Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question on this matter. There can be no more important decision that a Prime Minister would make than to recommend to Her Majesty regarding the awarding of the Victoria Cross. That is true when that is awarded in the same period of time in which the acts have been conducted. But, when one is considering acts of 80 years ago where these matters have been considered on numerous occasions and, on all of those occasions bar one, the recommendation has not been to do this, a Prime Minister has to be very careful and has to set a very high bar.

It is true that the tribunal are charged with making recommendations, and they have made a recommendation. The valour inquiry of 2013 also made decisions in relation to this matter, and those two decisions are at odds with each other. As a result of the valour inquiry report a set of principles was set out which was adopted as government policy by those opposite, as the government at the time, and has been continued on by our government—and that is that, to take such a matter forward, there must be compelling new evidence that would support that recommendation.

There is dispute about that in the advice that I've received in forming the view that I have made to this point in time. I note that the Leader of the Opposition, before forming a view, has not sought out that advice from the government, from the Department of Veterans' Affairs or from the Department of Defence and has moved immediately to form a position. That is a matter for him. I will be more cautious. I will uphold the integrity of our awards and honours system to ensure that we will understand whether this high bar has been met. That is why I have asked former defence minister Brendan Nelson, former solicitor-general David Bennet, former head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Dr Shergold and senior curator and historian of the New South Wales Anzac Memorial Brad Manera, all outstanding individuals with expert experience in these areas, one simple question: has there been compelling new evidence?

The Leader of the Opposition may wish to move and take a decision that he has made without reference to that type of advice, but I will not.

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