Military sources claim that Mr Smith is suppressing the findings of the inquiry because they show his actions in pressuring the senior defence leadership team into standing ADFA's commandant aside in April were ill-informed and unjustified.

Mr Smith has rejected the claims, saying he stands by what he said when the scandal broke.

According to Defence sources, the inquiry conducted by Rod Kirkham, QC, has cleared ADFA management of impropriety or incompetence in the way it handled claims that covert footage of a female cadet known as Kate having consensual sex with a male classmate had been broadcast on Skype.

A Defence spokeswoman yesterday confirmed that although the report had been with Mr Smith since last week, it would not be made public until some time next year.

Sources also said Mr Smith had a ''difficult conversation'' with Chief of Defence Force General David Hurley last week over the report and the possible reinstatement of the former ADFA commandant, Commodore Bruce Kafer.

General Hurley has said previously that if Commodore Kafer, ADFA's commandant since 2009, was exonerated by the inquiry, he should be reinstated.

The spokeswoman confirmed that after receiving the report Mr Smith last week met General Hurley, the Vice Chief of Defence Force and the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, to discuss it. ''It is not appropriate to comment or speculate on the inquiry report or any suggested finding [at this time],'' she said. ''The minister does not resile from his comments at the time.''

Mr Smith condemned an ADFA management team decision to hear disciplinary proceedings on other matters against the female cadet at the centre of the Skype incident, in a radio interview on April 6.

''Today at 11 o'clock the young woman concerned was subject to a hearing under the Defence disciplinary proceedings,'' he said. ''This related to events in March, which were suggestions or allegations of being absent without leave and drinking. And a scheduled hearing, which was set some time ago, was held this morning.

''I very strongly believe that the holding of such a hearing today in the aftermath of these events [the Skype allegations] is not only inappropriate, insensitive and wrong, it's almost certainly faulty in the law …''

Mr Smith, who described himself as a ''lapsed lawyer'', said he wanted Kate's guilty plea on the drinking and AWOL matters to be quashed and was seeking ''urgent advice'' on how that could be done.

It was later alleged by then senator Nick Minchin, the only politician to speak out in support of Commodore Kafer, that Kate had sought and received independent legal advice before making the decision to have the hearing proceed.