THE government has demanded Bill Shorten discipline frontbencher Stephen Conroy for breaking with convention in a “cowardly”, “unprovoked” and “outrageous” attack on a senior serving army officer.
Coalition senator Ian Macdonald shut down a Senate estimates hearing after Senator Conroy, Labor’s defence spokesman, launched an extraordinary attack on the head of the government’s border protection operation, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, accusing him of being involved in a political cover-up.
Senator Conroy likened General Campbell to the fictitious Colonel Nathan Jessup from the movie A Few Good Men for his approach to restricting the flow of information on the interception of asylum-seeker boats.
“That is called a political cover-up, a political cover-up, you are engaged in a political cover-up,” Senator Conroy yelled from the bench.
The most bitter exchange began after General Campbell said it was necessary to keep details of Operation Sovereign Borders secret to avoid damaging Australia’s relations with its neighbours and to prevent people-smugglers from gaining an advantage.
Senator Conroy retorted: “Can’t we handle the truth?”
General Campbell responded: “It kind of sounds like a movie, senator.”
Senator Conroy: “It is a movie, and we are living it, Colonel Jessup. I mean seriously, you can’t tell us the truth, you can’t tell the Australian public the truth because you might upset an international neighbour. That is called a political cover-up.”
General Campbell remained calm during the incident but said he wanted to put on the public record that he took “extreme offence at that statement”.
Senator Macdonald, who was chairing the hearing, brought proceedings to a halt for 10 minutes after Senator Conroy failed to apologise for the remarks. When proceedings resumed, Senator Conroy said he withdrew the comment but did not apologise.
At a press conference after the hearing, Defence Minister David Johnston demanded Mr Shorten discipline Senator Conroy for what he said was an attack on an officer of the utmost integrity who had conducted a difficult task with professionalism and a great deal of integrity.
“Lieutenant General Campbell was subject to an unprovoked and most outrageous personal attack by the shadow minister for defence,” Senator Johnston said.
“Senator Conroy, accused a serving three-star general staff officer of the Australian Army of a political cover-up. Comparing him to a fictitious Hollywood fantasy character is simply beneath contempt.”
Senator Johnston said such an accusation was unacceptable to the government and it should be unacceptable to the parliament.
“The real question now is does Bill Shorten endorse his defence spokesman’s unprecedented attack on one of Australia’s most senior and respected military leaders?” the minister said. “And if he does not endorse these comments, what does the Opposition Leader intend to do about it?”
Senator Johnston said Senate estimates hearings were not the place for gratuitous insults.
Senator Conroy told The Australian last night the government should itself apologise for once again placing the military in a highly partisan political position and refusing to tell the Australian people the truth about Operation Sovereign Borders.
“The government is engaged in a political cover-up when it comes to Operation Sovereign Borders,” Senator Conroy said.
Mr Shorten’s spokesman said Senator Conroy had withdrawn the comment made during the committee hearing.
General Campbell has been seen as a likely commander of the army and possible of the ADF.
He was selected for his current “three star” role because he had the broad experience of dealing with a range of diverse agencies involved in the complex border protection operation.
The tough experience gained by leading troops in East Timor and Afghanistan prepared him for his exacting role in charged of the Coalition’s Operation Sovereign Borders.
Long marked for senior rank, General Campbell served as a platoon commander in the army’s parachute battalion, then as a troop and squadron commander in the Special Air Service Regiment. In 2001 he played a role calming tensions in East Timor and encouraging a terrified population to return home from the mountains to which they had fled.
When he took on the border protection role he was promoted from major general to lieutenant general.
In 2005, General Campbell joined the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to head the Office of National Security. He was later promoted to deputy secretary and became deputy national security adviser, co-ordinating a whole-of-government national security policy.
General Campbell was later brought back into the army and sent to command Australian troops in the Middle East.
In question time, Tony Abbott was forced to defend Immigration Minister Scott Morrison over the death of detainee Reza Berati inside the Manus Island detention centre.
