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

My question is to Senator Ian Campbell, in his capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Can the minister confirm that the Minister for Defence received the final report of the investigation into the death of Private Jake Kovco late last month? Hasn’t the report into Private Kovco’s death already been leaked to the media, even before his family was consulted and given a final copy of the report by Defence? What action has been taken to source the leaking of that report to the media? Was the Defence spokesperson reported in the media today correct in saying that no action would be taken to investigate how the leak occurred? Don’t the Kovco family, who are still dealing with the tragic death of their son, deserve to know the circumstances of how the report was leaked to the media and who leaked it?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the fact that the details of this inquiry are being spread out across the media must be absolutely the worst thing that could possibly happen to the Kovco family and his loved ones. I do not have information as to investigations into the source of the leak, but I know very well that the Minister for Defence would share my deep concern about the way the story is being treated and the fact that this information is being leaked out in a way that must be absolutely horrifying for the family and must be adding to the enormous pain that that family is going through.

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

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a strong belief that the Minister for Defence has tried very hard to ensure that this incredibly sensitive matter has been dealt with appropriately. The leaking of the information, as I have said, is very regrettable for the reasons that I have already stated. I was handed a brief while Senator Bishop was asking his supplementary question. It makes the point that the story written by Mr Box that appeared in Monday’s paper could in its entirety have been written based on a close reading of the bureau of inquiry’s transcripts. The government’s plan is to release the report very soon, after the government has briefed the family.