Newsletter of Whistleblowers Australia PO Box U129, Wollongong NSW 2500
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“All that is needed for evil to prosper is for people of good will to do nothing”—Edmund Burke The Whistle NO. 40, DECEMBER 2004 Newsletter of Whistleblowers Australia PO Box U129, Wollongong NSW 2500 Bill Toomer, WBA founder member (see back page) Media watch Secret award for other RAAF bases, without being injury … I would like to take this given personal protection or specific opportunity to formally express my whistleblower duties. appreciation of you.” Cameron Stewart He was eventually forced to hide Moore declined to discuss his case Weekend Australian, in safe houses up and down Australia’s with The Weekend Australian, citing a 20-21 November 2004, pp. 1-2 east coast. confidentiality agreement with the Astonishingly, the RAAF then RAAF, but defence sources say he was For Australia’s newest and most demoted him, citing that his previous visibly moved when the citation was unlikely military hero, it was an promotion was an “administrative read out by acting air force chief Air extraordinary ceremony that unfolded error.” It then tried unsuccessfully to Commodore Ken Birrer at the airport in the Qantas club lounge of Brisbane discharge him. ceremony. airport on Monday. Eventually, in January this year, As part of the deal with the RAAF, Nathan Moore, an airfield defence Moore had a nervous breakdown and Moore was discharged from the force guard with the RAAF, was to be given tried to take his own life. on Monday and will be given medical a citation for his courage in blowing For the past two years, the federal compensation. His demotion was also the whistle on drug use in the defence Government has denied it mistreated reversed. force two years ago. Moore, with former veterans affairs After two years of living a night- Moore’s actions — which led to minister Danna Vale concluding that mare for doing something he believed him being bashed and his life threat- the RAAF had “acted appropriately was right, Moore now leaves the ened — had exposed the dark under- under the circumstances.” military as a hero. belly of drug use in the military, In July this year The Weekend But his story is not one the top sparking raids at defence bases across Australian revealed Moore’s full story brass will be re-telling in the history the nation and leading to tough new and the fact that the nation’s military books or on the evening news. drug laws. watchdog, ADF Inspector-General In the pantheon of the Anzacs, it But when the 24-year-old from Geoff Earley, had launched an investi- seems not all of our military heroes are Queensland’s Sunshine Coast turned gation into whether the RAAF gravely equal. up to receive his citation, there was not mistreated Moore. a television camera or journalist in Mr Earley said yesterday that he sight. had not yet completed his report into The Australian Defence Force, Moore’s case because it had proved to Shameful assault on which loves nothing better than to be “more complicated” than expected. freedom of speech parade its heroes in front of the nation, However the RAAF last month Des Houghton did not want any publicity for this came to its own conclusion, accepting Courier-Mail, 28 August 2004 ceremony. What’s more, it had it had mishandled aspects of his case. instructed Moore not to talk about it. Moore had been treated as a The Beattie Government has come up Moore was the military hero the headache rather than a hero by the with a successful way to silence its defence force did not want Australia to RAAF. For taking the high moral critics — it simply bans them from know about. ground on drug abuse, he had been talking to reporters. In a cynical move, And why? Because defence vilified by colleagues who saw the charities and social welfare groups wanted to avoid any damaging pub- drug issue as less important than have been threatened with funding cuts licity about the explosive case and breaking the bond that says you don’t if they dare to speak out on problems about its treatment of the young squeal on your mates. in health, education, housing and freckle-faced soldier who first exposed So, two weeks ago, on November family services. drug use at Queensland’s Amberley 6, Air Force Chief Angus Houston This is repression, of course, and RAAF base in 2002. decided to deliver some belated justice another example of the erosion of free Moore’s decision to tell his to Moore by penning a letter of speech in Queensland. superior officers about drug-taking on appreciation. It came to my notice just a week the base — including using ecstasy and “I wish to acknowledge that you after Premier Peter Beattie patted marijuana during live-fire exercises — took a courageous step in reporting … himself on the back in Parliament, and very nearly destroyed his life. the abuse of illicit drugs during your said his Government was open and Instead of being praised by the service,” Houston wrote. accountable. RAAF for reporting drug use, Moore “In taking this step you exhibited The full extent of the censorship was sent back to his unit — where he the values I expect from all members was exposed last week at a Brisbane was bashed and threatened by his of the air force … you clearly set an conference hosted by the Queensland colleagues for breaking the military’s example for all to follow. Council of Social Services. code of silence. “I regret that your actions resulted I gate-crashed the gathering at Recovering from a broken jaw and in considerable stress and personal North Quay, and heard a number of trauma, he was then transferred to PAGE 2 THE WHISTLE, #40, DECEMBER 2004 speakers complain the Government He said the Beattie bans silenced Departments, issued a call to current was attempting to stifle debate on those with the most expertise on the government officials to disclose classi- issues as widespread as juvenile crime, problems. fied information that is being wrongly homelessness and drug abuse. “While the bans remain there are withheld, about plans for and estimated Not long after the conference few to speak on behalf of the mentally costs of the war in Iraq, and other began, Shirley Watters, executive ill, the intellectually disabled, prison- documents that contradict government director of QCOSS, politely warned ers, children at risk, the homeless and lies. speakers that I was in the room taking those with drug and alcohol problems.” The “call,” in the form of an open notes. She specifically urged her Another social worker said memo to current government employ- colleagues to be wary of criticising the Housing Minister Rob Schwarten had ees, says “It is time for unauthorized Government while The Courier-Mail quite openly stated at a conference truth-telling.” Drawing the clear was listening. recently that he would not tolerate parallel to Vietnam, the group urges How shameful was that? I have no criticism of the Government. that ongoing silence about government criticism of Watters here. She was Schwarten had been “explicit and deceptions and cover-ups and reluc- trying to shield her colleagues. What muscling,” she said. tance to publicize information about was disturbing was the broad accept- Education Minister Anna Bligh’s the war’s costs and projected casualties ance that anyone who spoke their mind office also had warned community carries with it a significant price in risked government censure. groups not to highlight school drug human life and national security. What has Queensland come to abuse problems, they said. The group released a list of existing when a group of professionals cannot When quizzed from the floor of the documents wrongly withheld within meet to discuss their problems openly conference, visiting speaker Linda the government as examples of the without the fear of government perse- Hancock, associate professor at Deakin kind that the public has a right to see cution? University, said it was “appalling” that (see below). These include background Later, Watters admitted that state agreements were “trying to stifle on Army Staff estimates before the war community groups were experiencing advocacy.” that the Iraq effort would require heavy censorship in the form of She said the Howard Government several hundred thousand troops. “service agreements” which they must and the Victorian State Government Similarly, current estimates of poten- sign before they could get funding. had similar bans in place. tial casualty rates as the insurgency in She said the agreements specifi- “There is a real silencing by the Iraq continues to grow as well as the cally prohibited groups from speaking Government; a flight from controversy likely cost of waging war over the next to the media. to make it all look good.” few years almost surely exist, and She spoke cautiously, saying: “We A leading Brisbane social worker should be disclosed now. have to walk a fine line.” said: “Fragile organisations reliant on To current government officials, She declined to elaborate. government funding are frightened to Ellsberg says: “If you have documen- One delegate said groups had been criticise.” tary evidence that our country has been punished already for speaking out. Queensland Alcohol and Drug lied into an unnecessary, wrongful, Funds had dried up and three-year Foundation CEO Bob Aldred told the endless war — as I had during contracts had been slashed. conference he was concerned that the Vietnam — I urge you to consider “Community agencies need to be service agreements were prohibiting doing right now what I wish I had able to speak out and point out defi- vital public discussions.