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senate vote 2016-11-29#5
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2019-06-06 13:42:30
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Title
Motions — Australian of the Year- Motions - Australian of the Year - Remove General Morrison
Description
<p class="speaker">Jacqui Lambie</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That the Senate—</p>- The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2016-11-29.140.2) introduced by Tasmanian Senator [Jacqui Lambie](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/tasmania/jacqui_lambie) (Independent), which means it failed.
- ### Motion text
- > *That the Senate—*
- >
- > *(a) notes that:*
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- >> *(i) Retired General David Morrison, AO, was appointed Australian of the Year for 2016,*
- >>
- >> *(ii) Australian of the Year has traditionally demonstrated: excellence in their field, a significant contribution to the Australian community and nation, and been and inspirational role model for the Australian community,*
- >>
- >> *(iii) a recently uncovered New South Wales Police Force investigation into the "Jedi Council", the Strike Force Civet report, which investigated sex assaults and other related crimes involving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) during General Morrison's command of the Army, indicated a sophisticated, high-level, military cover-up, including deliberate lies, withholding of evidence, fabrication of information, and supported the conduct of criminal and serious internal offences,*
- >>
- >> *(iv) sworn testimony from a subordinate of General Morrison, retired Lieutenant Colonel Karel Dubsky, indicates that General Morrison and others deliberately ignored the facts as stated in the Strike Force Civet report, and allowed Lieutenant Colonel Dubsky and others to be wrongly accused of being members of a group of sex offenders, and/or demeaners of women, and*
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- >> *(v) General Morrison's behaviour caused exceptional and undue harm to retired Lieutenant Colonel Dubsky, his family, and other innocent members of the ADF, and demonstrated behaviour that was the opposite required of the Australian of the Year; and*
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- > *(b) calls on the Government to make a recommendation to remove General Morrison as Australian of the Year, and replace him with a person worthy of the title.*
<p class="italic">(a) notes that:</p><p class="italic">  (i) Retired General David Morrison, AO, was appointed Australian of the Year for 2016,</p><p class="italic">  (ii) Australian of the Year has traditionally demonstrated: excellence in their field, a significant contribution to the Australian community and nation, and been and inspirational role model for the Australian community,</p><p class="italic">  (iii) a recently uncovered New South Wales Police Force investigation into the "Jedi Council", the Strike Force Civet report, which investigated sex assaults and other related crimes involving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) during General Morrison's command of the Army, indicated a sophisticated, high-level, military cover-up, including deliberate lies, withholding of evidence, fabrication of information, and supported the conduct of criminal and serious internal offences,</p><p class="italic">  (iv) sworn testimony from a subordinate of General Morrison, retired Lieutenant Colonel Karel Dubsky, indicates that General Morrison and others deliberately ignored the facts as stated in the Strike Force Civet report, and allowed Lieutenant Colonel Dubsky and others to be wrongly accused of being members of a group of sex offenders, and/or demeaners of women, and</p><p class="italic">  (v) General Morrison's behaviour caused exceptional and undue harm to retired Lieutenant Colonel Dubsky, his family, and other innocent members of the ADF, and demonstrated behaviour that was the opposite required of the Australian of the Year; and</p><p class="italic">(b) calls on the Government to make a recommendation to remove General Morrison as Australian of the Year, and replace him with a person worthy of the title.</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Stephen Parry</p><p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>I thank Senator Lambie for raising the Australian of the Year Awards. The awards recognise outstanding Australians from across the community in a range of fields of endeavour. Nominations come from the community and finalists are selected by state and territory Australia Day Councils. The National Australia Day Council then independently selects the national winner, based on long-established criteria. Given the importance and prominence of their role, it is proper that every Australian of the Year is held to account for their actions and statements during their term. The government does not have the power to select, replace or remove any Australian of the Year. In any event, a new Australian of the Year for 2017 will be awarded in less than two months' time.</p> <p class="speaker">Jacqui Lambie</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Stephen Parry</p><p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">Jacqui Lambie</p><p>I urge all members to support my notice of motion, which calls on the government to make a recommendation to remove General David Morrison from Australian of the Year and replace him with a person worthy of the title.</p><p>The uncovering of a secret New South Wales police report—Strike Force Civet, which examined the Jedi Council's sex scandal—has raised serious questions about the competence, honesty and integrity of all senior Australian Defence officers involved in the management and investigation of this crisis, including retired General Morrison. General Morrison's management of the crisis has denied natural justice to many Australian Defence Force members and, in cases like retired Lieutenant Colonel Karel Dubsky's, maliciously ruined the career and life of an innocent man to protect the reputation of the Australian Defence Force. The appointment of General Morrison was a slap in the face for Australians who believe in justice for the innocent, and it should be reversed.</p> <p class="speaker">Stephen Parry</p><p>The question is that the motion moved by Senator Lambie be agreed to.</p>
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