Prime Minister Scott Morrison has bowed to pressure by announcing a royal commission into veteran suicide.

The federal government has faced calls from veterans to implement the inquiry over a mounting suicide toll among ex-servicemen.

Announcing the measure on Monday, the prime minister said he hoped the inquiry would prove an “important process” for grieving families.

“I hope it will be a healing process. I hope it will be a process by which veterans and families can find some comfort,” he said.

“But it obviously can't replace the loss. We understand that.

“I think this will be a process that will assist in the comfort that those families have been seeking.”

The Prime Minister confirmed the inquiry’s draft terms of reference would be released on Monday, and the commission would have the power to hold private sessions.

Mr Morrison said he expected the royal commission to take a year to 18 months to complete.

It will examine “all aspects of service” in the Australian Defence Force, including those who continue to be at risk of suicide.

Mr Morrison said Australians needed to understand more about the human cost of sending troops to war overseas.

“It’s not just about the great risk that our Defence Force personnel are put at when they engage in those deployments,” he said.

“We must also understand … the human cost, and that cost is most significant when we see it in the death by suicide of our veterans.”

Mr Morrison said he had “listened carefully” to veterans both within and outside parliament and had come to the conclusion a royal commission was necessary.

“I do not want to see there to be any delay in moving ahead with examining these issues but also putting in place the permanent arrangements that are necessary,” he said.

Labor veterans spokesman Brendan O’Connor welcomed the announcement but said it had arrived “belatedly” after pressure from Labor since 2019.

“We are glad to see the government has made a decision, although it does seem it has done so begrudgingly, belatedly and because of the pressure that has been brought to bear upon them by the veterans’ community,” he said.

The announcement came just hours after Defence Minister Peter Dutton flagged his support for a royal commission in the clearest indication the government was willing to change its stance.

Mr Dutton was pressed on whether he supported a royal commission.

“Yes, very much so … I think that‘s important, and there are many within the veterans community that support that,” he said.

“We don’t want to see veterans self-harming, we don’t want to see their families suffering. We want to provide whatever support we can.”

The measure was a reverse course for the federal government, which had resisted a push for a royal commission.

It appointed an independent commissioner to look into veteran suicide on an ongoing basis, which Mr Morrison in December said was a “better answer” than a “one-off” royal commission.

Mr Dutton claimed Mr Morrison had been “very clear” in his support for a royal commission.

He said a royal commission would act as a “snapshot in time” but should run concurrently to the ongoing commissioner’s work.

“It’s also important that if there is a suicide in five years’ time, there’s the ability for families to get … a deeper understanding, particularly if there’s some ambiguity around the circumstances or contributing factors,” he said.

But Mr Dutton but would not give a timetable on when the royal commission would be implemented.

 “That will be an issue for the Prime Minister, but it’ll speak to the government’s genuine desire to support our troops, and I think that’s important,” he told Sky News on Monday.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie, who has led the push for a royal commission, lashed Mr Morrison for dithering as lives were lost.

“How many more does he want on his shoulders right now, this week? Call the bloody royal commission for God’s sake,” she said to Sky News.

“There is nothing stopping you from calling it today. Stop treating us like puppets on a string because we’re sick of losing out bloody mates.

“I want that royal commission, call it today.”

Senator Lambie revealed her relationship with Mr Dutton had been “rock solid” during her time in parliament but said the call had to come from “the big boy himself”, Mr Morrison.

She said Australians were looking forward to hearing from veterans who were unable to speak out while in uniform and demanded the inquiry’s terms of reference be as “wide as possible”.

“That will include what is going on and the abuse that is still going on in our defence forces themselves,” she said.

“Open it up … People are going to be shocked out there when those people come forward.”

The Prime Minister confirmed on Friday that all Australian troops would leave Afghanistan by September after almost 20 years in the country.

Australia’s presence in Afghanistan was marred by the release of the Brereton report, which found evidence of the murder of 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners by SAS soldiers.

The report’s release prompted fears over a spike in veteran suicide.

text by Finn McHugh, NCA Newswire

Where to get help:

If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

Or if you need to talk to someone else:

Lifeline – 0800 543 354
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Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
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Healthline – 0800 611 116