KEY POINTS:
- A veterans' group has criticised a UAP senator for uploading an image in air force gear.
- Politicians have previously been criticised for blurring the line between politics and the military.
- But Babet insists the image was taken by an official military photopgrapher.
A veterans' group has accused a federal politician of politicising Australia's military, after he uploaded an image in an air force uniform to social media despite never having served.
United Australia Party (UAP) Senator Ralph Babet posted the image on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this week, giving a thumbs up to the camera as he walks in an air force uniform alongside three service people.
The image was taken as he participated in the decades-old Australian Defence Force Parliamentary program, which sees politicians spend two weeks understanding the armed forces, and defence personnel spend a fortnight learning about parliament.
Politicians have in the past been criticised by defence and veterans' advocates for posing wearing military garb - particularly on social media or in political advertising - over fears it undermines the armed forces' apolitical stance.
Babet, who was a real estate agent before entering parliament in 2022, has never served in Australia's armed forces.
Australian Defence Association (ADA) executive director Neil James said by not providing context for the image, the post could imply Babet was a veteran or was backed by the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
James, who spent more than three decades in various army roles, said any politician should "know better" than blurring the lines between politics and Australia's armed forces.
"Misusing the parliamentary exchange program is disgraceful ... [If] it's not seen in context, Joe Average looking at it might think the person is being endorsed by the Defence Force," he said.
"If he uses the photograph in any other context ever, we'll be onto him like a jackhammer, as we would with any member of parliament."
James said politicians on the "very successful" program were asked to wear uniform to "blend in".
Babet described the program, which saw him inspect a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II fighter jet, as "amazing". Source: Supplied / Defence
The UAP senator stressed the image was taken by an official Australian Defence Force photographer.
"The program was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time living on base with the men and women of our military," Babet told SBS News.
"I look forward to doing it again in 2024."
Babet, who has described COVID-19 vaccines as "emergency use gene therapy" and suggested sexual assault allegations levelled at actor Russell Brand were the work of "the matrix", criticised the media for failing to cover important issues adequately.
"One of the issues that I am most passionate about, which I don't feel gets enough traction in the media, is my pushback against unelected globalist organisations such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and the World Health Organisation," he said.
"These groups have too much influence over the politics of our nation."
The military has a history of avoiding politics
The military has long been at pains to distance itself from partisan politics.
James stressed that Babet was not the first politician to pose in uniform, but reminded MPs that the military's non-partisan principle went both ways.
"The Liberals have done it, the Nationals have done it, Labor's done it," he said.
"[But] if you want to keep the gun out of politics and have an apolitical Defence Force … you’ve got to keep politics out of the gun."
The ADA was highly critical of former prime minister Scott Morrison after the Liberal Party ran a 2020 social media announcement spruiking its use of defence personnel during the bushfires.
"It wouldn't matter who was the government during the bushfires, the ADF is going to go and help. It's got nothing to do with which party is in power," James said.
In 2019, Defence chief Angus Campbell intervened during a press conference held by then-defence minister Christopher Pyne, who was answering political questions flanked by military personnel.
"I might just ask that the military officers step aside while you're answering these kind of questions," Campbell said to Pyne, who agreed.
Coalition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie was also dumped by the army reserve in 2016 for using images of himself wearing a uniform in political adverts.
Explaining the decision to the Guardian, an ADF spokesperson said serving members were not allowed to participate in political activity while wearing a uniform unless they were pre-approved to do so.
Hastie, who toured Afghanistan as part of Australia's most elite special forces unit, defended the images as a "hint" at his service.
"I’m proud of that and I think it’s good to let taxpayers know that their money – a lot of it has gone into my professional development – has been well spent," he told 6PR radio at the time.
The UAP itself was criticised last February, after running a photograph of a candidate in an army beret in an election campaign advert.
"It’s wrong, I don’t care about how proud he is about his service, it’s wrong to misrepresent the ADF as endorsing his candidacy," James told the Guardian at the time.
