Diary

Saturday, 4th December 2010

David Flint opens his Diary

Tony Abbott is a most unusual politician. Apart from being unusually frank, he doesn’t trade on his virtues. He kept the fact that he was a firefighter and lifesaver from the media until he became leader. I was once asked to join a delegation of judges to see various ministers. Tony saw us without the usual protection, the ministerial minders. That day he’d been seen on the 389 bus. When politicians go by public transport or ride bikes, press photographers just happen to be there too. But this can be risky. When David Cameron was once virtuously riding his bike to the Palace of Westminster, the media filmed the official car trailing him, no doubt spewing carbon.

We should always be wary whenever the politicians agree. They did so in 2005, which is why three of our finest soldiers are being prosecuted over an incident in Afghanistan 18 months before where they were fired on and, believe it or not, returned fire. Discussing strategy at the conference I mentioned my understanding from national service that the aim of the army is to kill the enemy. Major General ‘Digger’ James, the Korean War hero, confirmed this. I asked if it now is ‘to counsel the enemy in a non-discriminatory, non-racist way to find a mutually acceptable solution’. We are now treating the most hardened criminals better than we do our soldiers, who are ready to sacrifice their lives for our country, as are incidentally our two brave princes, William and Harry. Before a case goes to trial a hardened criminal enjoys the luxury of a committal hearing and learns the case against him. He can argue to an independent magistrate that there should not be a trial. Under the ‘reforms’, all this is done behind closed doors by the official whose role is to prosecute, the Director of Military Justice. If this policy continues, it will destroy morale in the armed forces. Last Friday the Australian published my second piece arguing this. If Curtin and Menzies had done this in the second world war, we would now be a Japanese colony. It’s time for the politicians to correct their mistake.

David Flint is a former chairman of the Press Council and Australian Broadcasting Authority as well as convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.