Royal Commission Research Articles

Lived experiences at the intersection: Understanding the overlap of family violence and mental health for victim-survivors and consumers in Victoria, Australia

Family violence and mental health are pervasive and wicked problems, and the state of Victoria (Australia) has emphasised these areas of focus through two dedicated Royal Commissions. Despite the increased prioritisation of mental health and family violence and recognition of existing systems and policy failures, research into the overlap of these two areas remains limited. This article examines the unique and elevated risk factors of mental health consumers experiencing coercive control and poor system experiences/intervention outcomes as victim-survivors. Utilising lived experience accounts from the Royal Commission into Family Violence and the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System, this study qualitatively analyses 60 submissions and draws compelling parallels between consumer and victim-survivor experiences, and examines how they intersect at critical junctures to exacerbate risk. The findings suggest that mental health consumers have existing experiences and identity aspects that put them at high risk of being targeted by coercive control and experiencing unique tactics of abuse related to their mental health diagnoses. This article highlights that lived experience expertise is essential for bridging the gap in policy and practice.

Too late for early intervention? The Healthy Ageing Service's mental health response.

This paper describes the rationale for and development of an innovative mental health service for people aged over 65years living in Northern and Eastern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Healthy Ageing Service (HAS) was established in July 2020 to provide care for people aged over 65years experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health concerns. It embraces a prevention and early intervention model of care. It provides primary consultation and brief intervention, secondary consultation, and capacity building to the primary healthcare sector. This innovative service is a Commonwealth-funded partnership between two tertiary mental health service providers that incorporates the recommendations from two major Royal Commissions. It demonstrates a service that acts as a bridge between primary and specialist mental health care, thereby extending mental health services to target the 'missing middle' and is potentially a model for mental health service provision throughout Victoria and Australia.

Robodebt, Kafka and institutional absurdism in Australia

The report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme was published in July 2023. It found that the scheme was a ‘costly failure of public administration, in both human and economic terms’. The Trial by Franz Kafka is a seminal literary metaphor for how bureaucracy can give way to corruption and dystopia. In a brief parallel reading, I show how the findings made by Commissioner Holmes conform with Kafka's blueprint of an absurd bureaucratic machine. I also explore some broader implications of this argument.

Social Responsibility and The Development of The Human Element: A Descriptive Study on A Sample of Beneficiaries of Social Responsibility Programs at The Royal Commission in Yanbu

تهدف الدراسة الحالية إلى التعرف على الدور الذي تلعبه برامج المسؤولية الاجتماعية المقدمة من الهيئة الملكية بينبع تجاه تنمية العنصر البشري المتمثل في المستفيدين من تلك البرامج حيث ينبثق عن ذلك الهدف الرئيس مجموعة من الأهداف الفرعية تتمثل في التعرف على الاسهامات التنموية لبرامج المسؤولية الاجتماعية المقدمة من الهيئة الملكية بينبع تجاه المستفيدين من تلك البرامج وتحديد الفئات المجتمعية المستهدفة ببرامج المسؤولية الاجتماعية المقدمة من قبل الهيئة الملكية بينبع بالإضافة إلى الكشف عن أبعاد المسؤولية الاجتماعية التي تمت مراعاتها في برامج المسؤولية الاجتماعية المقدمة من الهيئة الملكية بينبع وأخيراً تقديم اقتراحات تسهم في تعزيز دور المسؤولية الإجتماعية للهيئة الملكية بينبع تجاه تنمية العنصر البشري حيث تنتمي الدراسة الحالية إلى الدراسات الوصفية التي استخدمت منهج المسح الاجتماعي (المتخصص) من حيث موضوع البحث (والعيني) من حيث مجتمع البحث وذلك كونه المنهج الأنسب لطبيعة الدراسة والمعروف بأنه "المنهج المتعمق، الذي يقوم فيه الباحث بوصف الظواهر والمشاكل العلمية المختلفة، وحل المشكلات والإجابة على التساؤلات التي تقع في دائرة البحث العلمي، ولا يقتصر هذا المنهج على جمع المعلومات المتعلقة بموضوع الدراسة، بل يتخطى ذلك إلى التحليل والتفسير واكتشاف العلاقات، وصولاً إلى الاستنتاجات التي تثري الموضوع." (العساف، ٢٠٠٦، ص. ٤٧). أشارت أبرز نتائج الدراسة الحالية إلى إيجابية الدور الجوهري لبرامج المسؤولية الاجتماعية المقدمة من الهيئة الملكية بينبع تجاه المستفيدين من موظفيها و قاطني مدينة ينبع الصناعية (النطاق الجغرافي للهيئة الملكية بينبع).

