The Veterans' Affairs department would "not have survived" the last few years had it not been for the groundwork laid earlier, transforming an outdated institution into one that really knew its clients, says its retiring secretary.
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Liz Cosson is only the second person with experience as a soldier to have led the department established to support veterans, a role she worked hard to reach since leaving the Australian Army in 2010 having been the first woman in that service to reach the ranks of Brigadier and Major General.
Good luck, one of her predecessors, Ian Campbell, told her when she said she wanted his job. "'Learn to be a public servant and then you might come back' - so I did," Ms Cosson said, praising her mentor as a wonderful leader.
She wrapped up her leadership on Sunday with hope and excitement about what the future holds for its clients as Alison Frame takes up the reins this week and a royal commission into veteran suicide is set to hand down its report in June 2024.
Veterans they could not help
In her first of five years as departmental secretary, Ms Cosson pledged to leave the role if she couldn't turn things around in a year.
Back then the department was focused on fixing its outdated technology, replacing up to 12 IT systems that staff needed to log into for each interaction with a veteran's details with a single system, and learning to be relevant for the contemporary veteran.
She had to bust through privacy laws to get access to who Australian veterans were, eliminating rounds of red tape veterans would need to wade through to prove their service, and also brought in veterans' families, recognising they were the first line of support for those struggling.
Looking back, she says the department exceeded her expectations and what she believed they could achieve as it then tackled two unforeseen challenges - those of the growing demand as more veterans asked for help and the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The capped staffing level had failed to keep up with the 130 per cent increase in the actual number of veterans lodging claims compared with what was forecast for the year 2020, and then the staff they did have were working from home.
"If we had not been resourced to do what we needed to do for that transformation, we would have not survived," Ms Cosson said of that period.
What made her most proud during her term as secretary was the DVA staff who were able to fight every IT challenge through the pandemic and never lost sight of their purpose to help veterans.
Ms Cosson said they did not always get it right and there was more still to be done.
We as a nation would not have survived COVID without the public service. It's the heart of our nation that continues to build.
- Liz Cosson
"I am sorry for those who have had a bad experience with us - because they have. I don't underestimate the impact that can have on an individual where they may have come to us and asked for help and we weren't there for them."
Facing her critics
Senator Jacqui Lambie, a former soldier, has been one of the most vocal critics of the department and called for the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide.
The departmental secretary says advocates like the senator have an important role in giving a voice to veterans.
"She is representing a community that is asking for help, and if we can, that is our job," Ms Cosson said.
"With Jacqui, we did not treat her well. I know that, and I am sorry and I have said that to the senator myself."
Ms Cosson said she read the social media commentary, including those criticising her and her department's staff, having learned as the commander of the unarmed peacekeeping forces in Bougainville that what she wasn't attuned to could put people at risk.
When the attacks are personal, it does hurt, she said, though she encourages her friends not to defend her on social media.
"The only time I did bite back was when they were criticising individuals in this department and using their full name because I believe some individuals who use the social media platform, not for good, but for bad," she said.
"I will do anything I can to protect our staff - it's never the intent to make it more difficult for a veteran, so that's when I'll bite back."
What comes next?
After handing over the DVA leadership to Ms Frame, Ms Cosson said she wanted to continue her service in some way, particularly for women in leadership.
First though is continuing to support the royal commission. She is excited about where the commissioners will take the veterans' support system as they look at the whole of life, from enlistment through the veteran's journey.
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Reflecting on her own professional journey as a soldier, a veteran, and later as a public servant, Ms Cosson said she was extremely proud of her latter career.
While the military shaped her in many ways, with resilience and a passion for Australia, she also came to learn how honourable a service the APS was when she had the "wonderful privilege" to confer citizenship during her time at the then immigration and citizenship department.
"It was here in Canberra and I stood up on the dais just out front of the Legislative Assembly, and welcomed our new Australians and I thought how proud I was to be a public servant ... that then led me to say this is an honourable career," she said.
"We as a nation would not have survived COVID without the public service. It's the heart of our nation that continues to build."
Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
