In this posting we have a good look at the failings of Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston and how on his watch the judicial system in the Australian Defence Force has denied justice to defence force personnel.
They are denied justice two ways. One is even before it hits the defence force courts where they try to cover it up and two when it does go into court the courts are a joke. You might use the term Kangaroo Court for example.
The chief of the Australian Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston retires on July 4, 2011. There is obviously the standard back slapping going on saying what a great person he is and what a great job he has done. In recent days the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has even implied she has a bit of a crush on Houston. Her exact words were:
“I wanted to say to you tonight some words you might find hard to hear and that is: every woman I know is a little bit in love with your husband,” Ms Gillard said.
“I’ve tested the proposition with the governor-general, who’s a little bit in love with your husband; I’m a little bit in love with your husband.”
“We’re all a little bit in love with Angus because of his qualities, and don’t they just shine through?” (Click here to read the full article)
Yes they do shine through!!!
I have previously done two postings where Angus Houston he gets a substantial mention. I feel it is only right that we have a good look at his achievements or lack of them before he retires. The reality is that he leaves the Australian Defence Force’s reputation in tatters from numerous view points.
At the time of writing this over 1000 people have made complaints of abuse in the Defence Force to the law firm DLA Piper who is investigating and doing up a report for the Defence Minister Stephen Smith. This came about after the recent ADFA sex tape scandal. (Click here to read the previous postings titled “Pigs On The Run – The Australian Federal Police” and “How the Defence Minister Stephen Smith and others cover up the sexual abuse of women.”
The obvious question is why did Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston not do something? There was and is a truck load of media reports of abuse. Yet Houston has sat silent. Given that there were plenty of previous enquiries why did Houston sit silent?
The facts are that the top brass in the Australian Defence Force have a history of doing nothing and covering up crimes committed in the defence force especially when a senior officer is involved or has liability.
The most recent example being the ADFA sex tape scandal. Senior officers were trying to cover it up and that is a crime in itself. What happened to them? Nothing? Air Chief Marshal Houston would be well aware what the officers did was a crime but he has taken no action against them. That makes Angus Houston just as guilty as they are.
He deliberately conceals the sexual abuse man and women in the defence force and feels that if anyone complains it is fair and just to bastardize them to try to shut them up.
There are numerous examples of this, the latest being a report on the ABC program Four Corners titled “Culture of Silence” (Click here to watch) The program relates to three people one being a female who was raped in the navy and the cover up, another being a male who was raped and bashed at the ADFA and the third being a male who was severely bashed by members of his battalion. A story on news.com.au gives an overview of the Four Corners report which is titled “Navy forced me to ‘keep rape quiet’, former cadet tells ABC’s Four Corners” (Click here to read)
It is worth noting that the Defence Minister Stephen Smith, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston and the incoming Chief of the Defence force Lieutenant-General David Hurley all refused to be interviewed for the Four Corners program. Looks like nothing will change under David Hurley.
The list goes on and on. But I think you do not have to go past the 1000 complaints and how does it get to this point.
This all happens on top of a Defence Force judicial system that is a joke and in 2009 was found to be invalid by the High Court of Australia.
It says the Defence website ” The Australian Military Court (AMC) was established on 1 October 2007 to try serious service offences involving ADF personnel. On 26 August 2009 the High Court of Australia declared the provisions of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 (DFDA) establishing the AMC were invalid. The High Court’s decision removed the AMC from the military discipline structure.” (Click here to read more)
From 2007 to 2009 over 170 decisions had been handed down by the Australian military Court. Given that the High Court found the AMC to be invalid “The Rudd government then passed amending legislation to replace the military court with the old courts-martial system and wiped the convictions it had recorded, but it left the punishments in place.”
The punishments themself are currently being challenged in the High Court by a former officer, Paul Nicholas. Mr Nicholas was ultimately sacked from the defence force for “attempting to pervert the course of justice”. (Click here to read the article)
I think that is a bit rich given the amount of current serving officers, including Air Chief Marshal Houston that “pervert the course of justice” when someone makes a serious complaint of criminal offences.
Chief Air Marshal Angus Houston can only be described as a man who lacks any self-respect, integrity and honesty. A man who lies, deceives and bullshits on with the best of them. He is nothing more than a common criminal. A man who will go down in history as one of the greatest failures this country has seen as a Chief of Defence. And I have not even delved into the billion dollar financial mess of the Australian Defence Force under Angus Houston.
For those who are not familiar with the term “Going Jack” which is in the title of this post it is defined as “If an individual is not helping his mates it is said he is “going jack on his mates.” And that is what Angus Houston has done to the majority of the Australian defence force personnel, he has gone jack on them.
I always believe that you should not say something behind someone’s back if you are not prepared to say it to their face. So I sent a quick email to Mr Houston letting him know about this post. The email is below. What will he do? Nothing. Because what I have said above is true and he knows it.
From: Shane Dowling [mailto:shanedowling1@bigpond.com]
Sent: Sunday, 3 July 2011 9:05 PM
To: ‘angus.houston@defence.gov.au’; ‘Stephen.Smith.MP@aph.gov.au’; ‘tony.abbott.mp@aph.gov.au’; ‘David.Lloyd@defence.gov.au’; ‘Mark.Cunliffe@defence.gov.au’; ‘senator.ludlam@aph.gov.au’; ‘senator.brandis@aph.gov.au’; ‘senator.trood@aph.gov.au’; ‘andrew.wilkie.mp@aph.gov.au’; ‘meetinginvitation@pm.gov.au’; ‘david.hurley@defence.gov.au’; ‘governor-general@gg.gov.au’; ‘peter.leahy@defence.gov.au’; ‘alison.creagh@defence.gov.au’; ‘peter.leahy@defence.gov.au’
Subject: Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston – News Story
Dear Mr Houston
I have done a posting on my site as a farewell summary of your magnificent career as Chief of Defence.
It is titled “Going Jack – Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston”.
In one of the better parts I say “Chief Air Marshal Angus Houston can only be described as a man who lacks any self-respect, integrity and honesty. A man who lies, deceives and bullshits on with the best of them. He is nothing more than a common criminal.”
The link is http://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2011/07/03/going-jack-air-chief-marshal-angus-houston
If you have any problems with the post please do not hesitate to let me know.
Yours Sincerely
Shane Dowling
Ph 0411 238 704
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