Sky News host Chris Kenny says there is “good news tonight” for our armed forces and for the strong bond between the two great nations of Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Kenny said this week has seen new Defence Minister Peter Dutton “putting his stamp on the job”.

“He has overturned the decision to strip Meritorious Service citations from 3000 Special Air Service soldiers who’d carried out tours of duty in in the Afghanistan war,” Mr Kenny said.

“The citation will only be stripped now, from anyone sacked for misconduct or found guilty of war crimes,” he said.

“Now the other big decision announced by the prime minister today, after being foreshadowed by Mr Dutton, is a royal commission into veterans’ suicide”.

“While the merit of this decision is less clear cut, and it was really forced on the government by backbenchers, this step will win broad support from large elements of the veterans’ community.

“The real test will be whether it leads to lasting change and we won’t know about that for a long while to come.

“But all up the message from the new defence minister, on behalf of the government today is very clear, he stands on the side of the soldiers, on the side of the veterans.

“This is all to the good, in what looms as a challenging period of strategic re-alignment, with China looming large and our long engagement in the Middle East coming to an end.

“We need a strong defence minister, and we’ve got one.”