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The Department of Defence has cast blame on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, following the unscheduled release of an important review document this week.
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Earlier this week, the 20-year review into the inspector-general of the Australian Defence Force was unexpectedly published on the website of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
The document was then downloaded and viewed by ministerial staff, media and members of the public, including senators David Shoebridge and Jacqui Lambie, before being removed from the website.
“On 18 September, the Department of Defence became aware that the report into the 20-year review into the inspector-general of the Australian Defence Force had been published on the website of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide,” the Department of Defence said.
“The report was provided to the royal commission under compulsory notice, as part of its three-year inquiry into Defence and veterans suicide. Royal commissions are independent of government and determine how they conduct their inquiries, including what information and documents they will seek, and how that information will be used.
“The Department of Defence did not request the royal commission to take down the report from its website, nor did any portfolio minister or their staff convey such a request to the department. Defence understands that the decision to remove the report from the royal commission’s website was made by the royal commission.”
The deletion was later confirmed in a statement published by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
“The review of the inspector-general of the Australian Defence Force by Justice Duncan Kerr was provided to the royal commission under compulsory notice, as part of its three-year inquiry into the cultural and systemic issues contributing to high rates of suicide and suicidality in Australia’s Defence and veteran population.
“The Commonwealth government’s lawyers were given notice that the commission intended to tender the document as evidence. At the request of the Commonwealth government’s lawyers, the royal commission made certain redactions to the IGADF Review report. It was tendered as evidence to the inquiry in May 2024.
“The Commonwealth government’s lawyers made no confidentiality claims over the redacted version of that document which was relied upon as evidence and referenced in the royal commission’s final report. The Commonwealth government’s lawyers did request the solicitors assisting the royal commission to carefully consider use of the report, including any publication, pending the government’s review.
“Over the life of the royal commission, its practice has been not to publicly release reports to government commissioned by government, unless they have been tabled by government and made public, including the commission’s own interim report, lived experience report (Shining a Light) and its final report, all reports to government.
“The royal commission inadvertently included the redacted version of the IGADF Review report in a large bundle of exhibits it prepared for publication on the royal commission’s website prior to delivery of its final report. When this mistake was discovered, the official secretary to the royal commission took the decision to remove the report from its website in order to fulfil the commission’s process on not publicising reports to government that had not been publicly released.”
