My name is Julie-Ann Finney. My son David was a Navy veteran. He died by suicide after years of battling a broken system that was meant to support him - a system built on the advice of the Ex-Service Organisations Round Table (ESORT). I live every day with the pain of his loss, and I am not alone. Thousands of Australian families are grieving loved ones who served this country, only to be let down by the very institutions created to care for them. Veteran suicide rates have not improved since David’s death.

Over 3,000 veterans have taken their own lives. That’s why I’m calling for the immediate removal of ESORT from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs—and I need your help.

ESORT—the Ex-Service Organisations Round Table—was meant to be an advisory group advocating for veterans. But instead, it has become a powerful, self-serving entity, more interested in protecting its influence and funding than protecting lives. Their board members receive a lifetime tenure, leaving them out-of-touch and not engaged with the veterans on the ground, the veterans who are suffering and the families of the veterans who are no longer here.  ESORT ignored the calls for a Royal Commission. They pushed lazy reforms that protect their bottom line. And they’ve left thousands of families like mine devastated.

Since David’s death, I’ve fought to make sure his story—and the stories of countless others—lead to real change. Over 400,000 Australians joined me in demanding a Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide, and in 2024, it handed down over 120 recommendations. Yet still, the suicide rate has not budged. Still, ESORT remains at the table. Still, those with lived experience—the families, the survivors, the frontline professionals—are shut out. This cannot go on.

We are not asking for tweaks or token gestures. We are demanding a new structure—one that includes actual veterans, legal experts, academics, and medical professionals, all free from the toxic influence of ESORT. We owe our veterans more than condolences. We owe them a system that works.

Please, if you believe our servicemen and women deserve better, add your name to the petition now. Together, we can remove ESORT, hold the system accountable, and finally start building the support network our veterans deserve.

If you or someone you know needs support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636