Very few people understand why the Defence Honours and Awards Appeal Tribunal was created and when. Very few understand how people get appointed to the tribunal, who they're appointed by and why most of the time they're retired senior officers who never saw a shot fired in anger to retired senior public servants.
Very few don't realise how much larger the tribunal has become, how politicians have always had a say in it from it's inception to the present day.
I once asked the tribunal what the limit was on looking at 'cases'. Was it 121 years ago to the Boer War, WW1, WW2, when? Their reply was there was no limit. Well, we now go they'll go back to at least WW2.
I don't question the gallantry of these people. In Australia, every retrospective VC awarded is like the relatives winning lotto because that gong is $1M+ and in this case way above that if it's ever sold.
What changed the government's mind from May of this year when they said that Sheehan would not be awarded the VC to now agreeing that the VC will be awarded?
What changed the tribunals mind who in 2013 after two years of looking at these cases said Sheehan and 12 other people would not be awarded a VC?
We have equalled the Americans with retrospective awards.
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