jackovesk
15th June 2013, 07:55
Jun 12, 2013
Message from the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, AO, to the Australian Army following the announcement on Thursday, 13 June 2013 of civilian police and Defence investigations into allegations of unacceptable behaviour by Army members.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqpoeVgr8U
HE'S the tough-as-nails army chief who has become an internet sensation for a video speech ordering misbehaving troops to "get out" if they don't want to live by his standards.
But Lieutenant-General David Morrison has also won praise from feminist groups for campaigning for the Australian Defence Force to treat women with respect.
The praise across social media for the father-of-three included observations that he should be deployed to train the nation's politicians on leadership and gender issues before the federal election.
After announcing the bombshell sexual misconduct scandal involving more than 100 members on Thursday, Lt-Gen Morrison escalated his concerns in a video directed at members, demanding higher standards.
"If that does not suit you, then GET OUT," he said.
http://images.9msn.com.au/resizer.aspx?width=215&url=http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/img/2013/news/jun/morrison.jpg
Army chief Lieutenant General David Morrison...
The video has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube and the army website, the Defence version registering 3000 viewers at a single time on Thursday night.
It followed revelations members allegedly filmed themselves having sex with female colleagues and women they met in Kings Cross clubs and circulated the derogatory images and text using Defence computers.
Lt-Gen Morrison has declined interviews, but it is understood he penned the message himself because he wanted to be very clear about what he told troops directly after his public comments earlier.
He has been central to Defence's cultural overhaul over the past two years, including his "watershed moment" last year when he spoke with three female members who had been sexually assaulted by colleagues.
"There was a convergence of the head and the heart for him and that is when he realised," Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said.
"It was a really uncomfortable moment for him. In a sense, he was scared about what he might hear. But it was a watershed moment for him."
He is part of a group of leaders - including Qantas chief Alan Joyce, Telstra boss David Thodey and Treasury head Martin Parkinson - rounded up by Ms Broderick to campaign for equality, giving over 100 speeches in the past eight months.
In March, Lt-Gen Morrison gave an address at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York on International Women's Day.
"I was angry, that in a crisis, those three women," Lt-Gen Morrison told the UN of his meeting with the victims, "had not been able to rely on their mates.
"The very thing that we claim as our defining ethos had been used to exclude and humiliate others."
Ms Broderick said the speech shocked many at the event, as military chiefs from most countries did not talk like that.
"People were just astounded and blown away that a senior military leader would come to the meeting and speak so passionately about what he was doing," she said.
If Lt-Gen Morrison was ever short of a few words, he doesn't have far to look.
His campaign for equality in Defence extends to his speechwriter, Lieutenant Colonel Cate McGregor, who last year went public about her gender transition after originally living as Malcolm McGregor.
While serving officers were once forced to quit if they decided to change gender, Lt-Col McGregor told News Limited last year she was grateful the army chief had supported her.
"And he insisted that I continue in that role, as speechwriter," she said.
At the time, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott praised the army chief's decision to help launch a book by Lt-Col McGregor about her transition.
"How's that for an institution that is so often supposed to be out of touch," Mr Abbott wrote.
Feminist group Destroy The Joint yesterday told its 30,000 Facebook followers: "Well, Destroyers, the Army is facing another sexism scandal and we are glad to say that General Morrison is totally justifying the bouquet we gave him.
"We applaud General Morrison's efforts."
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/lieutenant-general-david-morrison-wins-praise-over-handling-of-sex-scandal/story-fnhnv0wb-1226664121435
:clap2:
Message from the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, AO, to the Australian Army following the announcement on Thursday, 13 June 2013 of civilian police and Defence investigations into allegations of unacceptable behaviour by Army members.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqpoeVgr8U
HE'S the tough-as-nails army chief who has become an internet sensation for a video speech ordering misbehaving troops to "get out" if they don't want to live by his standards.
But Lieutenant-General David Morrison has also won praise from feminist groups for campaigning for the Australian Defence Force to treat women with respect.
The praise across social media for the father-of-three included observations that he should be deployed to train the nation's politicians on leadership and gender issues before the federal election.
After announcing the bombshell sexual misconduct scandal involving more than 100 members on Thursday, Lt-Gen Morrison escalated his concerns in a video directed at members, demanding higher standards.
"If that does not suit you, then GET OUT," he said.
http://images.9msn.com.au/resizer.aspx?width=215&url=http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/img/2013/news/jun/morrison.jpg
Army chief Lieutenant General David Morrison...
The video has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube and the army website, the Defence version registering 3000 viewers at a single time on Thursday night.
It followed revelations members allegedly filmed themselves having sex with female colleagues and women they met in Kings Cross clubs and circulated the derogatory images and text using Defence computers.
Lt-Gen Morrison has declined interviews, but it is understood he penned the message himself because he wanted to be very clear about what he told troops directly after his public comments earlier.
He has been central to Defence's cultural overhaul over the past two years, including his "watershed moment" last year when he spoke with three female members who had been sexually assaulted by colleagues.
"There was a convergence of the head and the heart for him and that is when he realised," Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said.
"It was a really uncomfortable moment for him. In a sense, he was scared about what he might hear. But it was a watershed moment for him."
He is part of a group of leaders - including Qantas chief Alan Joyce, Telstra boss David Thodey and Treasury head Martin Parkinson - rounded up by Ms Broderick to campaign for equality, giving over 100 speeches in the past eight months.
In March, Lt-Gen Morrison gave an address at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York on International Women's Day.
"I was angry, that in a crisis, those three women," Lt-Gen Morrison told the UN of his meeting with the victims, "had not been able to rely on their mates.
"The very thing that we claim as our defining ethos had been used to exclude and humiliate others."
Ms Broderick said the speech shocked many at the event, as military chiefs from most countries did not talk like that.
"People were just astounded and blown away that a senior military leader would come to the meeting and speak so passionately about what he was doing," she said.
If Lt-Gen Morrison was ever short of a few words, he doesn't have far to look.
His campaign for equality in Defence extends to his speechwriter, Lieutenant Colonel Cate McGregor, who last year went public about her gender transition after originally living as Malcolm McGregor.
While serving officers were once forced to quit if they decided to change gender, Lt-Col McGregor told News Limited last year she was grateful the army chief had supported her.
"And he insisted that I continue in that role, as speechwriter," she said.
At the time, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott praised the army chief's decision to help launch a book by Lt-Col McGregor about her transition.
"How's that for an institution that is so often supposed to be out of touch," Mr Abbott wrote.
Feminist group Destroy The Joint yesterday told its 30,000 Facebook followers: "Well, Destroyers, the Army is facing another sexism scandal and we are glad to say that General Morrison is totally justifying the bouquet we gave him.
"We applaud General Morrison's efforts."
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/lieutenant-general-david-morrison-wins-praise-over-handling-of-sex-scandal/story-fnhnv0wb-1226664121435
:clap2: