‘What parent would want their daughter to enlist?’ Former defence minister in despair

Australia’s second female defence minister has no faith in the armed forces’ ability to stop the systemic abuse of women in their ranks as she warns the crisis is damaging the ADF’s ability to recruit the staff it needs to keep the country safe.

Linda Reynolds, who was defence minister from 2019 to 2021, spoke after this masthead reported on the experiences of three servicewomen who faced shocking sexual abuse and the failure of political and military leaders to fix the systemic issues their cases highlight.

Senator Linda Reynolds was minister for defence.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“It is clear to me that the Defence organisation is incapable of implementing the significant cultural and organisational reforms that are needed to ensure that all servicemen and women are treated with respect – and in accordance with the law,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds, who served for 29 years in the Army Reserve and rose to the rank of adjutant general, said an independent process was needed to force change or the crisis would keep affecting recruitment.

“There’s no question that rates of sexual assault will impact on recruitment,” she said. “What parent would want their daughter to enlist in the Army, Air Force or Navy after reading these stories today?”

“These scandals not just damage lives, but also damage the reputation of our defence forces.”

The ADF has set a goal to expand staff numbers by 30 per cent to more than 101,000 people by 2040 as AUKUS and rising geopolitical tensions demand a larger force.

But between 2020 and 2023, the armed forces missed their growth targets by 20 per cent. That resulted in a shortfall of around 4400 people, according to the 2024 budget.

Women make up less than 21 per cent of the Australian Defence Force and change has slowed to a crawl. There has been barely any increase since 2021.

RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge said the allegations of sexual assault would not shock veterans and demanded urgent government action to implement the royal commission’s recommendations to tackle the “toxic culture” in parts of the ADF.

“The Royal Commission warned of the significant risk that culture poses not only to the mental health and wellbeing of our men and women in uniform but also to the defence of our nation, citing Defence’s dire recruitment and retention rates,” Bainbridge said.

Defence Minister Richard Marles is on leave, but a spokeswoman for the government said it apologised to the many servicewomen who had suffered abuse. “To all of those who have lived these experiences – we are sorry,” she said.

She said a taskforce in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet was advising the government on how to implement the findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which delivered findings last year and called for an inquiry into sexual violence in the Defence force.

A similar inquiry more than a decade ago heard thousands of claims of abuse and made many similar recommendations to the royal commission that were not implemented.

Senator David Pocock said sexual violence survivors had already waited too long for the government to respond.

“The government cannot continue its silence on the substantial and growing evidence of sexual violence in the ADF,” Pocock said. “Survivors shouldn’t be forced to wait the more than nine months since the royal commission called for a dedicated inquiry into military sexual violence.”

The government spokeswoman said its response to the royal commission would result in the most significant reforms to the culture and systems of the military.

“This depth of reform takes time and sustained effort, but we are committed to meeting the expectations of our Defence community and broader Australian society to deliver urgent and effective change,” the spokesperson said.

Reynolds, who was a Liberal senator until retiring at the election, said senior officers in Canberra were genuine in their desire for reform to stop sexual violence. But their efforts had failed to travel down the chain of command and across the many far-flung locations where the military operates.

She said that the military’s problems were well documented, and that successive royal commissions, reviews and reports had identified a need for significant cultural reforms.

She said an independent, transparent reform process had to be imposed on the military.

“The inability to successfully culturally reform is something that has transcended decades and many ministers,” Reynolds said.

The opposition’s acting defence spokesperson Michaelia Cash said Marles must detail what he would do to address the servicewomen’s allegations.

Greens assistant spokesperson for Veterans Affairs Elizabeth Watson-Brown commended the servicewomen for speaking out.

Neil James, executive director of the Australian Defence Association, claimed that rates of abuse in the army were no higher than some sectors of the civilian economy and were driven in part by the young age of personnel and their living arrangements.

But he said sexual assaults weighed on recruiting because parents feared for their children.

If you are a current or former ADF member, or a relative, and need counselling or support, you can contact the Defence All-Hours Support Line on 1800 628 036 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

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