“I am very happy to state my full confidence in the minister. What we need in this particular job is a minister who is strong and decent,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Abbott noted that Australia had gone 70 days without a successful people-smuggling operation.
His comments came after the opposition continued to press Mr Morrison on when he was told Mr Berati, a 23-year-old Iranian man, had died inside the detention facility rather than outside it - as Mr Morrison had announced earlier. Mr Morrison said he had received the fresh information on Saturday, the day he corrected the mistake.
166 COMMENTS
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They keep saying that the mi9litary have been brought into a political fight. I guess this is true. The Coalition are using the military to assist with border protection (part of their job). The military do not broadcast what they do during operations (and why would anyone expect them to do so). The ALP and Greens (with the able assistance of the ABC) have politicised this because they desperately want Coalition policies to fail.
How interesting that the hysterical Conroy can't abide a cover up. Conroy & Labor misled consumers when promising high speed satellite services to around 250,000 customers , when it knew it had only bought enough capacity for 48,000. That service was already exceeded at Christmas . Promised internet services are either crashing or completely useless while the customers are still paying their fees. Conroy, in his magnificent , vast experience & competence in the area of telecommunications, changed the eligibility criteria of subscribers & stepped in allowing heavy users, with no rules or download caps to crash the system. Conroy boasted long & loud about the usual Labor ' world's best ..... Blah, blah, blah'.
If you promised service to 250,000 subscribers when you knew you only had capacity for 48,000, wasn't that misleading them - even a 'cover up' Conroy ? What was the matter, didn't you think we could ' handle the truth' ? Can Bill Shorten please explain the decision-making process behind gifting a Senate seat to one of the previous govt 's worst Ministers . Are you not in the slightest embarrassed by this man or are you so inured to this revolting man's behaviour , having slugged your way up through the Union movement ?
@Charmaine Hear hear. I am one of the "lucky" 48,000 who have a satellite service that is sometimes so slow I getter better speeds by using my smartphone outside with 1 bar of reception. The public may well be interested to know hideously expensive each of those satellite connections were to install due to the inefficient central management and ludicrous working requirements for the installers.
What an enlightening contrast in styles between the calm, measured responses of the professional soldier and the irrational and hysterical outpourings of the megalomanical Senator. Given his prior history this obviously unbalanced individual is not fit to represent Australia in any capacity whatsoever
Conroy's problem is that he clearly believes that politics is more important than government. For a former and now would be minister, that is scandalous.
When I compare the CV of General Campbell to that of Conroy, I know who I would rather have defending Australia, and protecting our borders.
Well, what else would you expect from Stephen Conroy? He was one of the many children in the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd kindergarten government.
I think we are seeing signs of frustration within Labor because Abbott is stopping many, many boats like he said he would do (and something Labor insisted was impossible).
It's one thing for the Greens to act like immature fools all the time but we expect better of the ALP, the main party of opposition. Bill Shorten should discipline Conroy, but in all likelihood, Bill would probably just say that he has no idea what Conroy said but he supports it anyway.
I fully support the General's decisions to remain silent in order to maintain friendly relations with our neighbours. That such a decent and honorable man has been besmirched in this manner by the Labor Defence Spokesman is deeply offensive. Conroy should apologise to the General for likening him to Colonel Jessup at the least.
Much is said about Tony Abbott & The Coalition adjusting to Governemnt from Opposition. Very Very Little is said of Labor, especially Shorten - who never experienced Opposition prior to Government as He was Elected in Nov 2007. Labor are clearly at present incapable of accepting Opposition.Conroy's conduct was a Disgrace & Shorten does not know how nor capable with dealing at all with Country's well being, post Sept 2013 Election.
Bill Shorten, if you want to make any display of integrity on behalf of the Labor party, sack Conroy as Opposition Defence spokesman.
