Press conference - Australian Peacekeeping Memorial

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CONFERENCE
AUSTRALIAN PEACEKEEPING MEMORIAL, CANBERRA
FRIDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER

SUBJECTS: 25th Anniversary of Australian Service in Timor-Leste; Review of Military Justice; Final Report from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide; Quad Meeting.

MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL, MATT KEOGH: This morning we've just concluded the commemorative ceremony for the 25th anniversary of INTERFET the International Force East Timor, which was led by Australia involving 22 nations to restore peace and stability in East Timor after their independence referendum. And as part of the services today, we're commemorating not just the INTERFET force that went into East Timor 25 years ago, but all of those Australian Defence Force and police and civilians that were part of the United Nations missions that followed them. Often when Australians think about those involved in conflict, they think about Australia being on a particular side of that conflict or in a war. But for the last 77 years, Australia has been involved continuously in different peacekeeping operations around the globe. And we continue to be so today and it's important that we commemorate those people that have been involved in, that have been injured by or that have lost their lives through their service to peacekeeping operations like INTERFET and the United Nations missions that followed in East Timor to continue to remind people of the very important work that our Australian men and women, whether they're in the Defence Force or the Australian Federal Police or civilians working with Government agencies, do around the world to bring peace and stability in so many different regions, including our own.

JOURNALIST: Are you disappointed that the Royal Commission published the Report into the IGADF before the Government could and what's your response to some of those key recommendations about separating it in its own legislation, the IGADF, to ensure confidence in it as a body.

MINISTER KEOGH: I think it’s always disappointing when a body unintentionally publishes a report that it didn’t mean to publish. In terms of the recommendations in that Report and the recommendations that have been made by the Royal Commission, there's 122 recommendations altogether. As I said yesterday, we've agreed to establish an independent oversight body, which was the final recommendation that the Royal Commission made and that recommendation, as with all the rest need to be considered through the normal Government and Cabinet processes, and we will provide our response to all of the recommendations together by the end of the year.

JOURNALIST: A lot of veterans are quite disappointed and traumatised with the announcement of the medal stripping in the same week as the Royal Commission. Do you acknowledge that that perhaps wasn't the best time to do that?

MINISTER KEOGH: I very much understand the concern of some people that the issues that were raised by the Brereton Report when they are re-raised in a public way, can cause distress. And it's why we make sure that we've got services available to our current serving and former serving personnel, like Open Arms, which people can contact on 1800 011 046 and many other services to provide support when they need that support, that's available 24 hours a day.

JOURNALIST: Yesterday you said in an interview that the Government would respond to the Final Report of the Royal Commission by the end of the year. Are you planning - we know that a lot of veterans are calling for action right now? Are you planning to establish that statutory body immediately? When will the Government start implementing the findings?

MINISTER KEOGH: So we’ve accepted that particular recommendation because the Royal Commission had been foreshadowing that recommendation for some time. There is detail behind that, including as part of that recommendation that the body be legislated and that there be a open merit selection process. So obviously it can't be done immediately, but we'll consider the detail of that as with all the recommendations through the normal Government processes, and announce our response before the end of the year.

JOURNALIST: Do you have an idea of when you'd like it to be in place by?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well we’re going through all of those processes now.

JOURNALIST: Minister speaking to some of the veterans here today, there were obviously Defence personnel who served but also Federal Police who served. Speaking to some of the Federal Police, there they feel they're not treated the same way as Defence veterans who served in East Timor, they feel they’re not recognised in the same way. Have you heard those concerns and what do you make of it?

MINISTER KEOGH: So I have heard those concerns and there are some operations that involve that have involved Australian Federal Police historically where they have picked up some forms of similar support as ADF members and that has been very much operation by operation. But certainly in the 21st century, there has been very different regimes that govern compensation and rehabilitation for those that serve in the military versus those that serve in the Australian Federal Police, I'm responsible for the system to support our military. I don't have responsibility for those that are with the Australian Federal Police.

JOURNALIST: They're still serving in the same things and I understand you're not the Minister responsible for the Federal Police, but do you get a sense that do you feel that they should be harmonised in some way and that if you serve in the same theatre of war or conflict you should be treated the same when you come home?

MINISTER KEOGH: There can be occasions where we still see Australian Federal Police and Australian Defence Force personnel serving in similar theatres or the same theatres, but there are a range of other differences around Defence Force service versus Australian Federal Police service and that's why there are different regimes in Government.

JOURNALIST: In the last sort of quarter century, Australia's security presence in the region has certainly strengthened and deepened, and as the Prime Minister heads to Delaware for the Quad we’ll be having discussions about potentially expanding AUKUS. I just wonder if you have any reflections about the importance to ensure that peace prevails in the Pacific and that we have deterrence?

MINISTER KEOGH: So one of the key things that guides Australia in all of our engagement and particularly our increased engagement with our near neighbours and across our region has been maintaining stability in the region. We do face some of the most complex geostrategic circumstances that we've face since the Second World War and that's widely acknowledged. And I think what people can see from things that have been reflected on today with the 25th Anniversary of INTERFET and our engagement in support for peace and stability in East Timor, supporting nations when they face natural disasters, supporting Government programs and making sure that throughout the region, the countries that we work closely with and provide a partnership both in a humanitarian way, but also through security, supporting them where they're policing, our region knows that we're about making sure that countries are able to maintain their sovereignty and to maintain stability across our region, because that's how we all prosper and flourish.

JOURNALIST: A report was tabled yesterday showing a large number of ADF members were still experiencing sexual harassment. Are you disappointed that we are still seeing these figures showing abuse, harassment, bullying, despite three years of these issues being laid bare?

MINISTER KEOGH: Any amount of sexual misconduct, harassment, bullying is unacceptable. What we saw in the report that was made available yesterday is reflected in the Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. No doubt that is why they've called, the Royal Commissioners in one of their recommendations, a call for a further inquiry into sexual misconduct and harassment in the Defence Force. This is not acceptable, and we're not happy to see any of those statistics at all. I will say, though, that the Report also shows we're seeing more witnesses and more bystanders make reports of this bad conduct as well. And that's a positive sign in that it shows that people, when they're observing conduct that is not acceptable, they're calling it out and they're reporting it, we encourage that, it's good to see that that type of reporting is increasing. But we there is no level of acceptable misconduct. We want to see that stamped out. The Royal Commission has called that out as well. It's called for a further inquiry in one of its recommendations.

JOURNALIST: Thank you.

END

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides 24/7 free confidential crisis support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families on 1800 011 046 or the Open Arms website. Safe Zone Support provides anonymous counselling on 1800 142 072. Defence All-Hours Support Line provides support for ADF personnel on 1800 628 036 or the Defence Health Portal. Defence Member and Family Helpline provides support for Defence families on 1800 624 608