‘I was utterly at my husband’s mercy’: voices from the Women’s Co-operative Guild, 1910–1914

ABSTRACT This article uses the Women’s Co-operative Guild’s evidence to the 1912 Royal Commission on divorce to explore working-class women’s views about, and experiences of, marriage and divorce in the early twentieth century. Unlike any other evidence presented to the Commission the Guild’s was directly based on testimony from working-class women. These had been collected in letters from members to the Guild’s General Secretary, Margaret Llewelyn Davies, who testified on its behalf to the Commission. The bulk of the letters were from wives and mothers who generally came from better off sections of the working class. They confirm Guild members’ overwhelming support for some degree of reform to current laws, along with more limited backing for Davies’ radical proposals for divorce on grounds of mutual consent. The article demonstrates that these letters provide vivid detailed testimony of the impact of domestic abuse, of wives’ financial dependence on their husbands, and of the gender inequality enshrined in contemporary divorce laws. It argues that support for reform was often combined with a Christian conviction that marriage should be a ‘sacred bond’, and highlights a common vision of marriage as a relationship of equals.

The Unreliable Witness: Clarence Dakin, ASIO, and Espionage

This historical note examines the role of a witness-informer at the 1954–55 Royal Commission on Espionage. That witness was Clarence William Dakin, an individual overlooked by historians, and his background, testimony and motivations are discussed. As with ex-communists in the USA during McCarthyism, who successfully incriminated their former comrades, ASIO expected his evidence would prove explosive. However, he dashed the hopes of ASIO, disappointed the royal commissioners and discredited himself. This note provides an insight into the rare use of witness-informers during Australia’s Cold War.

Decolonising the NDIS: a third space to account for First Nations' values

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how embedding accounting techniques of cost and budgeting within the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) potentially perpetuates colonial practices for Australian First Nations people living in remote areas. Further, the paper aims to explore how accounting might help to integrate the unique modes of accountability First Nations people have over disability care into the NDIS funding system. Ultimately, the aim is to discern whether accounting practices can be mobilised as a means to decolonising the NDIS framework.Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative methodology to analyse public hearings from the Australian Disability Royal Commission. Drawing on Bhabha's (1994) concept of the “third space”, this study investigates how accounting techniques can be used to potentially decolonise the NDIS. This study also borrows Bhabha's (1994) concept of the third space to explore the potential for decolonising the NDIS through accounting techniques.FindingsFindings show that the accounting techniques pertaining to funding and costs embedded within the NDIS contribute to displacing and disconnecting First Nations people from their cultural practices and ways of life. Further, the analysis reveals that the NDIS funding system could help to decolonise the NDIS space if it were modified to incorporate First Nations' perspectives on accountability for disability care.Originality/valueThe case of the NDIS exposes glimpses of colonisation in contemporary Australia, where Western institutional and economic systems dominate over the structure and authority of the practice. In this paper, this study demonstrates that the accounting system used by the NDIS plays a role in marginalising First Nations people. However, accounting, as a technology of negotiation, could also be mobilised to enhance accountability for disability care outcomes and pave the way for decolonising public policies.

