Plea for ex-GG to lead debate after Duntroon revelations

The former Governor-General can have major input in an important debate, says lawyers for clients claiming to be victims of military bullying.

Former Governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove. Picture: Keri Megelus

The contribution by Sir Peter Cosgrove to a national debate over bullying in the military would help shape his legacy, according to a lawyer acting for clients who claim to have been bullied in the Australian Defence Forces.

Adair Donaldson, of Donaldson Law, said Sir Peter, a former governor-general and Australian Defence Force (ADF) chief, was a man of such stature he could bring about change that would affect the lives of many people.

“The mark of the man is going to be how he responds from here,” Mr Donaldson said. “He’s done a lot of incredibly good things in his career.

Andrew Knox holding his selection board photograph from September 1966. Picture: Matt Turner

He now has the opportunity to make a difference for a whole lot of people who went through the system that he was part of.”

Mr Donaldson, who is managing a claim by Adelaide’s Andrew Knox against the ADF for psychological and physical bullying which names Sir Peter Cosgrove as part of it, said the ADF had become very proactive about acknowledging the mistakes of the past.

They had accepted the systems that were in place allowed the bastardisation to occur.

“While Cosgrove was a victim of the system himself, the ADF has, since 2011, been doing so many good things to try to bring about social change,” Mr Donaldson said. “But they still need to be saying to people, ‘It’s OK for you to come forward, we are sorry for what happened to you in the past’. And Cosgrove could play an important part in that.”

Mr Donaldson said Sir Peter was admired by many Australians and had done so much good that he was well positioned to take the lead against bullying.

“Now, here is another challenge for him and how he responds is going to be incredibly telling,” he said.

Mr Knox, 72, who left Duntroon in 1967 on the verge of a breakdown after being bullied by senior trainees including Sir Peter, said he was looking to the Chief of Defence, General Angus Campbell, to respond.

Chief of the Australian Defence Force General Angus Campbell Picture: Mick Tsikas/Getty Images

He called on Sir Peter, as the most decorated senior military person in Australia, to stand up and admit to bullying without trying justify what had happened 53 years ago.

“I think Sir Peter tries to mitigate bullying as a form of training for war but all bullying undermines all performance under stress,” Mr Knox said. “The evidence I would say from my classmates alone is that the bullying creates psychological damage.”

Mr Knox has an outstanding claim for serious abuse with the Defence Ombudsman which will investigate the claim, including military records from the time.