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Ironwoman Gina Rinehart this week told Australia’s war veterans she had their backs. Not in those exact words, but through her actions.

Off busy Wynnum Rd at Norman Park in Brisbane, Mrs Rinehart unveiled a home for mentally wounded veterans who struggle with daily life. She has pledged $200m to build homes for former servicemen and women across Australia.

The corporate warrior was flanked by two other battle-hardened heroes, Daniel Keighran VC and Ben Roberts-Smith VC.

Mrs Rinehart named the Daniel Keighran VC Apartments at Norman Park in his honour. Keighran is a man who refused to quit. He distinguished himself in Uruzgan Province when his patrol was pinned down by “numerically superior” Taliban forces. He was just 27 when he “repeatedly left cover and deliberately exposed himself to intense enemy fire to identify enemy positions”, his Victoria Cross citation states.

By drawing attention to himself, he enabled his comrades to engage the enemy. When a mate was wounded, Keighran again exposed himself to enemy fire to divert attention away from those treating the injured soldier.

The digger from Nambour then helped clear an evacuation route for the wounded soldier while remaining under heavy attack. His VC was awarded for “the most conspicuous acts of gallantry and extreme devotion to duty”.

Ben Roberts-Smith VC received a rousing reception at Norman Park when he rose to introduce Mrs Rinehart and thank her for her generosity. He is one of Australia’s most decorated veterans. He had already been awarded the Medal for Gallantry before receiving the Victoria Cross in 2011 for attacking and neutralising enemy machine-gun positions that were raining bullets on his men on a steep mountainside in Kandahar.

Roberts-Smith, who was educated at Hale School and Scotch College in Perth, repeatedly exposed himself to heavy machine-gun fire while confronting the enemy.

Roberts-Smith, who has been the subject of extensive war crimes allegations and civil court proceedings, said it was a “sad indictment” on government that a private citizen had to step in and help fill the housing void facing veterans.

At any given time, 5800 veterans across Australia are experiencing homelessness, according to estimates by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

They fought in hell holes stretching from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. Some returned home as different people. Their wives and children barely recognised them.

Mrs Rinehart nailed her colours to the mast when she called for a round of applause for Roberts-Smith, adding: “He’s fighting a fight that most of us don’t realise is a fight against the deep state.”

She then tossed a few verbal grenades at the Albanese Government and the Department of Defence.

While government leaders were quick to attend medal ceremonies and photo opportunities, she said many veterans had been left out in the cold. She pointed out that there are empty military barracks throughout the country, yet veterans are unable to use them.

“And I must add the government favours growing a Canberra bureaucracy to check the hours that veterans might work, and then penalising them for working,” she said.

Their meagre pensions were under scrutiny even while many faced severe financial hardships.

Removing barriers to employment for pensioners and former servicemen could release hundreds of thousands of English-speaking Australians into the workforce, she argued.

Mrs Rinehart said veterans who had bravely defended Australia had been abandoned by both the current government and previous governments. The neglect of our war heroes is a national scandal.

Robert Miller of Veteran Housing Australia said Mrs Rinehart was helping countless veterans get back on their feet. Miller, who served for 16 years with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, based at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, and with the 8/7th Royal Victoria Regiment, said Mrs Rinehart had quietly been providing support to veterans for decades.

“Safe and secure shelter is one of the most fundamental human needs and allows veterans to get back on their feet,” he said. “The principle is well proven but, sadly, has not been adopted as widely in Australia as it should be. Mrs Rinehart understands the need for real outcomes.”

Miller then read a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill, though its true origin remains disputed.

“We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”

He added: “We need to remember there are hundreds of thousands of veterans spread across our country. All are living with challenges related to their service in one way or another.”

I asked Rinehart whether the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Keogh, had congratulated her on the housing program. “No,” she replied.

Mrs Rinehart has provided substantial assistance to Soldier On, the SAS Resources Fund, the Commando Welfare Trust, Legacy, RSL WA and a range of other organisations.