Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to associate myself with the remarks of my Tasmanian Labor Senate colleagues Senators Urquhart and Bilyk and to demand that the decision of the independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal be upheld so that Teddy Sheean can finally be recognised for his brave and gallant service with the awarding of the Victoria Cross. Given that the Prime Minister has steadfastly refused to provide any real insight at all into his decision to unilaterally quash the findings of the tribunal, it is essential that the authority of this place be respected and that documents pertaining to this decision be tabled for every Australian to see.

I don't need to retell the incredible story of bravery and courage that underpins the legacy of Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean. It is a story known so well, particularly to Tasmanians and particularly to Tasmanians on the north-west coast—and so it ought to be—and it has spurred so many supporters to fight so long to see that Teddy is given the respect and recognition he deserves. The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal has determined that no less than a Victoria Cross should be awarded to Teddy—an honour awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour, self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy, and an honour justly deserved. For a Prime Minister to intervene after a pre-eminent tribunal has made such an emphatic decision, based on the weight of overwhelming evidence, is extraordinary. It is precisely in circumstances such as this that the Australian people should be entitled to see the advice the Prime Minister relied upon to make such an extraordinary decision to set aside the decision of a tribunal set up specifically to deal with such matters.

Quite extraordinarily, the member for Braddon, Mr Gavin Pearce, stood up in the other place and said:

In my opinion, the Prime Minister has taken the right decision …

Let's just let that sink in. The member for Braddon is on record in the parliament backing the Prime Minister's mishandling of this process. It is a mishandling that effectively amounts to a bizarre intervention to overrule the findings, recommendations and decisions of the Defence Honours and Awards Appeal Tribunal—simply extraordinary. And for what? We have not been given a reason why the Prime Minister would seek to intervene to overturn the decision of an expert tribunal specifically tasked with considering the merits or otherwise of awarding of a military honour. Its decision should be upheld and respected, not cast aside without explanation. Teddy Sheean and his family and supporters deserve so much better. Tasmanians deserve better. Indeed, all of our serving military personnel and our veterans deserve better.

The member for Braddon, though, went further. He went on to say:

It is not this place's job to kick this around like a football or like a can down the road.

I actually agree with the member for Braddon, Mr Pearce. I couldn't agree more. That's why the decision of the independent umpire should be respected. The only person kicking this matter around like a football is the person who refuses to respect the decision of the umpire who has called time on this matter, and that person is the Prime Minister, a Prime Minister who refuses to provide a proper explanation for doing so. And his actions are backed 100 per cent by the member for Braddon, Mr Gavin Pearce. I'm astonished—absolutely astonished. I would have thought that the local member for Braddon would be going in to bat for Teddy Sheean, his family and his supporters at every opportunity, not backing in a recalcitrant Prime Minister who has unquestionably done the wrong thing by failing to accept the decision of an independent tribunal. All Tasmanian members and senators should call on the Prime Minister to set aside his hastily formed review of a review, get on with upholding the appellate tribunal's decision and allow the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Teddy Sheean.