The Australian War Memorial should remove Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith's uniform, medals and images "as a matter of urgency" following his court loss, a Greens senator says.
A Federal Court judge found there was substantial evidence he committed war crimes including murdering unarmed prisoners in Afghanistan.
Australian Greens defence and veterans' affairs spokesperson David Shoebridge said the removal of the display in its "current form" was the first necessary step.
"And then [for the Australian War Memorial] to sit down and think if it does go back does it go back with a full description?" he said.
"Is it appropriate to put that display back given what we've heard from Afghan families, what we've heard from Afghan witnesses and what we've heard from other members of the NSA?
"I think it's a matter which involves some long and deep reflection, but today there will be thousands and thousands of visitors going to the war memorial and seeing the uniform with a glowing and celebratory description next to it.
"That is totally unacceptable."
He said leaving the display meant the war memorial was presenting an incorrect story of events.
"We just had a Federal Court judge, after hearing [over 100] days of evidence, including in which the plaintiff in the case was supported by a billionaire and could present every shred of evidence that he wish to support his case ... comprehensively dismiss it," he said.
"Now that is a very real level of history of the evidence that almost none of the rest of the displays in the war memorial have had, and there is currently a false narrative on display."
Mr Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2011. It is also currently on display at the war memorial with a number of other commemorative medals.
He was given the medal for an "assault against an enemy fortification on 11 June 2010, [where] he exposed his position to draw fire away from members of his patrol who were pinned down," according to the Australian War Memorial website.
Senator Shoebridge said he supports the removal of the honour from Mr Roberts-Smith.
"This is the highest military honour that can be awarded to any serving Australian personnel," he said.
"In light of what we have seen from the Federal Court judgement, and in the light of the evidence that was presented in those proceedings, does anyone feel comfortable with that remaining with this man?
"I know that there are thousands of currently serving personnel who believe there absolutely must be accountability for these kinds of actions for the good of current and future serving personnel as well."
The Australian War Memorial was contacted for comment, but no statement has been given at the time of publishing.
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After a 109-day hearing and mulling over evidence from 41 witnesses, Justice Anthony Besanko found a number of 2018 reports published by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times about war crimes committed by Mr Roberts-Smith were substantially true.
The claims, reported by journalists Nick McKenzie, Chris Masters and David Wroe, included that Mr Roberts-Smith executed a prisoner with a prosthetic leg by firing a machine gun into his back at a compound called Whiskey 108 in 2009.
He then took the fake leg back to Australia where he encouraged soldiers to use it as a novelty drinking vessel.
At the same location in Afghanistan, he ordered the execution of an elderly Afghan man found hiding in a tunnel.
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Sara Garrity
Sara writes about general Canberra news. She has previously worked as the journalist at Allhomes, writing about property news through a Canberra lens. You can email story ideas or tips to Sara at sgarrity@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Sara writes about general Canberra news. She has previously worked as the journalist at Allhomes, writing about property news through a Canberra lens. You can email story ideas or tips to Sara at sgarrity@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