A scoping review of the barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising mental health services across regional, rural, and remote Australia

BackgroundInadequate healthcare access and utilisation are implicated in the mental health burden experienced by those living in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Facilitators that better enable access and utilisation are also reported in the literature. To date, a synthesis on both the barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising mental health services within the rural Australian context has not been undertaken. This scoping review aims to (1) synthesise the barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising mental health services in regional, rural, and remote Australia, as identified using the Modified Monash Model; and (2) better understand the relationship between barriers and facilitators and their geographical context.MethodsA systematic search of Medline Complete, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed literature. Grey literature was collated from relevant websites. Study characteristics, including barriers and facilitators, and location were extracted. A descriptive synthesis of results was conducted.ResultsFifty-three articles were included in this scoping review. Prominent barriers to access and utilisation included: limited resources; system complexity and navigation; attitudinal and social matters; technological limitations; distance to services; insufficient culturally-sensitive practice; and lack of awareness. Facilitators included person-centred and collaborative care; technological facilitation; environment and ease of access; community supports; mental health literacy and culturally-sensitive practice. The variability of the included studies precluded the geographical analysis from being completed.ConclusionBoth healthcare providers and service users considered a number of barriers and facilitators to mental health service access and utilisation in the regional, rural, and remote Australian context. Barriers and facilitators should be considered when re-designing services, particularly in light of the findings and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, which may be relevant to other areas of Australia. Additional research generated from rural Australia is needed to better understand the geographical context in which specific barriers and facilitators occur.

Dementia care for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: Qualitative secondary analysis of the Aged Care Australian Royal Commission data.

Understanding the concerns and experiences of people living with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is critical to ensure culturally appropriate care is delivered. This study aimed to describe the current experiences and concerns of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds using the publicly available evidence from the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. This was a qualitative secondary analysis of the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety data to explore new and nuanced insights about care for culturally and linguistically diverse people living with dementia. Using the keywords to search the data corpus, we extracted a topic-specific data set focused on dementia care and cultural diversity. Thematic analysis was used to identify and describe the present practices and challenges. Our findings showed that the need for cultural connection for older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds increases as dementia progresses. Access to culture-specific food and music facilitated connection with their culture of origin. Many older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with dementia reverted to their language of origin; however, the inability to communicate due to a lack of language support impacted their health and well-being, and care provision. Further work is needed to provide the necessary cultural experiences and language support to ensure comfort and equity in the provision of dementia care for Australians from migrant backgrounds.

A New Aged Care Act for Australia? Examining the Royal Commission’s Proposal for Human Rights Inclusive Legislation

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (‘RCAC’) revealed that abuse and neglect are widespread in residential aged care facilities (‘RACF’). In 2021, the RCAC’s Final Report recommended that a new Aged Care Act be enacted to replace the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth), and the new Act explicitly protect the rights of RACF residents. The recommendation included five uniquely formulated rights to be protected, drawing on international human rights law. This article aims to ensure that the new Act adequately respects, protects and fulfils the rights of RACF residents. This article explores the deficiencies in the current regulatory scheme, documenting the significant opportunity for improvement that rights-based legislation represents. It critiques the five RCAC-formulated rights, analysing the source of the rights within international treaties, and the scope of those rights. The article concludes by evaluating the proposed enforcement mechanisms for the RCAC-formulated rights against international enforcement obligations.

Figuring the 'cynical scientist' in British animal science: the politics of invisibility.

This paper investigates the 'cynical scientist' as a figure in British animal science discourse that developed in relation to the nineteenth-century emergence of the 'sceptical scientist'. Here, efforts by scientists to demarcate their profession's territory led to religious backlash against an alleged 'divorce' of British science from Christian morality. Animal experimentation became embroiled in this controversy through antivivisectionists' conviction that animal research was symptomatic of scientific scepticism and Continental atheism's malign influence. Accusations of cynicism ultimately forced British scientists to accept legal regulation following the 1875 Royal Commission on Vivisection. British scientists were, however, able to utilise their political leverage and credibility as experts to favourably influence licensing and inspection. We suggest that efforts to silence public claims of scientific cynicism may have enabled 'cynical scientists' to remain invisible and that this was marked by privilege and power, not marginality. Nevertheless, we argue that regulation and reforms have also worked to internalise within British animal science the notion that scientific cynicism must be combatted through proper governance and internal discipline.

