Subjects: Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial; Australian Defence Force.
E&OE
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Let’s bring in Opposition Leader and former Defence Minister, Peter Dutton now. Peter, good morning to you.
PETER DUTTON:
Good morning Karl
KARL STEFANOVIC:
How did you receive the news yesterday?
PETER DUTTON:
Well look, I think it’s a tough day for our country to be honest. The vast majority of Australians hold the SAS and the Australian Defence Force in the highest regard. This obviously is a case now that will go on appeal and there’s also a criminal investigation that’s underway.
I note the comments of Richard Marles last night saying that he wasn’t going to provide any comment, and I think for a lot of us as former Defence Ministers, we need to be careful here. If there’s a criminal investigation on, then we may well be called as witnesses at some point.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
You can talk though on the ramifications potentially of this globally – with U.S. forces for example?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I think there’s been some of that discussion during Senate estimates this week, but again, the reputation of our country, of our soldiers, of our diggers, is second to none. We’re trusted partners. We’ve worked alongside the US and the UK, Canada, our other Five Eyes partners and other bilateral partners for a long time. So they’ve seen the worth and the value of the Australian Defence Force, and we should never forget that.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
I remember very distinctly spending time with Ben Roberts-Smith at a function years ago and he went through the citations for his VC. This was a bona fide war hero and what he did on that day was like something I’ve never heard before – the heroism he displayed. Mixed now with what happened yesterday, what went wrong?
I mean he was basically turned into an SAS, a lethal killer – and that’s what we wanted him to do – but then almost superhero status even inside the Defence Force and with the Afghan forces. But then what went wrong? And why wasn’t it picked up?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, a few things. I mean there’s been a lot of speculation, and rightly so, about the recurring tours that people went to in Afghanistan – but that doesn’t excuse somebody operating outside of the law. There’s obviously a huge impact – I want to acknowledge the families of the SAS soldiers, those who have been accused, those that are witnesses, those who have carried the burden of the whole incident or the whole episode, but have done nothing wrong except been in the SAS and that they’ve served their country with great distinction – so there’s a lot of impact on families.
So, there is there is a big issue here. But as I say, this is a civil trial, so standard of proof is lower than in a criminal case, and that criminal matter, and others, are under investigation at the moment.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Do you think there’ll be criminal proceedings?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, that’s a matter for the OSI.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
All right. What do you think about his medals, given that it’s a civil case? Does that really matter? Does he need to be stripped of those?
PETER DUTTON:
Well again, that’ll be a case for the Defence Minister and for the CDF and the Governor-General to decide that.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Are you comfortable and confident that the procedures, the protocols, the failings that Nick has outlined have been fixed in the ADF?
PETER DUTTON:
I think there’s been a significant culture change over the last half a dozen years, at least. I think there has been…I mean you go and visit the regiment in Perth now, there are very few people there who even served in Afghanistan or were involved in conflicts in the Middle East. So the next generation, even one removed, now is serving in the SAS.
I want us to though, most importantly, when we talk about the SAS recognise, as Nick pointed out, the incredible work that they do in our country’s name, even this day that most Australians would never see, and that stop terrorist attacks or keep us safe.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yesterday was incredibly difficult for veterans and it was incredibly difficult for serving defence men and women of this country personnel. We need to wrap our arms around them and we need to help them understand that there’s no problem with them.
PETER DUTTON:
Absolutely.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
How can you ask if we ask them to go overseas and serve and put their lives on the line for us and them feeling any kind of worry about it?
PETER DUTTON:
Yeah, and that’s why I say it extends to the families as well. This is a huge community and they deserve our support.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Good to talk to you Peter.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks Karl.
[ends]