Key Points
- Not all documents meant to go to the National Archives by the Morrison government were transferred in 2020.
- The missing records pertain to then-prime minister John Howard's administration at the time of the Iraq War in 2003.
- An independent review has been launched into the blunder.
The Morrison government failed to hand over some national security-related documents potentially meant to be made public to the National Archives of Australia in 2020.
On Monday, cabinet papers were released from the administration of then-prime minister John Howard in 2003, whose decision to invade Iraq alongside the US and UK has been heavily scrutinised.
Opposition to the war was prominent throughout 2003, with mass demonstrations in Australian cities not seen since the moratorium movement at the height of the Vietnam War.
At the time, the invasion was justified by the now-debunked claims that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction.
Cabinet papers revealed the prime minister was engaged in "extensive discussions" with then-US president George Bush and then-UK prime minister Tony Blair about the "possible use of force against Iraq".
Federal cabinet noted Iraq's behaviour had the potential to "damage gravely Australian security", with fears of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists representing "one of the greatest present threats" to the nation.
In a , the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said that not all of the documents meant to be handed over to the National Archives of Australia, including some prepared for the national security committee of cabinet, were transferred.
"The 2020 transfer of a small number of additional 2003 Cabinet records did not take place as it should have due to apparent administrative oversights by the Department, the Archives and security agencies," the statement reads.
The oversights were "likely" due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mistake means the documents were not able to be properly vetted by the archives before potentially being made public after 20 years, as is the norm.
The missing documents were discovered on 19 December and inspected on 22 December by both the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the National Archives of Australia.
They have since been transferred to the archives, where they will be assessed by security and other agencies to determine whether or not they can be made public.
An independent review has been launched into the 2020 transfer process, headed by former defence and foreign secretary Dennis Richardson, to ensure that all relevant records have been handed over.
His review is slated to be completed by the end of January this year.
— With additional reporting by AAP.