Kindergarten Teachers' Knowledge of Developmental Learning Disabilities' Indicators in Jubail City at the Royal Commission

The study aimed to determine Kindergarten teachers' knowledge of developmental learning disabilities' indicators in Jubail city at the Royal Commission. The sample included 141 teachers. The researchers prepared a questionnaire consisting of (31) items and used quantitative research for the purpose of the study. After data were processed statistically, the study's results concluded that the kindergarten teachers' knowledge of the primary developmental learning difficulties indicators came with a general arithmetic mean (2.75) and a standard deviation (0.47). also showed the extent of the teachers’ knowledge of secondary developmental learning difficulties, with a general standard deviation (2.73), and arithmetic mean (0.48). It was evident that kindergarten teachers at the Royal Commission had a high knowledge of indicators of developmental learning difficulties in general. It also showed there were statistically significant differences at the level of (0.05) or less among the responses of the teachers, according to the years of experience variable, while there were no statistical differences at the level of (0.05) or less among the responses of the teachers, according to the variable of academic specialization.

A Techno-Economic Comparison of a Stand-alone Hybrid System for a Household: A Case Study for the Royal Commission in Saudi Arabia

The trend is now to use renewable energy sources to improve energy efficiency in the building sector and preserve the environment. The use of sources as renewable off-grid applications for driven applications in home sector (micro-grids) is very interesting nowadays. The economic factor and the cost of establishing these grids is the main obstacle to these investments. One of the key solutions to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of these grids is how to optimally determine the ratings and combination of some renewable sources based on the location of the house. This paper presents an effective techno-economical design of a stand-alone hybrid system. The system contains a photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine, battery, and diesel generator. This design is performed through an extensive examination of the techno-economical design of a standalone system to provide the desired energy load for a typical household building for both Albaha and Buraydah cities in Saudi Arabia. These two cities have different geographical locations as Albaha is located at latitude 20.0217 degrees north while Buraydah is located at 26.3592 degrees north. These two cities were selected due to the difference in their geographical locations to study the effect of the weather on the building performance in terms of cost of energy, energy penetration, and load met. To enhance the performance of the proposed hybrid system, some constraints were selected, such as Net Present Cost (NPC), and Total Annual Cost (TAC). Results demonstrate that stand-alone hybrid renewable energy systems can be applied to improve energy efficiency and economics of the existing buildings. Integration of PV system, wind turbine, battery, and diesel generator in the best configuration can provide a minimum cost of energy of about $0.596/kWh and $0.603/kWh for Albaha and Buraydah cities, respectively.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for World Journal of English Language, Vol. 13, No. 7

