Australian Ministers Accused of Dodging Vietnam War But Sent Australians to Iraq War
"Where were the two senior ministers that have voted for an illegal, illicit and immoral war? Well, neither of them were in Australia I can assure you of that. They were in Great Britain, and they sat it out in Great Britain."
Former Adelaide Magistrate Brian Deegan has accused two senior Government ministers of avoiding military service in Vietnam, but then sending Australians to an "unjustified" war.
He singled out Foreign Minister Downer and Defence Minister Robert Hill for NOT serving in Vietnam.
Mr Deegan today resigned from the bench after announcing his candidacy as an independent candidate in Mr Downer's seat of Mayo. He said:
He spoke at the South Australian Press Club to launch his book, Remembering Josh, a tribute to his son who died in the Bali bombings.
He also used the occasion to renew his criticism of the Howard Government for engaging in an "immoral war" in Iraq, claiming that no member of Federal Cabinet had been to war.
"I mean if these people went to war for themselves, and had first-hand knowledge of the horrors of war, I think they might be just a little bit more reluctant to cause a war," he said.
Senator Hill today denied he was a draft dodger.
"Well, I deferred during my studies. That's true," he said.
A spokesman for Mr Downer says he moved to London at the age of 13, and grew up there, so the allegation is factually wrong.
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