Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister clarify whose responsibility it is to publicly release the findings of the board of inquiry into Private Kovco’s death? Was Air Chief Marshal Houston correct when he told Senate estimates that the Minister for Defence was responsible, or was the minister correct when he subsequently laid responsibility with the Australian Defence Force? Will the government finally accept full responsibility not only for the public release of this report but also for the incompetence with which this tragedy has been dealt thus far?