Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased that you restated the motion, Madam Speaker, because the motion is, as you say, moved by the member for Denison, not a government member, and it is seconded by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The motion is quite specific, and I believe the member for Denison has sought to be very specific in putting forward this motion so there is no confusion about any broader claim being made. I acknowledge that the member for Denison and I may have some differences on matters of policy which General Campbell is responsible for implementing, but the member for Denison has been specific in crafting this motion. The motion is that the opposition defence spokesperson, not the opposition as a whole, be admonished for something quite specific: calling into question the integrity of Lieutenant General Angus Campbell. That is the motion we are debating.

Let us go to the conduct of Senator Conroy yesterday that the member for Denison is referring to. In Senate estimates he said this, very specifically, in questioning General Campbell:

You—

specifically General Campbell—

are engaged in a political cover-up.

That is what Senator Conroy said yesterday, and it is an outrageous sledge against someone of General Campbell's standing. I am pleased that the Leader of the Opposition is at least prepared to acknowledge that some of what has been said about Lieutenant General Campbell is true. I acknowledge all of it as true, as I am sure every member of this House would want to do and I am certain that every member on this side of the House does.

It is a very specific motion. I am disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition has said that the opposition will not be supporting the motion. In so doing, he has confirmed and affirmed the behaviour of Senator Conroy in the Senate. The Leader of the Opposition in his response to this motion today has demonstrated how small a man he is when the challenge is put to him. The good-faith motion put forward by the member for Denison is to bring this House together and to ensure that the outrageous conduct of a member of the other place is brought under scrutiny. An opportunity has once again been given to the Leader of the Opposition to try and set this right. That is something the member for Chifley did last night, I acknowledge, but his leader is not prepared to do in this place today. That is a very small act from the Leader of the Opposition, who has proved in this place his smallness when dealing with a matter of such significance.

I remind the House that General Campbell was appointed to this role by the Chief of the Defence Force, General Hurley. General Campbell was appointed to this role to take command of the Joint Agency Task Force responsible for implementing Operation Sovereign Borders, which the foreign minister reminded the House was a policy detailed, articulated and advocated at the last election by those now on this side of the House and received the overwhelming mandate of the Australian people. Any good serving officer in the Navy, Army or Air Force—and I go beyond our defence forces and talk about the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service which is also involved in this initiative and the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Department of Foreign Affairs, our intelligence services and agencies—all these men and women are engaged in the implementation of this policy. General Campbell was selected because of his experience, because of his credibility, because of his integrity, because of his sincerity and because of his ability. I have had the privilege of observing these things on a daily basis. He is one of the finest, if not the finest, men I have ever met and certainly I have ever worked with.

The fact is he was subjected to that sledge by Senator Conroy last night. In a rare sign General Campbell went to the point of admitting offence. If a general of his standing says he has taken offence then Senator Conroy should not just have withdrawn. Everyone in this place knows that a withdrawal is not an apology. Senator Conroy should have apologised but he has not apologised. For that act, the member for Denison is right. The opposition defence spokesperson should be admonished by this House. He should have been admonished by the Leader of the Opposition. That should have happened last night; it should not have been dragged on.

Let us look at the comments from General Hurley this morning when he appeared before Senator Conroy, as unrepentant as anyone could possibly be. He said:

I was surprised by the accusations made against Lieutenant-General Angus Campbell. I was pleased these accusations were withdrawn but, unfortunately, once said, the shadow will linger.

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