Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 22 November 2011:

I refer to the Facebook page entitled 'Steve Austin' (the webpage) which targeted serving gay and lesbian Defence members and to which current and serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) subscribe or contributed:

(1) When did members of the ADF become aware of this webpage by choosing to subscribe to it or by contributing to its content.

(2) How many serving members of the ADF specifically took action to subscribe to this webpage or to contribute to its content.

(3) Is there a mandatory reporting requirement for abusive or vilifying conduct in the ADF; if so, how many Defence members who were aware of this webpage and/or contributed to it informed the authorities about the abuse and vilification it contained and advocated.

(4) What instrument creates a mandatory requirement to report abusive or vilifying conduct.

(5) If none of the Defence members who subscribed to this webpage and/or contributed to its content reported the webpage to military authorities, what action has the ADF subsequently taken to reprimand or penalise such Defence members for their inaction in reporting this abuse.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to 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.