Former prime minister John Howard says the National Archives of Australia should release the missing 78 cabinet papers from 2003. They may include national security documents detailing Australia's deliberations to join the invasion of Iraq.
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Just hours before the Howard government's 2003 cabinet papers were set to be released publicly on Monday, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet revealed some documents - including those from the powerful national security committee, which deliberated supporting the invasion of Iraq - hadn't been provided.
A spokesperson for Mr Howard told The Canberra Times that the former prime minister believed the documents should be released in the interests of transparency.
The comment came after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slammed the news that the 78 documents hadn't been handed over as required by the Morrison government. He called on the archives to publish them now they had been transferred.
"Australians lost their lives during that conflict and we know that some of the stated reason for going to war was not correct in terms of the weapons of mass destruction that was alleged Iraq had at that time," Mr Albanese said.
"Australians do have a right to know what the decision-making process was, and my government believes that this mistake must be corrected, that the National Archives of Australia should release all the documentation that has been provided to them, having account for any national security issues, of course, upon the advice of the national security agencies."
"... there is no reason why these documentations should be, with the exception of putting people in danger, should be not released in a transparent way."
Cabinet documents are released publicly after 20 years through the National Archives.
This year's covered 2003, when the government decided to commit forces to the US-led invasion of Iraq on the premise that it had weapons of mass destruction - weapons that were never found.
The papers released showed that cabinet endorsed the decision to join the invasion based on oral reports from the prime minister, and without any submission on the costs, benefits or implications of the decision. Archives cabinet historian David Lee said the lack of cabinet documents on the matter indicted the national security committee "was the locus of decision-making on the war".
Asked whether he was concerned the failure to transfer the documents was part of a cover-up, Mr Albanese said this was why former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson had been appointed to lead an independent investigation into the incident. Mr Richardson will report within two weeks.
"There is no public servant in Australia who is more respected than Dennis Richardson. Former head of, senior person in defence, in foreign affairs, in national security agencies," the Prime Minister said.
A National Archives spokesperson said it had become aware documents were missing while preparing the 2003 cabinet records for release. The department found the additional records on December 19, and inspected them with the National Archives on December 22.
The National Archives is processing the documents and should have decisions around their release within 90 business days.
Justine Landis-Hanley
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter at The Canberra Times, with an interest in integrity, regulation, and social services. Contact me with tips and feedback at justine.landishanley@canberratimes.com.au.
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter at The Canberra Times, with an interest in integrity, regulation, and social services. Contact me with tips and feedback at justine.landishanley@canberratimes.com.au.