Senator Conroy is a disgrace!! He served in one of the worste governments that this country has ever seen and is embarassed by its lack of success with its own regugee policy and the success of the current governments policy. He has demonstrated that he is keen to saboutage the current governments policy. He is totally unsuitable to represent our Defence Force even as opposition spokesman on Defence.
We need to show some compassion. Perhaps Sen. Conroy's angry emotional, outbursts are a result of an underlying condition that requires medical assessment.
Labor wants the boats back, Labor wants the Government to fail. Labor is lividly jealous of the success of the Government's Department of Immigration under the brilliant leadership of Scott Morrison. That's their aim and they have no means of complaint so they criticise and abuse a highly respected, high ranking member of our Military, a man who it is plain to see is thoroughly honourable and decent, who remained calm and professional amidst a vile onslaught from Labor rabble. I am pleased that knowledge about Operation Sovereign Borders is being kept from the people smugglers. What we do know is that the boats are not arriving here to require us to support people who are not genuine refugees.
How can we compare the extensive and honourable experience of our senior defence personnel, with the skid marks Conroy and his cronies have left all over the reputation of this country? Are there really still people out there who support this gutter snipe?
Conroy is a man elected by no-one supposedly speaking on the public's best interests....give me a break
If anyone has noticed the lead article in todays Australian they would know that Sen.Conroy presided over this NBN money chewing machine & therefore it is of little surprise to see this bloke acting like he did ,but then again the vast majority of ALP/ Green members are painted with the same RED paint.
Stephen Conroy is Shadow defence minister: so what chance, if by some unfortunate circumstance Labor got back into power, that he could work harmoniously with the Defence department? The only reason one could come up for his bizarre attack on Houston is that Conroy (like the rest of us including Labor MPs) have come to the conclusion that he will be retired before Labor gets another chance...
One only needs only to look at the failures of Conroy that resulted in the NBN's cost over runs and a failure to meet installation to understand the incompetence and dysfunction surrounding this man. In another Australian article we learn of one connection at a cost of $7Billion - indicative of incompetence is it not.
@Jim-Cherna He might not work “harmoniously” with the Defence Department, Jim-Cherna, but Conroy would certainly work “harmoniously” with Barak Obama.
The US Secretary of Defence has today announced plans to “gut” the US Defence Forces as well as the returned Veterans and their families. – The Barbarians aren’t “at the gates” they’re in charge of the gates.
The US Secretary of Defence has today announced plans to “gut” the US Defence Forces as well as the returned Veterans and their families. – The Barbarians aren’t “at the gates” they’re in charge of the gates.
@Jim-Cherna If Stephen Conroy were defence minister, he would plan the invasion of a friendly neighbour on the back of a beer coaster
What is it about fictional movies, Labour and Green Senators and senate committees?It reflects their state of mind and the ‘other’ universe that they exist in.
Conroy’s behaviour is disgraceful and it’s not the first time he has insulted parliament and the Australian people. He is not fit to be in the parliament let alone hold a senior position within the opposition.His presence within their ranks simply demonstrates paucity of talent within the party.In retrospect even the much vaunted ‘Kevin the messiah’ turned out to be an embarrassing flop for them and he was one of the few not tied to the union movement.
Conroy's insulting outburst against General Campbell is typical of his demeanour. Labor is clearly trying to hide its incompetence in failing to "stop the boats" (if it ever wanted to) by trying to shift blame to the Coalition and so hopefully confuse the electorate. This man is incompetent, just look at the NBN. Shorten won't say anything to him because these are plainly tactics being employed by Labor. Labor's mismanagement, spin, deceit and lies continue. What was Conroy doing on a Senate estimates hearing anyway, Labor isn't the government anymore? ( thank goodness). On the integrity and credibility stakes I would trust Gen. Cambell over Conroy any day.
This seems to be the pattern with the opposition , when they can't get what they want, they'll resort to screeching obscenities , it is well known once you raise your voice you lose the argument.
