2021-04-12
Further sickening revelations about the existence of an illegal drinking establishment at Tarinkot base in Afghanistan, and the involvement of senior commanding officers at that establishment, are yet more evidence of the culture that General's Campbell and Burr are not fit to implement the recommendations of the Brereton Inquiry report.
Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John the revelations were yet more evidence of the horrific cultural problem that existed within our ADF throughout Afghanistan while General's Campbell and Burr were in senior leadership positions, and that has been allowed to continue to this very day.
"Chief of the Defence Force, General Campbell, and Chief of Army, General Burr, have irresolvable conflicts of interest; it is impossible for the public to trust that commanding officers will be held to account when the process is led by the top brass who themselves held commanding roles during the period of time when many of these alleged crimes were committed," Steele-John said.
"If this level of alleged systemic failure had occurred within a financial institution, it would be totally inappropriate for the reform of that institution to be led by an individual who held a senior executive position during the time that alleged criminal activity occurred.
"It is simply unimaginable that the top brass were unaware of the existence of this drinking establishment or the fact that it was frequented by commanding officers. Given what we've seen reported today in The Age, it was clearly an open secret.
"The perception that there has been a deliberate cover up, or that the top brass have turned a blind eye to the behaviour of our ADF personnel in Afghanistan, is undermining the process that must be undertaken.
"It is untenable for either General Campbell or General Burr to play a role in the implementation of recommendations from the Brereton Report; they must both immediately resign."