Defence chief uneasy over Liberal Party bushfire ad

General Angus Campbell told the PM he was ‘discomforted’ with the use of the ADF footage in the controversial advertisement.

CDF General Angus Campbell appears at Senate estimates. Picture: Gary Ramage

Chief of Defence General Angus Campbell contacted Scott Morrison to express his concern over the use of ADF footage in a Liberal Party advertisement during summer’s bushfire crisis.

Senate estimates heard that Defence did not authorise the use of the footage, despite copyright rules requiring the department’s written permission to use its media content in advertisements, and barring its use for political purposes.

Our Defence Force is providing boots on the ground, planes in the sky and ships at sea, to support the bushfire fighting effort and recovery. Read more about our bushfire response: https://t.co/GJItGy0N7B pic.twitter.com/vN6FUYhPJN

— Liberal Party (@LiberalAus) January 4, 2020

General Campbell said he told the Prime Minister he was “discomforted” with the use of the ADF footage in the controversial advertisement, but “I did not see ill-intent in the actions”.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister. I offered my advice,” he told the Senate’s Foreign Affairs and Defence committee.

Defence secretary Greg Moriarty told the committee that “approval was not sought, nor was it given” for the footage to be used in the social media ad.

However, he noted it was the government’s view that approval was not required.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds told the committee the Prime Minister didn’t need the department’s permission to use the footage.

“As the Prime Minister said, and as I have said, it wasn’t a party political advertisement. It was a video from the Prime Minister providing information on the government’s response to the bushfires,” she said.

The upbeat video, authorised by Mr Morrison and posted on the Liberal Party’s social media channels on January 4, spruiked the government’s deployment of reservists in response to the bushfires, and included footage of the ADF ships, aircraft and personnel.

It followed widespread criticism of the Prime Minister’s family trip to Hawaii during the crisis, and his interactions with furious locals in the fire-hit NSW township of Cobargo.

The nonpartisan Australia Defence Association accused the government of breaching rules around political advertising.

But Liberal MP and Afghanistan veteran Phillip Thompson said Defence should focus on more important issues.

“The Defence hierarchy needs to not concern themselves with the PC brigade,” the former 1RAR soldier said.

“They should not be terrified with what the extreme Left think or are worried about.

“Their role is to defend and protect our nation, respond to disasters and when the time comes put their war faces on.”