Geoffrey/Rob,
Lets open up all military operations to the press just for the sake of free speech or maybe broadcast everything the Aussie military are about to do on 2GB before they actually do it. Who's side are you guys on? the people smugglers obviously!
You two should go and join Sarah Hanson Young and watch more documentaries of "Sea Patrol".
This guy is a union stooge with zero integrity. But hey, that describes many of the sitting ALP members.
Problem started with Morrison and he should have been the one answering the questions. It is ridiculous to continue to let this Minister hide behind the our military, and if he continues to do this, get rid of him, and give the general his wages. I cant believe that this disgraceful buck passing is acceptable to most here. Our military should never be used in this way by gutless want-to-be-seen-as-tough useless politicians.
@Rob 70 days without a successful arrival says it all really - so many people who didn't drown in rough seas after paying their life savings to swindlers, and Indonesia now witnessing their own inflows going into reverse. The military is hardly hiding, there are very good reasons for confidentiality, like our Signals Directorate practices. And Conroy is so hypocritical, he never gave us any information on the useless NBN, no cost benefit analysis etc, and look how that's turning out, a complete lemon. In any other organisation, Conroy would have been fired a long time ago.
The military follow instructions from the government of the day they cant go and do as they please. the general should report to morrison and morrison should report to us the Australian people. I am sick to death of this buck passing and the general being trotted out instead of the paid relevant Minister and as for the nbn I know many people that want real version... yesterday..
@Rob If people want the real version...yesterday, let them pay for it themselves. Why should the taxpayer be forced to stump up the cash to keep some computer nerd happy?
@Rob Rob, I think you will find that at a senate estimates hearing, the committee that runs it (consisting of eight senators) call the people they want, So there was nothing Morrison could have done to stop conroy trotting out the lieutenant General to answer questions. Maybe the rage would be better directed at conroy then, do you think? :o)
@Rob I tend to agree but it may be that he has too much on his plate at the moment to attend these idiot sessions by these union hacks. In such an event he should just tell them to keep talking amongst themselves but not subject our defence people to this stupidity any longer
Morrison is 'useless' you say. Quite the contrary. He's achieving exactly what he has been assigned to do. Which is no simple feat, given the absolute mess his portfolio was left in by his Labor predecessors.
@Rob our navy was used for 6 years by the last government as a taxi service and worse still - to retrieve dead bodies from the sea. I am pretty sure they prefer being used as the defence force that they are proud to be.
That's Conroy's problem, no professionalism nor integrity. Wait, that describes almost all of the Labor MP's!
@Paul I agree, Paul. one further point on professionalism (or the obvious complete lack thereof on Conroy’s part: do we really need to see him in his jumper? Doesn’t he own a suit? Unfortunately, the news clip is not long enough to work out whether it has leather elbow patches. And one can only speculate on the colour of his underpants. At least he wasn’t wearing them on his head!
Bill Shorten is not about to discipline Conroy; the guy cant even discipline himself and is already looking very shaky as (so called) Opposition leader
Michele, Peter, Andrew, Ilias, Tom.
Thank you for your guidance. Perhaps I should stick with the ABC, once they learn to apologize properly for their errors
@Geoffrey They may write a retraction but I don't think Scott said they are actually going to apologise. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath waiting, that's for sure! lol :o)
@GeoffreyUnfortunately, with regard to the ABC, the "errors" we speak of often appear to be considered attempts to either malign a particular side of politics, or present an angle with the objective of influencing or persuading their audience. Even moderately intelligent people can recognise propaganda when they see it and the result is a progressive erosion of trust. As someone has already said on this blog, it's difficult to believe even the ABC's weather reports, for fear they will be a plug for the IPPC view on climate change or whatever.
@William @Geoffrey I'd always, wrongly, assumed that the ABC represented 'the Intelligent'. Where is that intelligence when they consistently support the incompetence shown by Labor and the Greens? Surely there was enough of it to tilt the scales with a resounding thud to the downside, where you would no longer touch them with even a barge pole?
