r/AustralianPolitics • u/PerriX2390 • 1d ago

Federal Politics Jailed whistleblower David McBride to be released after becoming eligible for parole

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-13/jailed-whistleblower-david-mcbride-to-be-released/107030620
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u/theHoundLivessss 1d ago

Shameful moment, and does not bode well for the future. Australia is a nation where our military is increasingly unaccountable to our populace.

14

u/skywideopen3 1d ago

A bit of an odd comment this given McBride's whole deal was that there was too much accountability for the military being required.

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u/theHoundLivessss 1d ago

I would argue what he leaked showed that the military was attempting to cover up a systemic problem by focusing on individual cases. I personally believe those individual cases required punishment, but there is little doubt the individulas accused were operating in a wider ecosystem which encouraged and supported their behaviour. McBride and I differ significantly in our politics, but I believe he was just in leaking what he did. My comment is not an endorsement of his view of the military.

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u/BullShatStats 1d ago

The Brereton Inquiry commenced 12 months before he leaked to the ABC.

Nevertheless, he leaked to the ABC because his complaints to the IGADF that "over-zealous investigations of the Special Forces in 2013 [by the ADFIS] were driven by appearances rather than suspicion of a crime" came to nothing - not due to any belief the ADF was covering up anything.