Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to provide this report to the Senate. In September 2023 the government commissioned the 20-year review into the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force. The review, led by former Federal Court justice, the Hon. Duncan Kerr SC, was the first review conducted into the IGADF in the two decades since its inception. The government received the review in March of this year. It is thorough and far-reaching at some 139 pages and makes 47 recommendations, which go to a range of complex proposed reforms.

Since receiving the review, the government has been carefully considering its findings and how they may intersect with the work of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Through this time, there have been consultations, including with the royal commission, the Department of Defence, other statutory agencies, the Attorney-General's Department, the reviewer and advocates in this space. The office of the IGADF has advised that, as part of the consultations, it conducted some 23 interactions with stakeholders and advisory organisations. In April 2024, the government provided the review to the royal commission to inform its consideration and final recommendations. On two separate occasions, the Commonwealth solicitors advised the royal commission solicitors the report had not been published and requested the royal commission carefully consider its use of the report, including any publication, pending the government's review of the report. The Deputy Prime Minister has stated that the public release of the review was always intended to follow the release of the royal commission's final report. This is because the government's preference was to respond to the review and the royal commission in a holistic and practical way.

Yesterday the royal commission issued a statement outlining the circumstances by which the report came to be published on its website. The statement makes clear that the decision to remove the report from the royal commission's website was made by the royal commission's official secretary. I am advised the official secretary made this decision after she became aware it was on the website on Tuesday 17 September 2024, when the royal commission's office was notified by Senator Lambie's office. I'm advised there was no direction or request from the government, the Deputy Prime Minister, his office, the Department of Defence or the IGADF to the royal commission to take the report down after it had been uploaded to the commission's website. I understand the Department of Defence has issued a public statement confirming this. The Deputy Prime Minister has advised me his office became aware the report was public on Tuesday afternoon at 4.19 pm, when it was contacted by a media outlet with the suggestion that there was a copy of the report in circulation. I'm advised that, by this point, the report had already been removed from the royal commission's website.

As the senator is aware, the government commissioned the review into the IGADF. We also called for the royal commission whilst in opposition, We have moved quickly to respond to its interim findings in government and have committed to do the same for its final recommendations. The government remains committed to improving our military justice system and the culture of the Australian Defence Force, because we owe nothing less to the men and women of the ADF and our veterans. The government remains willing to engage with Senator Lambie in that process.