Ben Roberts Smith On Trial & Defences Dirty Little Secret
4/22/202654 min
Australia is facing uncomfortable questions — about defence, justice, and the future.
Karl also puts one of the country’s biggest defence force questions to the audience — the case of Ben Roberts-Smith.
Should matters like this sit in a civil or military court?
More than 10,000 people voted.And while we’re debating systems here on Earth — the future is moving fast.
Jeff Bezos and his team are working on technology to extract oxygen from moon dust — a breakthrough that could enable permanent lunar bases and refuelling in space.Former soldier and investor Steve Baxter joins Karl to break down modern warfare — from drones and AI to why Australia isn’t prepared and is increasingly relying on global powers.Then, Chris Nemeth shares his story.After a life-changing COVID vaccine injury, he spent years navigating a complex compensation system — thousands of pages, legal battles, and a long fight to be recognised.Now, after finally receiving compensation, he’s been hit with a tax bill.To watch Steve Baxters full episode click here. Remember legends, we need your subscriptions to keep this show going. Would appreciate it very much.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsKarl Stefanovic· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Good day, everyone. Welcome to the show. It's good to have your company. Look, I asked you about your feelings as to whether Ben Robert Smith or soldiers returning from war should be examined or trialed by a civilian legal system or the military legal system yesterday. A flood, a torrent, an outpouring of national opinion, which I love, so thank you for all of that. So here's the results: 94% of you across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube said the military system. More than 10,000 votes. There's been some objection. Here we are. Cameron Hartner on Instagram made a really interesting point. He said, "DFDA proceedings would be a case of Defense investigating themselves and throwing BRS under the bus with no accountability to the COC. He would be better facing a civilian court as the case is more likely to be thrown out." What do you think about that? JD Crunchy said, "The allegation is in a military war setting, not a civilian one. Why should civilians get to judge the actions of a soldier when they have zero understanding or experience in combat?" And Peter Frost on Instagram made a comparison to our treatment of soldiers versus the US. This is interesting. "Contrast the actions of two countries. America goes all out to rescue a downed Air Force personnel in Iran, whilst Australia goes all out to prosecute