John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, on 10 September last year in response to a question from you I made a commitment to the Senate to release Defence’s photographic and video record of the SIEV36 tragedy whenever the Northern Territory Coroner lifted his request that the material remain confidential for the purposes of his inquest into the tragic death of five people.

The Northern Territory Coroner last week released a brief of evidence which contained much of the relevant video and stills imagery that Defence provided. Today I table the relevant visual material.

I table the video record of HMAS Albany and HMAS Childers, and RAAF aerial video footage. I also table stills imagery taken by personnel on HMAS Albany and HMAS Childers. Some clinical images of injuries have not been included for privacy reasons.

I also table correspondence between the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, and the Northern Territory Coroner.

I hope I will be in a position to table the relevant inquiry officer’s report, already released by the coroner, formally to the Senate later today.