David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

As we are here today, David McBride, who told the truth about war crimes in Afghanistan, is in jail. He was attacked by this government because he called out the lack of accountability in the leadership of the ADF over the war crimes that happened in Afghanistan, and he has been utterly vindicated in the oversight report by Dr Vivienne Thom, who fundamentally disagreed with the Brereton report conclusion that the leadership of the ADF should get off scot-free on any responsibility for the war crimes in Afghanistan. When you go back and read that Brereton report, and realise that he held at the time a senior office in the reserves for the ADF and he decided to give all his senior mates a get-out-of-jail-free card in that report, it starts to make things fall in place. That's who the Labor government, with the support of the coalition, decided to put in charge of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Since then we have seen Dr Vivienne Thom's report land, and the oversight report come and smash the conclusion of Brereton and 100 per cent support what David McBride said. I quote from Vivienne Thom's report:

The Panel did not agree with the Brereton Inquiry's view that some accountability and responsibility could not fall on the most senior officers and it suggested that issue should be the subject of further consideration.

What has the government done? Bury the report.

When you read Vivienne Thom's report, she points out the failure of defence leadership to see the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance reports, the lack of ethical leadership and the fact there was no curiosity from the senior leadership. That senior leadership are covered with medals and retirement bonuses, and David McBride is in jail. It's a disgrace! (Time expired)