General News
22 April, 2026
Katter wants identity protection for vets
FEDERAL Member for Kennedy Bob Katter plans to introduce laws to protect the identity of war veterans in the wake of what he described as “trial-by-media circus” surrounding the coverage of Ben Roberts-Smith’s arrest earlier this month.
A recipient of the highest Australian war honour, the Victoria Cross, Mr Roberts-Smith was arrested on 7 April and faces five charges of the war crime of murder.
It is alleged he either killed, or “aided, abetted, counselled or procured” a subordinate soldier to kill several unarmed, detained people in three separate incidents between 2009 and 2012.
Announcing he would introduce a private member’s Bill when Parliament resumed in May, Mr Katter said the Bill would seek to protect the identity of veterans from summary judgement by media, and ensure all legal matters involving warfare decision-making by deployed Defence Force personnel went to a court system judged by their peers – other combat soldiers using war-time standards.
Mr Katter said he was “enraged by the erosion of the rule of law” in Australia since Mr Roberts-Smith was charged and how he had been treated since the allegations were first raised in 2018.
The announcement of the Bill comes after another distressed veteran returned his service medals to the Kennedy electorate offices recently with a letter requesting Mr Katter send them back to Canberra “after seeing the way they treat veterans… I no longer want them”.
“For our veterans to be giving away their medals – probably their only prized possession – shows the depth of the rage and hatred that is out there in our community,” he said.
“So, we will fight this. We will fight so all veterans can keep those medals pinned proudly to their chest.”
Mr Katter said the veteran’s desire to return his medals reflected a broader community reaction to Mr Roberts-Smith’s publicised arrest and relentless media persecution of “our nation’s most highly decorated Afghanistan war hero – which poses grave risks to justice being done and, critically, being seen to be done”.
“What’s happened with Ben is not a stain on our Defence Force or Australia – it’s a verdict of the ruling-class rodents running this country,” he said.
“The rule of law says you are innocent until proven guilty and it should be applied here just as it is in all other criminal cases – judgement by your peers.
“All I am asking for is for our traditional Western civilisation justice system to be served to our bravest. Even a murderer, rapist or paedophile is presumed innocent – their identity protected until found guilty – and this should be extended, at the very least, to our war veterans.
“Now, they are entitled to demand a trial, but they are not entitled to jail a person without a trial. Well, this man is now in jail, yet he has had no trial.
“This bloke has been put in jail without any trial, and it takes years for a trial to even begin – even though you could be totally innocent.
“Until he is proven guilty, I will stand 100% behind Ben just as I stand in solidarity with any person who has worn the uniform – anyone who has risked their life to defend Australia.”
Mr Katter said serving your country in warfare carried with it an unwritten law that the first duty of a solider on the battlefield was to “look after his mates”.
“You might be there to fight for your country, to protect your family – but when you’re in the heat of it, you’re not fighting for anything else other than because your mates are out there fighting too,” he said.
“Context is everything – in wartime, soldiers can’t and shouldn’t be held to civilian standards. They have been scarred from the atrocities seen, starved, dehydrated, sleep deprived, stripped of almost all of the basic pleasures of life.
“Because of their sacrifices we enjoy a free and democratic society, the ability to work, have a family, grow wealth, receive education and welfare.”
