MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
STEPHEN SMITH, MP
TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDRA KIRK, ABC RADIO
- AM PROGRAM
TRANSCRIPTION: PROOF COPY E & OE
DATE: 25 JANUARY 2011
TOPICS: HMAS Success Commission of Inquiry, Bombings in Moscow
PETER CAVE: The Chief of the Defence Force has received the first report from a
commission of inquiry he ordered almost a year ago into an alleged navy sex scandal in
2009, involving crew from HMAS Success.
Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston has released a short statement saying it's clear to him,
on his very quick review, that the report raises very serious issues about individual
accountability and broader cultural and institutional issues. He says it will take time to
analyse the detailed findings of the 400 page report.
The report is also in the hands of the Defence Minister Stephen Smith. He's joined us and
he's speaking to Alexandra Kirk.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Mr Smith, good morning.
STEPHEN SMITH: Good morning Alex.
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ALEXANDRA KIRK: Before we discuss the report's findings, if we can first go to the
breaking news of the Moscow bombing. How concerned are you that terrorists are hitting
major airports?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well we know that terrorism, or extreme acts of violence are
regrettably a terrible factor of modern life and that's why the Australian Government and
the international community do everything they can to minimise the chance that these
terrible events occur. But in the first instance, on this matter we are primarily concerned
about any adverse consequence for Australians and our officials in Moscow are very
urgently trying to make sure that no Australians have been involved in this terrible
atrocity.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Have you been able to find out if any Australians have been
caught up?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well at this stage, no. Obviously, we condemn absolutely this
terrible act. It's an act of extremism and of violence. We have, of course, great sympathy
and offer our condolences to the families of the victims and for the Russian people. But
our officials are not just in contact with officials in Russia, but are also making contact
with the local hospitals doing their best to satisfy ourselves that no Australians have bean
caught up. It's very early days. Anyone who had a friend or a relative who was in Russia
at the time, they can make direct contact and if they can't make direct contact with the
people concerned they should let our consular officials know.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: You've just received a 400 page report into alleged sexual
misconduct on HMAS Success in 2009. The incidents have been described as centring
around a predatory culture of coercing junior female sailors into having sex, with
allegations that sailors kept a sex ledger and allegations of a long running culture of
bullying aboard the ship. The Defence Chief, Angus Houston, says it's up to you whether
the report is made public. Will you release it?
STEPHEN SMITH: I propose to release it, but I have to be careful and sensible about
that. There are a number of issues. Firstly, there are issues of individual personal conduct
and accountability. Individuals concerned have rights of process, so I need to be very
careful not to, in anything I authorise to be published, trample on anyone's rights of due
process.
But there are broader issues of culture and also institutional issues. They go to discipline
in the Navy. They go to so-called tribal culture on the Success itself and potentially more
generally. But also some institutional questions about the way in which Defence
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conducts these commissions of inquiry, investigates matters, and they'll be the subject of
a second report from Commissioner Gyles.
But I want to be as transparent as humanly possible and that's why I'm proposing to make
what I've received from the Chief of the Defence Force, via Commissioner Gyles, public
as soon as I can, in as comprehensive a manner as I can.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: When will that be then?
STEPHEN SMITH: My predecessor, John Faulkner, as Minister, gave an undertaking to
the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence that that committee would be kept
fully informed. The Parliament comes back in a week or so and I'd like very much to be
in a position to make the material public to assist the deliberations of that Senate
Committee. So I'm thinking in terms of a matter of weeks. But the most important thing
is not to do anything which would prejudice the rights of individuals concerned.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: What's the main finding?
STEPHEN SMITH: I'm not proposing to go into that. That will become clear when I
release this first part of it. But to be blunt about it, it doesn't make good reading either
about the individual - the suggestions of individual conduct, nor the suggestions of
discipline, nor the suggestions of a particular type of culture.
To its credit, the Navy, the Chief of Navy, the Chief of the Defence Force and the entire
command structure have zero tolerance for such unacceptable behaviour. The Chief of
Navy instituted a New Generation Navy program in 2009 and we're very pleased with the
progress that's making. So we very much have a no tolerance approach for the sorts of
behaviour that we've seen referred to, but we do need to be very careful and deliberative
about the way in which we make Commissioner Gyles' report public. But it is important
we are transparent and I'm proposing to do that as soon as I can.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Time and time again successive Defence Chiefs and ministers
have said that they'd be stamping out unacceptable behaviour. It's still going on. Last
night the Seven network aired allegations of bastardisation. Can you ever stamp it out?
STEPHEN SMITH: We certainly have a zero tolerance attitude, but in the end you're
dealing with human-beings and like all of us we have faults. What we do want to do is
our best to minimise those and do our best to make sure it doesn't become part of an
institutional part of culture. And we want our Defence force, whichever stream it is,
Navy, Air Force or Army, to treat each other with civility and dignity. But, yes, we do
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have bad examples from time to time. The one you referred to aired last night will be
exhaustively investigated.
But we want people in the services to treat their colleagues with respect, with civility and
dignity and that's the way in which the Australian Defence Force and its personnel have
built up over a long period of time, a first class international reputation for the way in
which it conducts itself and we want that standard to continue.
But it's not all bad news. We have, for example, very good news about the way in which our
Navy personnel have conducted themselves in the recent rescue off Christmas Island. So
yes, we get bad examples from time to time, but we also get regular examples of very good
work and great heroism, whether it's Christmas Island rescue, or the Queensland or Victoria
floods.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Minister, we'll have to leave it there. Thank you very much for
joining AM.
STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks Alex. Thanks very much.
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