Brereton might have resigned this week from the National Anti-Corruption Commission but he had no other choice after Labor threw him under a bus. His $300m role in the Brereton Inquiry trying to uncover or invent as a last resort alleged murders of civilians in Afghanistan 15 years ago by Australian war hero Ben Roberts Smith VC MG has been one of the greatest military scandals since the execution of Breaker Morant in the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902, shot by a British firing squad.
Brereton was forced out of his role of Commissioner of the NACC this week three years before his contract was up. His crime? Not informing the Labor Minister for Defence he was still advising the military inquiry while in his new role of running the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Chris Smith 2GB describes how the government changed the rules of engagement and what effect it will have on future trials.
This disgraceful former NSW Supreme Court judge had his well greased snout in the Canberra trough and has irreparably besmirched the Australian military (and the US military by default) alleging murder of Afghan civilians when there was no military uniform for the Taliban and just about every villager was an enemy informant. War is war.
Brereton’s military inquiry has been paying Afghanis to testify against the SASR members who served in a violent, foreign country where there are no rules.
The Afghani informants have told undercover military agents they would say whatever the ADF asks of them and would tell lies if necessary. The only other informants are former SASR members who have been given indemnities to say what they like about Roberts Smith.
There is no possible chance of Ben Roberts Smith or Oliver Schmidt getting a fair trial in the cleverly chosen civilian court and the ADF was terrified of trying Roberts Smith in a military court where the rules are different and officers could be called.
This saddest segment of military history will go down as the Liberal and Labor crucifixion of all of our war heroes who lay down their lives over the past 120 years so these grubs could be free.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett has defended the public arrest of Ben at Sydney Airport claiming she has launched an investigation to find out who could have notified Channel 9 well ahead of the arrest enabling the dodgy TV station to have cameras in place.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-28/afp-commissioner-defends-ben-roberts-smith-arrest/106734904
Senate Estimates grilling of Brereton
Commissioner Brereton is grilled by Greens Senator David Shoebridge in the video link below as to why Labor threw him under a bus but Brereton’s reply was that it didn’t matter, he was advising the military inquiry in an honorary capacity while Commissioner of the NACC.
There was no conflict of interest he maintained. Is it any wonder Labor wanted to be rid of him for upsetting the vast majority of the population with his $300m plus another $44m inquiry to demonise the military and hang hero Ben Roberts Smith.
The best Labor Prime Minister the country ever had, Malcolm Turnbull initiated the original Brereton Inquiry into alleged misconduct by the SASR in 2016. We wonder if Brereton still talks to him?
https://www.facebook.com/crikey.com.au/videos/brereton-senate-estimatesmp4/859238256611748/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brereton_Report
