More needs to be done for our veteran community, especially for those who are suffering the consequences of having served in combat roles. The problems that community face are many and include impaired physical and mental health, struggling to adapting to civilian work environments and finding it difficult relating to civilians who haven’t experienced combat, don’t suffer the resulting conditions and have never done anything risky or dangerous or adventurous. This has, amongst others, caused high suicide levels, family breakdown, financial pressures, isolation, addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs as well as to prescription medication for pain management, and more.
Classic Liberals does not currently propose to scrap or change any existing program. It does however propose the trial of another approach, which covers three crucial components, being: rehabilitation, reintegration and resocialisation. These are to be implemented concurrently.
As regards physical rehabilitation – those suffering physical disability will be provided whatever physiotherapy, massage and equipment that is reasonably required. The veteran will have a great deal of flexibility in this regard, deciding what is and is not needed. Government oversight will be to ensure that the program is not abused.
As regards chronic pain management – veterans will have a ‘right to try’ different pain management substances. These include prescribed pain killers, cannabis, psychedelics, and hypnotherapy. It should not be the role of government nor the medical profession to dictate what a veteran may and may not do to manage his pain. Their role is to provide information and alert to short- and long-term side effects. It is the veteran who is suffering the chronic pain, not government and not the physicians, so it should be entirely up to the veteran concerned to determine whether for him (or her) the expected benefits sufficiently exceed to likely side-effects.
As regards reintegration – Classic Liberals understands that while veterans are accustomed to adhering to rules, being reliable, meeting deadlines, following instructions and working as a team, many have great difficulty reporting to junior and middle management people in the business world who they neither trust nor respect, and object to being micro-managed by such individuals. Classic Liberals also understands that combat veterans prefer working in small teams, with people they trust, where they have operational flexibility within the stated ‘rules of engagement, and recognise the importance of collaborating with other teams to achieve a common objective. Very few such roles are offered in the private sector, and probably none in the public sector. The model Classic Liberals proposes overcomes this problem. It offers veterans the ideal working environment.
As regards resocialisation – Classic Liberals understands that many combat veterans have great difficulty, at least initially, building friendships amongst civilians. Many also find that due to their significantly different life experiences they drift apart from their school friendship groups. Those they relate better to, are those they served with, but after returning to civilian life, they are often geographically distant from those friends so seldom catch-up socially. They may form friendships with civilians through sharing an interest or sport but find these friendships to be superficial. As a result, these combat veterans often experience isolation, of not belonging. The model Classic Liberals proposes overcomes this problem – by providing a working and living community of veterans and their families.
The model Classic Liberals proposes is a collaborative multi-disciplinary agricultural operation that includes accommodation on farm for veterans and their families, who could also work on the farm. The roles envisaged extend far beyond farming. The entire operation will also be a showcase for a farming operation they is good for the farmers and other workers, while also good for the environment, for animal husbandry, for nature, for consumer health and for regional Australia – as it will bring more business, workers and visitors to the area.
The implementation and operation of this model do not need financial support from government, so no subsidies, grants, or loans from government. Government needs to provide permits should any be needed, otherwise it should stay out of the way, as should grifters.
All that’s needed are investors, mainly to invest in appreciating assets, like farmland. Those investors can expect an above market return on their investment.
As mentioned above, Classic Liberals is not proposing to change or scrap any existing program at this stage, and the models it is proposing would be established on a trial basis. It does not see any downside for society or for veterans. The only group that could suffer are the grifters, and they would only suffer if the model proved to be a long-term success.