I am deeply concerned that Senator Conroy as Shadow Minister of Defence has no clues that the boatpeople issue, in the LONG RUN, represents one of the greatest threats to the survival of Australia as a nation. WHY?
There is a looming critical food crisis which will severely affect 2,000,000,000 in Asia before 2050. Each two months the increase in global population is 24,000,000. Global warming, hobby horse of Greens and ALP, will create massive crop failures. In 2012 USA has its third hottest summer affecting production of corn. Lucky this corn is used mainly for biofuel, enough to feed 300,000,000 and not food for human consumption. The Arab Spring was triggered by wheat failures in Russia.
Australia must destroy the popular belief in Asia, created by the Greens and Left ALP, that Australia welcomes boatpeople. If not when Asia descends into chaos before 2050, Australia will be conquered by a tsunami of millions of boatpeople.
Australia is a small country people wise and we cannot stop the looming global food crisis.
Picture ourselves to be on a lifeboat when Titanic sank. As person in charge of the lifeboat do we pick up more drowning people and risk killing all on board? Or do we focus on saving our lifeboat. Australia quo vadis?
@Dr B S Goh BOAT PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED LIV'S LOW INFORMATION VOTERS.
THEY CAN BE INDOCTRINATED TO VOTE FOR THE GREENS AND THE LABOR PARTY.
IN SHORTEN'S ELECTORATE THIS HAPPENS.
Apart from his disgusting behaviour in insulting a senior Army officer, who is unable to retaliate, Senator Conroy does nothing to enhance the standing of Labor politicians by failing to dress properly for a Senate estimates hearing. In your photo he looks as if he has just dragged himself out of bed in a hurry and did not have time to shave, comb his hair or dress before logging in to Parliament to collect his attendance money. He should apologise to the Parliament as well as Lieutenant General Campbell and consider whether he should resign from Parliament and chose a more suitable career.
@John No respect. Not for the institution or the traditions it represents. Not for a senior serving officer doing his duty, nor for the Australian people who pay his wages. And judging from the way he presents and disports himself, very little respect for for himself, in my opinion.
mY HUSBAND WOKE ME DURING THE NIGHT TO COMMENT ON Conroy's DRESS AND THE SHAMBLES HE LOOKED, HIS COMMENT IS ALMOST WORD FOR WORD AS YOU HAVE WRITTEN. lABOR HAS NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE INCLUDING THEMSELVES.
Why is Conroy still around, this guy is a walking "foot in mouth' syndrome! He failed miserably as the minister of communications with the dogs breakfast he made of the NBN, then his ill-fated attempt at censorship and now aiming attacks at Defence Personnel that are carrying out the policy of the government of the day. Another Labour stooge that needs to be ejected.
@Desmond He's a Senator, gifted a seat as part of a bulk allocation under the ludicrous Senate preferential voting system. No-one ever voted for him personally, nor as a Senator is he responsible to an electorate. He is a proven incompetent and looks the part, but let us not forget that he is also one of Labor's best. Says it all really.
This follows the direct yelling by Senator Kim Carr at Minister Scott Morrison at a recent Senate Estimates Meeting. Morrison and General Campbell have performed their respective duties with distinction. Morrison commendably listened to the electorate in September putting into practice the strongly endorsed policies of border protection while General Campbell as is his duty under our Constitution has properly and effectively implemented government instructions. Government policy has stopped the unsustainable flow of unauthorised boats to our shores, an invasion by any standard irresponsibly kick started by the previous government's rank incompetence of which Stephen Conroy and Kim Carr were members. Their gross incompetence and rudeness continues in Opposition. Conroy's behaviour yesterday was nothing short of reprehensible and he still disgracefully remains Shadow Minister for Defence courtesy of Bill Shorten. He should go and so should Shorten. Campbell should receive a medal not be abused by an Opposition spokesman who is clearly long past his "use by" date.
