Labor invites Reith to child inquiry

By IAN McPHEDRAN in Canberra

The Advertiser

25mar02

FORMER Defence Minister Peter Reith could still be forced to appear before a Senate inquiry into the children overboard affair.

The Opposition will "invite" all key players to appear at the inquiry which begins today. These will include Mr Reith and former staff members, who have been implicated in the cover-up.

Only Mr Reith, who has a highly paid consultancy with defence firm Tenix Defence Systems, and his former military adviser, Mike Scrafton, who works as a senior defence official, can be forced to appear under subpoena.

A spokesman for Senate Labor leader Senator John Faulkner said an invitation for Mr Reith to appear at one of six inquiry hearings had not yet been issued.

"All will be invited, but we have ruled out forcing any staff now serving with ministers," the spokesman said. "We haven't ruled out issuing subpoenas to Reith and Scrafton."

A major cover-up of the children overboard affair was exposed by senior military officers during Senate estimates hearings last month.

Defence Chief Admiral Chris Barrie, who provided the Government with a last line of defence, was later forced to admit he was wrong and that children were not thrown overboard by asylum seekers.

Mr Reith has admitted he was told by acting Defence Chief Air Marshal Angus Houston on November 7 - three days before the election - that children overboard claims were false.

Prime Minister John Howard said Mr Reith did not pass that information to him when the pair spoke that night.

It also has been revealed that Mr Reith's office knew that photographs issued (with captions removed) to prove children were thrown overboard, were taken the day after the vessel had sunk.

Defence Secretary Allan Hawke will be first to be questioned today by Opposition senators led by Senator Faulkner. It will be Dr Hawke's first opportunity to comment publicly.

Crucial to his testimony will be the timing and content of discussions with his own staff, Mr Reith and his office, Admiral Barrie and senior military officers, and the Prime Minister's Department head, Max Moore-Wilton.

Also to be questioned today are navy chief Vice Admiral David Shackleton and Commander Norman Banks, skipper of the ship at the centre of the incident, HMAS Adelaide.

Appearing at hearings today and tomorrow will be other key defence personnel, including the Commander Australian Theatre, Rear Admiral Chris Ritchie, Maritime Commander Rear Admiral Geoff Smith, head of Strategic Command Air Vice Marshal Al Titheridge and Commander Northern Command Brigadier Mike Silverstone.