World Journal of English Language wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Their help and contributions in maintaining the quality of the journal are greatly appreciated.World Journal of English Language is recruiting reviewers for the journal. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, we welcome you to join us. Please contact us for the application form at: wjel@sciedupress.comReviewers for Volume 13, Number 7Abdulfattah Omar, The Australian National University, AustraliaAli Hussein Hazem, University of Patras, GreeceAmer M Th Ahmed, Dhofar University, OmanAnna Maria Kuzio, University of Zielona Gora, PolandAntonio Piga, University of Cagliari, ItalyAtyaf Hasan Ibrahim, University of Diyala, IraqAyman Khafaga, Suez Canal University, EgyptAyman Rashad Rashid Yasin, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, JordanBerhane Gerencheal, Aksum University, EthiopiaChunlin Yao, Tianjin Chengjian University, ChinaDaniel Ginting, Universitas Ma Chung, IndonesiaDeena Elshazly, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, EgyptDon Anton Balida, International College of Engineering and Management, OmanFrans Sayogie, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, IndonesiaHameed Yahya Ahmed Al-Zubeiry, Al-Baha University, Saudi ArabiaHerman, Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar, IndonesiaHouaria Chaal, Hassiba Ben Bouali University of Chlef, AlgeriaHussain Hamid Ali Ghazzaly, Al-Azhar University, EgyptInayatullah Kakepoto, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering Science & Technology, Nawabshah, PakistanJamal Uthman Nogoud, University of Buraimi, OmanJaypee R. Lopres, Gallup McKinley County Schools, New Mexico Public Education Department, USAJergen Jel A. Cinco- Labaria, Western Philippines University, PhilippinesKaya özçelik, Atılım University, TurkeyKristiawan Indriyanto, Universitas Prima Indonesia, IndonesiaL. Santhosh Kumar, Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous), IndiaLeila Lomashvili, Shawnee State University, USALihong Ding, Lanzhou University of Arts and Sciences, ChinaMaria del Mar Sanchez Ramos, University of Alcalá, SpainMohamad Amin Shirkhani, University of sistan and baluchestan, IranMohamad Fadhili bin Yahaya, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perlis Branch, MalaysiaMohammed AbdAlgane, Qassim University, Saudi ArabiaMuhammad Farkhan, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, IndonesiaMuhammad Mooneeb Ali, HED punjab, PakistanMuhammed Ibrahim Hamood, University of Mosul, IraqMundi Rahayu, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, IndonesiaMusa Saleh, Qimam Al-Ulum Institute for Languages, Saudi ArabiaNing Li, Guangdong Pharmaceutial University (GDPU), ChinaNitin Malhotra, Gobindgarh Public College, IndiaNuriadi Nuriadi, University of Mataram, IndonesiaOlena Andrushenko, Universität Augsburg, GermanyOmar (Mohammad-Ameen) Hazaymeh, Al-Balqa Applied University / Al-Huson University College, JordanOmsalma Ahmed, University of Hail, Saudi ArabiaS. V. Dhanawade, Vivekanand College (Autonomous) Kolhapur, IndiaSaif Ali Abbas Jumaah, University of Mosul College of Arts Dept. Media and English Communication, IraqSantri Djahimo, Nusa Cendana University, IndonesiaŞenel, Müfit, 19 Mayıs University, TurkeyServais Dieu-Donné Yédia DADJO, University of Abomey-Calavi, BeninShalini Yadav, Compucom Institute of Technology and Management, IndiaShangrela Genon-Sieras, Mindanao State University, Main Campus, PhilippinesWarid Bin Mihat, Academy of Language Studies, MARA University of Technology (UiTM), MalaysiaZaldy Maglay Quines, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

Lessons from the 2019/2020 ‘Black Summer Bushfires’ in Australia

The widespread and massive bushfires in Australia in 2019 and 2020, known as the ‘Black Summer Bushfires’ resulted in extensive devastation with severe economic, social, environmental and political impacts, and tragically, loss of human lives and wildlife. Some of these impacts extended well after the bushfires to the medium and long term. Australia does have a system for disaster risk prevention, mitigation and management in place, including legal and policy instruments, and a range of capacity building and risk communication measures, and thus different steps were undertaken to manage the bushfires at the local, regional and national levels. There were also a number of key stakeholders involved including firefighting agencies and emergency services agencies, and public, private and civil society organizations, and importantly, the community with abundant volunteer initiatives evidencing strong social capital. However, despite the strong institutional structure and community social capital, various gaps and challenges were evident at different stages – before, during and after the bushfires – especially stemming from the uncertainty posed by climate change; particularly, recovery and rebuilding has proven highly challenging and even after two years recovery has not been achieved for many people, who need to rely on the social capital of their neighbours and community to cope with the difficult circumstances that they are confronted with. The Royal Commission report, which was produced as an inquiry after the bushfires provided recommendations for future policy and practice and in this paper a set of recommendations that are consistent with the report are presented. The future of bushfire risk reduction and management would need to be linked to both climate change mitigation and adaptation, with stronger support for community social capital.

Specters of excess: Passing and policing in the Malay‐speaking archipelago

AbstractPositioned at the island interface of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the east Malaysian state of Sabah bears witness to some of the largest clandestine cross‐border flows across the globe. This article examines what a Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah has called “an insidious problem which has turned out to be an all‐consuming nightmare.” It highlights the situated (meta)semiotic work involved in determining and enforcing the state's seemingly indeterminate and unenforceable borders between citizens and suspected non‐citizens, while also showing how inquiries into migrant illegality are ultimately inquiries into “excess.” It demonstrates how experiences of and orientations to excess take expressive shape in migrants and Malaysians' fashions of speaking and forms of life. It concludes by considering how these transnational dynamics across a sprawling archipelagic region lend a provincializing angle of vision on American(ist) anthropology's own hemispheric parochialism.