Conroy offers himself as the perfect illustration of the reasons why operational security is required. Those opposed to the success of the policy , those overseeing the deaths of a thousand or more at sea , are most appropriately left outside the loop .....
In any case, as my father used to say, " you are wrong if you are rude."
Bill Shorten needs Conroy's support so nothing will happen from that end.
Shorten has shown very little courage for leadership thus far.
Conroy: no class, no breeding. A typical unionist and Labor apparatchik who is beneath contempt. Sadly there are plenty more waiting in the sewers whence he came.
If the ALP leadership had any principles, which is doubtful, Stephen Conroy would be sacked from his position. This lack of manners in the Military sense is unforgivable. Conroy must go either from the whingeing Bill Shorten actually making a decision, or Conroy will "fall on his own sword" and disappear from public life.
Conroy withdrew the comment but refused to apologise. So what is he trying to say? He admits the comment was wrong but insists on being offensive?
Senator Conroy is reputed with the "red underpant" to cover up those bold enough to stand up to him on the NBN issue. That piece of garment should be used to temper his words. No one, let alone someone who is in Parliament as a Senator, should hurl insults at others at will. Stephen Conroy is such a piece of work. Labor leaders, from Rudd, to Gillard, to Shorten, have been unable to control the unruly words of this particular Senator; one deeply doubts the ability of the current Labor Leader in keeping Stephen Conroy within the limits of common courtesy and acceptable behavior in parliament and parliamentary committees.
@Lincoln I think being so deeply imbedded in good old union lore sort of gives conroy an invisible protection shield where all means of retribution just bounce off, never leaving a mark. He is uncontrollable because he is untouchable and all expectations of common courtesy and acceptable behaviour, anywhere, do not apply. So, Labor, keep on digging, that hole is getting so deep that soon you will be talking chinese! lol :o)
@Lincoln Yet Labor still appointed him unelected to a sinecure in the senate, knowing full well what a guttersnipe he is.
You can understand Conroy being tetchy when headlines show Labor’s back-of-an-envelope NBN fantasy has so far cost taxpayers $7 billion with so little to show for it.
If it was me, I’d want to pull red underpants right down over my head and hide in a corner – not malign decent people like a typical Labor thug.
If it was me, I’d want to pull red underpants right down over my head and hide in a corner – not malign decent people like a typical Labor thug.
Im hearing screams of injustice from Labor regarding the release of Cabinet documents regarding the Pink Batts Scheme. Death and waste of money and Labor seeks to cover it up. Oh and Mr Conroy, may we need not remind you of the NBN debacle you presided over!!! To coin a phrase from another Tom Cruise movie 'Show me the money'. Sums up the last seven years of the former Labor Government.
Conroy shouldn't be in Parliament, can't believe that anyone could vote for him. Another Labour ex unionist not fit for the job. Shorten's ex union team should all resign.
@Roger I suspect the Royal Commission into trade unions will reveal a lot more than we currently know. With Craig Thomson already found guilty, why else would Labor be trying to squash the RC.
I respect the role of the senate committees and they play an important role. If I was a Labor or Green politician, I would have a good look at whether it is worth my career as many just seem to make sallies of themselves. Either that or they do some research. You can see through their line of questioning that they have nothing to really ask. They are pedantic on points of irrelevance and the long pauses between questions is not deep though but thinking ' oh c$&p!', I do not know what to ask next.' They should stop looking for the gotcha moment.
My apologies- I meant Wallies instead of sallies. I know several Sallys and they are smart intelligent women of good grace. I would not wish to have them compared to the likes of Conroy and SHY.
Conroy's a great one to make accusations about anyone being muzzled.
Isn’t he the guy who tried to muzzle the free press and “censor” the Internet?
Isn’t he the guy who tried to muzzle the free press and “censor” the Internet?
