A former head of the Australian Defence Force and member of the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change, Admiral Chris Barrie, has criticised the Defence Department's lack of action on climate change.
During a speech at the Fenner Conference on sustainable agriculture on Thursday, the admiral said Defence Force personnel have been gagged from speaking about climate change by the Defence Minister, Peter Dutton.
Admiral Barrie said in his meetings with defence personnel, many of them were interested in the topic of climate change and "most of them would like to be out there speaking - but they are not allowed to unless they go through Dutton's office".
He also condemned the politicisation of climate change, saying it should not be a "left-right issue".
The Canberra Times previously reported Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell and department secretary Greg Moriarty had released instructions to the military and public servants telling them "not to be distracted" from their "primary mission".
Defence Minister Peter Dutton has also issued directives to his department and serving military to stop pursuing a "woke agenda".
When questioned about the delayed ADF support to flood-affected areas like Lismore, Admiral Barrie said ADF procedures are only in place for rapid overseas deployment during natural disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013. The ADF provided humanitarian assistance in that instance, but lacks similar procedures for domestic disasters.
Former Liberal leader John Hewson was also in attendance at the event, and criticised the lack of political leadership on climate change.
He made reference to the "politicisation of disaster payments" in flood-affected areas like Ballina, Byron and Tweed, which were previously not eligible for the federal government's disaster payments.
The Department of Defence was approached for comment.
