Armed Forces Bill

I agree. This sounds like a snap decision, but it is not. It will not be the sort of decision that the commanding officer takes off the cuff. We are not saying that from his tank turret he says, ““Yes, Trooper Williams, not guilty. Get out of it.”” It does not happen like that and it will never happen like that. I do just wonder though why current practices, particularly on operations, have not been enshrined in the Bill. I believe that Opposition amendments were tabled that would have enshrined what happens at the moment—that the commanding officer, as often as possible, would refer to legal authority. Why cannot such practices be introduced to the Bill, so that the important relationship between private soldier and commanding officer is not attacked?