Katherine Graham and David Newhouse, eds. Sharing the Land, Sharing a Future: The Legacy of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

Katherine Graham and David Newhouse, eds. <i>Sharing the Land, Sharing a Future: The Legacy of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples</i>

Strategies that support cultural safety for First Nations people in aged care in Australia: An integrative literature review.

The 2019 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety highlighted the need for First Nations peoples to have improved, culturally safe care. This paper is a call to action for First Nations peoples to be involved in developing culturally safe care and services to be embedded within Australian aged care services. The first screening examined the Australian literature (peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 in English) detailing key aspects relevant to Cultural Safety for First Nations peoples supported by aged care services in Australia. The second screening assessed whether the findings of these studies aligned with the key aspects of Cultural Safety of First Nations peoples in aged care. The initial literature search yielded 198 papers, of which 13 met the inclusion criteria for the final review. Topics that required further interrogation included barriers to communication, racism and discrimination, impacts on health outcomes, health-care workforce education needs and the importance of cultural connections to Country and kin. These topics influenced the perception of First Nations peoples feeling culturally safe when supported by aged care services. The literature identified a need to recruit more First Nations peoples into the aged care workforce, involve more First Nations family and community members in aged care and retain a consistent workforce overall. Together these strategies were seen to address the barriers that continue to affect aged care provision for First Nations peoples.

Chemical restraint as behavioural euthanasia: case studies from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

BackgroundThe prescription of psychotropic medication to older people living with dementia in residential aged care has become an increasing concern. The use of prescription medication is often prefaced as a way of preventing harm to self and others. However, the use of such medications has been considered a way of managing some of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Using a large secondary data set, this study aimed to identify the precursors and mediating factors that influence the use of chemical restraint of older people in residential aged care.MethodsPublicly available documents from the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety were used as the data corpus for this study. Keywords were used to search over 7000 documents to extract a set of topic-related content. We identified the cases of seven people in respite or permanent residential aged care who had been prescribed or administered psychotropic medication under circumstances that appeared to demonstrate chemical restraint. All documents relating to the cases were collated for our data set. A descriptive case study approach to analysis was taken.ResultsFour key descriptive patterns were identified: labelling and limits to tolerance, pushing prescription as a solution, coverups and avoiding consent, and family’s fight for liberty. Triangulation across the data and academic literature supports the findings.ConclusionOur findings provide some insight into how chemical restrain happens. Featuring throughout the cases were reports of a lack of workforce capacity to care for and support residents exhibiting dementia behaviours. Prescription of psychotropic medications featured as a “first resort” care solution. Family and friends found such approaches to care unacceptable and frequently challenged the practice. Where consent for prescription was explicitly denied, more covert approaches are demonstrated. Family awareness, presence, and advocacy were key to challenging the practice of chemical restraint. Shortfalls in the capacity of the current workforce come into play here. However, workforce shortcomings can no longer mask this ubiquitous practice. Just as importantly the spotlight needs to be turned on the prescribers and the providers.

An argumentation analysis of testimony about positive behaviour support and chemical restraint in Australia’s Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability

Introduction Australia’s Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (2019–2023) is examining, amongst many issues, how positive behaviour support (PBS) can address challenging behaviour and reduce the use of restrictive practices, particularly chemical restraint. This study explores the basis of the claims made about this during testimony. Materials and methods Applying existing recommendations for the study of Royal Commissions, this study uses argumentation analysis of testimony. Results Three central claims about PBS were identified: practitioners, behaviour support plans, and chemical restraint. Comparison with Australian research shows preparation of behaviour support practitioners is poor, behaviour support plans do not show a clear benefit to people with disability, and chemical restraint remains a persisting issue with no viable way forward. Discussion The analysis highlights the difference between perceptions of PBS and the current Australian evidence underlying it. The barriers to the promotion of PBS to address restrictive practices in Australian disability services prompts reconsideration of the policy expansion to address restrictive practices in other sectors.