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Peter Dutton and Richard Marles brawl over the decision to strip Afghanistan war medals in same week as a veteran suicide report.

In short:

The opposition leader says the timing of a decision to strip former army commanders of medals was insensitive.

Peter Dutton also accused the government of letting down lower rank soldiers by not pursuing those further up the chain of command over alleged war crimes.


What's next?

The Afghanistan War inquiry has closed, but the prospect of criminal prosecutions is still a possibility.



A political brawl has erupted following the removal of army medals over alleged Afghanistan war crimes, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accusing Defence Minister Richard Marles of throwing "lower ranked diggers under the bus".


This week, Mr Marles announced up to nine current and former personnel would lose their distinguished service decorations for their failures of command, which the Brereton Report found led to dozens of unlawful killings during the decade-long fight against the Taliban.


On Friday Mr Dutton, who was previously defence minister, accused his Labor successor of doing a "great disservice" to the Australian Defence Force and acting with "insensitivity".





Defence support services:

  • The Defence all-hours Support Line is a confidential telephone and online service for ADF members and their families 1800 628 036

  • Open Arms provides 24-hour free and confidential counselling and support for current and former ADF members and their families 1800 011 046

  • Soldier On is a national support services provider for Defence personnel, contemporary veterans, and their families. Contact during office hours 1300 620 380

"Why is it okay to throw lower rank diggers under the bus, but those who are higher up the chain avoid any scrutiny," he told the Today Show, suggesting that similar action should have been taken against former army chiefs and chiefs of defence.

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