Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, a parliamentary secretary has limited opportunities to participate in the debates of this House, so I trust you will excuse me for trying to compress two matters into three minutes. The first I raise is that next week Colin McDonald, one of the barristers representing the Bali nine, will be present in Parliament House and will be giving one of the Library lecture seminars, and I would encourage all members to participate. Colin McDonald and barristers such as Julian McMahon and the other team represent the best aspects of the Australian independent bar. I commend them for their work, and I would encourage members of this House to consider re-establishing the cross-parliamentary grouping against the death penalty that was established in the last parliament on the instigation of Cameron Murphy of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, because we have a very substantial case of advocacy to make for the universal removal of the death penalty.

The second point I raise concerns a petition that I have lodged on behalf of my constituent Robert Grey, a former wing commander and senior Air Force officer in Tasmania. Mr Grey still has not received a substantive and satisfactory explanation for a decision under the former government a long period of time ago that adversely affected him. He has petitioned the House, amongst other matters, to the effect that, except in actual conduct, the rules and principles of Australian administrative law are adhered to so that discretionary powers are not abused and still outstanding grievances are reported correctly and finalised fairly, as the Australian people are led to expect. His petition is countersigned by two other very senior military personnel, Air Commodore Gary Bates, former Director-General of Aerospace Combat Systems, Defence Materiel Organisation, and Air Vice Marshal Peter Criss, a former Air Commander Australia. This House, the parliament and the government as a whole have been made aware of deficiencies within the disciplinary system within the military and have made substantial improvements, but there are some outstanding matters including that of my constituent Wing Commander Grey. The petition that has been tabled draws attention to that matter, and I hope ultimately he receives an explanation or an apology for the conduct which he was subject to.