Advice to Reith remained unclear

Defence Secretary Allan Hawke gave instructions that written advice should be sent to the office of former defence minister Peter Reith that the children overboard photographs were being misrepresented, he revealed yesterday.

But the advice that eventually went to Mr Reith's office was by no means clear.

The committee investigating the children overboard issue has heard extensive evidence that Mr Reith and his staff were told orally that the photographs had been misrepresented and, later in the election campaign, that children had not been thrown overboard at all.

Mr Reith and his staff have insisted they never received clear advice the photographs had been misrepresented. Mr Reith told a departmental inquiry that in the environment of "continuing uncertainty" he decided not to make any further public statements which could themselves have been incorrect.

Dr Hawke said yesterday that after Reith media spokesman Ross Hampton had rebuffed two attempts to correct the record, he had asked the head of Defence communications, Jenny McKenry, to immediately e-mail Mr Reith's senior military adviser, Mike Scrafton, to tell him.

But Ms McKenry's e-mail does not discuss the photograph, apparently because Mr Scrafton requested different material. Mr Scrafton was sent information from HMAS Adelaide detailing the context of the photographs.

Dr Hawke said that in retrospect he should have spoken to Mr Reith personally.

"I feel that I could have done more on that issue by talking directly to the minister and providing him clear written advice to that effect," Dr Hawke said.

"Relying on the staffers in this case simply was not good enough, so I have learned a hard lesson from that."

Dr Hawke defended the fact that he had taken no further action to check the story or to correct the record (other than some lesser involvement closer to the election).

He said he took a "very strict approach" to not interfering in operational matters that came under the Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral Chris Barrie.

Admiral Barrie stood by the original story that children had been thrown overboard until the end of February, when he did an about-face and announced he now believed it had not happened.

Dr Hawke told the committee, "The point I'm making to you is that this was an operational matter run by [Admiral Barrie]. He was in daily contact with the minister, so he was providing the advice and discussing these matters with the minister, not me. I don't think I have a role in it."

Labor Senator John Faulkner asked Dr Hawke, "You don't see, given that you're one of very few people, literally a handful of people in Australia, who know about this, you don't think that you have any responsibility in relation to your advisory role to government and to the minister for defence to take any action?"

Dr Hawke also told the committee he was still not satisfied children had not been thrown overboard, although he later conceded that "on the balance of probabilities" it had not happened.

"To this stage I'm not convinced that we've heard the whole story," he said.


	Government News Index site index HOME Advice to Reith remained unclear By KIRSTEN LAWSON Defence Secretary Allan Hawke gave instructions that written advice should be sent to the office of former defence minister Peter Reith that the children overboard photographs were being misrepresented, he revealed yesterday. But the advice that eventually went to Mr Reith's office was by no means clear. The committee investigating the children overboard issue has heard extensive evidence that Mr Reith and his staff were told orally that the photographs had been misrepresented and, later in the election campaign, that children had not been thrown overboard at all. Mr Reith and his staff have insisted they never received clear advice the photographs had been misrepresented. Mr Reith told a departmental inquiry that in the environment of "continuing uncertainty" he decided not to make any further public statements which could themselves have been incorrect. Dr Hawke said yesterday that after Reith media spokesman Ross Hampton had rebuffed two attempts to correct the record, he had asked the head of Defence communications, Jenny McKenry, to immediately e-mail Mr Reith's senior military adviser, Mike Scrafton, to tell him. But Ms McKenry's e-mail does not discuss the photograph, apparently because Mr Scrafton requested different material. Mr Scrafton was sent information from HMAS Adelaide detailing the context of the photographs. Dr Hawke said that in retrospect he should have spoken to Mr Reith personally. "I feel that I could have done more on that issue by talking directly to the minister and providing him clear written advice to that effect," Dr Hawke said. "Relying on the staffers in this case simply was not good enough, so I have learned a hard lesson from that." Dr Hawke defended the fact that he had taken no further action to check the story or to correct the record (other than some lesser involvement closer to the election). He said he took a "very strict approach" to not interfering in operational matters that came under the Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral Chris Barrie. Admiral Barrie stood by the original story that children had been thrown overboard until the end of February, when he did an about-face and announced he now believed it had not happened. Dr Hawke told the committee, "The point I'm making to you is that this was an operational matter run by [Admiral Barrie]. He was in daily contact with the minister, so he was providing the advice and discussing these matters with the minister, not me. I don't think I have a role in it." Labor Senator John Faulkner asked Dr Hawke, "You don't see, given that you're one of very few people, literally a handful of people in Australia, who know about this, you don't think that you have any responsibility in relation to your advisory role to government and to the minister for defence to take any action?" Dr Hawke replied, "Not on an operational issue, no." Dr Hawke also told the committee he was still not satisfied children had not been thrown overboard, although he later conceded that "on the balance of probabilities" it had not happened. "To this stage I'm not convinced that we've heard the whole story," he said. Index