’ve always thought you need something better and more than a royal commission, I mean what we need is a permanent arrangement and that’s what we’ve put in to the parliament,” he continued. “We’ve put in legislation to provide for a permanent set of arrangements that have the powers of a royal commission to address veterans suicide and I’m sure these two things can come together and we can come to some agreement over the course of this week. “I want to do what’s right for veterans.” Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese this morning visited the protesters, taking aim at the prime minister’s comments. “This should be above politics, but we get more spin, he [Morrison] won’t oppose the motion. How about he support the motion and support what the parliament is asking for,” Mr Albanese said. “The government is within its rights to set up standing bodies but we need a royal commission.” Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au