Today’s Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting examining the performance of the NACC made it abundantly clear that Commissioner Paul Brereton just doesn’t get it. What’s the scam?
The scam is how Brereton refuses to accept his conflicts of interest are real, while the NACC Inspector, Gail Furness, made the obvious point: if there is a perception of a conflict, “Just don’t get involved.”
Furness’s sentiment was echoed by the NACC deputy commissioners also present, and (albeit reluctantly) the timid NACC CEO, Philip Reed. They all agreed Brereton’s long involvement and continued consultancy work for the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) is problematic, and that he should have recused himself from matters involving the military.
He has reluctantly done so, but Brereton seems to think it unnecessary, and besides, he had told “everyone”. The very calm and correct Furness had earlier stated, “I don’t know who he told.” In a testy exchange with Senator David Shoebridge, Brererton tried to turn the perception on its head by asking, “Who benefits from me not being involved?” When further pressed on this by Shoebridge, Brereton postulated, “the only people who will benefit (from me not being involved),
are those that don’t want my recommendations to be implemented,
presumably referring to what is known as the “Brereton Report” into war crimes in Afghanistan.
Not normally lost for words, even Shoebridge let that self-inflicted wound go un(a)dressed.
“Enough is enough”. Why Brereton *has* to resign from the NACC
Kim Wingerei is a businessman turned writer and commentator. He is passionate about free speech, human rights, democracy and the politics of change. Originally from Norway, Kim has lived in Australia for 30 years. Author of ‘Why Democracy is Broken – A Blueprint for Change’.