Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Cowan asked two questions. The first one related to the issue of medals. I think there have been about 7½ thousand Australian defence medals issued within about eight weeks—but I will check the exact number. My sense is that, with all the medals that have been issued in recent times, the ADM experience would be at the high-water mark. But, if the member for Cowan is aware of some eligibility issues or some anomalies in the implementation of what I think is a sound and principled eligibility framework, I would welcome receiving that information. I am encouraged by the turnaround time in applications, and the way defence honours and awards are processing those medals is a credit to them. We are still working through a considerable backlog with other awards, and I am encouraged by the whole team’s effort to get those awards out to people who so richly deserve them.

On the second point, the member for Cowan knows that I have some incredible sympathy for those people involved in the battle and the circumstances surrounding the recognition of their service, their gallantry and their honour. He knows how I feel about that. Dave Sabben is a man whom I greatly admire and count as a friend. I receive much wise counsel from him and, via him, some advice and thoughts from the individuals involved in the battle. One of the things that I have turned my mind to is what I can do about the feelings and residual sentiments of those individuals about how they were treated some 40 years ago. One of the issues that I confront is that I am not able to change the history of the time. There were some decisions made at that time by people in the command structure who were not immediately part of the action but who were close to it. I am not sure how safe it is for me to second-guess judgments made by serving members of the ADF who, in all the circumstances of that battle and our engagement in Vietnam at that time, arrived at some conclusions that differed from the immediate hierarchy of those very brave men involved in that incredible fight.

Member for Cowan, my issue is that, having recognised my sense that there has been an injustice here, my second step is trying to find a positive way of responding to it without inadvertently bringing into question the judgments about the medals, honours and recognitions not just from that battle but from the Battle of Coral and all the other conflicts that were part of our Vietnam engagement. So I have sought some advice on that. I have spoken widely about it. I am seeking wise counsel from people about what I am able to do, given the current law. I am keen to see what I can do. Precisely what that is, I do not know just yet. I am not sure.

There are issues about imperial medal systems that we do not have with us any longer. There are issues about reopening some assessments made at the time, on the ground, by people directly involved in full recognition of all the circumstances. As someone who was barely a pup when that battle happened, how wise is it for me to revisit some of those judgments? If they were to be revisited, what is a fair and equitable way of honouring the services of the people involved while not in some indirect way dishonouring the services of others who were involved? These are the things that I am grappling with. Frankly, I would welcome a chat with the member for Cowan if he has some views on that, because I share his sentiment. The road forward to remedy it, though, is less clear.

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