THE HON ANGUS TAYLOR MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HUME
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SENATOR FOR VICTORIA
THE HON MICHAEL McCORMACK MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR RIVERINA
MR PHILIP THOMPSON MP OAM
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HERBERT
STATEMENT
As there are criminal charges before the courts, a legal process must be allowed to take its course, and we must respect that.
Every Australian is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.
But today, the Coalition wants to acknowledge the extraordinary role of our special forces.
The developments we’re seeing should not detract from the respect and gratitude we hold for the men and women who serve this nation in some of the most difficult and dangerous circumstances imaginable.
We cannot allow this generation of veterans to be treated like many who returned from Vietnam, left to carry stigma for decades. Today's charges do not diminish in any way the service of the vast majority of our men and women in uniform.
We are incredibly proud of our serving ADF personnel and our veterans. They deserve our respect, our support, and our unwavering commitment to stand by them.