Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Materiel) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Unknown.

(2) See response to part 1 of Senate Question on Notice No. 1473.

(3) Defence personnel have a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect the health and safety of themselves and others in the workplace. Consistent with this requirement, all Defence personnel must promptly report to their supervisor, commander or manager (as appropriate), incidents of unacceptable behaviour that are beyond their ability or authority to manage. The existence of the web page was reported to Defence from a number of its members through various channels. The first known report was to a domestic military policing unit on 5 August 2010.

(4) Defence Instruction (General) PERSONNEL 35-3—The Management and Reporting of Unacceptable Behaviour.

(5) ADF personnel do not have a mandatory reporting requirement to report vilification or abusive behaviour that is instigated by a party outside of Defence, as was the situation in this incident.