An ‘Operational Decision’ or a Media Stunt?

During Estimates in May, I questioned the AFP on their treatment of Ben Roberts-Smith. While we welcome the investigation into media leaks, the AFP still refuses to explain the so-called ‘operational decision’ to arrest him on a Sydney tarmac in front of his two daughters, rather than in Brisbane. After more than a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars spent investigating alleged war crimes, the AFP has not secured a single conviction. It’s hard to reconcile that extraordinary expenditure with an outcome that has delivered nothing but reputational damage and prolonged uncertainty for one of the nation’s most decorated soldiers. The handling of this case raises serious questions about priorities, accountability, and whether such extraordinary resources have been justified by results. This government needs to ask itself why it sends Australians to war if it then spends hundreds of millions tearing them down when they come home. Transcript: https://www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/an-operational-decision-or-a-media-stunt/