Incidents Onboard HMAS Success Between March and May 2009 and Subsequent Events
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The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee Part II Incidents onboard HMAS Success between March and May 2009 and subsequent events September 2011 © Commonwealth of Australia 2011 ISBN 978-1-74229-521-3 Printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra. Members of the committee Core members Senator Alan Eggleston, LP, WA (Chair) from 7.7.2011 Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, ALP, NSW (Deputy Chair) from 7.7.2011 Senator Mark Bishop, ALP, WA (Deputy Chair until 7.7.2011) Senator David Fawcett, LP, SA – from 1.7.2011 Senator Helen Kroger, LP, VIC (Chair until 7.7.2011) Senator Scott Ludlam, AG, WA Senator the Hon Alan Ferguson, LP, SA – until 30.6.2011 Senator Michael Forshaw, ALP, NSW – until 30.6.2011 Senator Russell Trood, LP, QLD – until 30.6.2011 Participating members who contributed to the inquiry Senator the Hon David Johnston, LP, WA Secretariat Dr Kathleen Dermody, Committee Secretary Ms Jane Thomson, Principal Research Officer Mr Michael Klapdor, Senior Research Officer Ms Alpana Modi, Research Officer Ms Angela Lancsar, Administrative Officer Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Department of the Senate PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Australia Phone: + 61 2 6277 3535 Fax: + 61 2 6277 5818 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fadt_ctte/index.htm iii Table of contents Members of the committee ............................................................................................iii Acronyms and abbreviations ......................................................................................... ix Committee recommendations ........................................................................................ xi CHAPTER 1 INQUIRY INTO INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED ONBOARD HMAS SUCCESS ..... 1 Referral of inquiry and terms of reference ................................................................. 1 Conduct of inquiry ...................................................................................................... 1 Part One—HMAS Success Commission of Inquiry ................................................... 2 Unanticipated revelations ....................................................................................... 3 Part Two—HMAS Success Commission of Inquiry .................................................. 4 Limitations to the committee's inquiry ....................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 THE LANDING OF THE SENIOR SAILORS IN SINGAPORE ...................................... 7 Reports of unacceptable behaviour—a cultural issue ................................................ 7 Outside assistance ....................................................................................................... 8 Equity and diversity (E&D) team ............................................................................... 8 E&D Health Check Report ....................................................................................... 10 Decision to land sailors in Singapore ....................................................................... 13 Circumstances and manner of the landing ................................................................ 14 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 17 CHAPTER 3 INQUIRIES AND INVESTIGATIONS FOLLOWING LANDING OF SENIOR SAILORS ................................................................................................................................ 19 Quick assessment into alleged improper conduct .................................................... 19 Investigations and inquiries in Singapore ................................................................. 21 Formal E&D complaints ....................................................................................... 21 ADFIS investigations ........................................................................................... 23 Inquiry Officer Inquiry—the Wark inquiry .......................................................... 31 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 34 CHAPTER 4 THE SENIOR SAILORS IN SYDNEY ............................................................................... 35 Return to Garden Island, Sydney .............................................................................. 35 Sailors status unchanged, new CO Success .............................................................. 36 CDRE Middleton assumes responsibility for HMAS Success ............................. 38 Reports of a 'sex scandal' .......................................................................................... 38 Media release ........................................................................................................ 42 Journalist contacts the senior sailors .................................................................... 46 Media access to mobile phone numbers of senior sailors .................................... 46 Correcting the record ............................................................................................ 49 Upholding Navy's reputation ................................................................................ 53 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 54 CHAPTER 5 SEEKING ANSWERS........................................................................................................... 55 15 July—request for statement of reasons................................................................ 55 Refusal to disclose reasons ................................................................................... 55 Importance of providing reasons .......................................................................... 60 Freedom of Information ....................................................................................... 61 The Wark inquiry—progress .................................................................................... 62 Notification of potential adverse findings ............................................................ 62 Access to evidence................................................................................................ 63 15 July—joint complaint .......................................................................................... 64 The Routine Inquiry—Houston inquiry ............................................................... 66 Request to rescind order not to contact members of the ship's crew ........................ 67 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 69 CHAPTER 6 INQUIRY OFFICER INQUIRY AND ROUTINE INQUIRY .......................................... 71 Wark report findings—20 August 2009 ................................................................... 71 Statement of reasons—11 September 2009 .............................................................. 74 Inadequate explanation ......................................................................................... 76 Continued efforts to obtain evidential basis for potential adverse findings ............. 77 Rescinding the order preventing the senior sailors accessing Success ..................... 79 23 October 2009—Routine Inquiry (Houston report) .............................................. 80 26 November—Notices to show cause ..................................................................... 85 30 November—ROGs .............................................................................................. 85 Establishing the merit of the ROGs ...................................................................... 86 Continuing efforts to access evidence .................................................................. 87 Findings based on ROGs ...................................................................................... 88 Wark inquiry found to be flawed .......................................................................... 90 Revocation of notices to show cause .................................................................... 91 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 92 CHAPTER 7 WARK INQUIRY SET ASIDE ............................................................................................ 93 Administrative inquiries ........................................................................................... 93 Wark inquiry ............................................................................................................. 94 Terms of Reference .............................................................................................. 94 Conflicts of interest and the independence of the inquiry .................................... 96 The E&D report as a source document ................................................................. 96 An assistant to the Inquiry and perceived conflict of interest .............................. 98 CO's statement that a rotten core had been removed .......................................... 101 Procedural fairness ................................................................................................. 102 Right to know allegations or adverse comment ................................................. 103 vi Impartiality