No doubting Crean’s commitment

I was shocked by the sudden passing of Simon Crean in Berlin on June 25.

A former Labor leader and cabinet minister, Mr Crean’s story cuts across defence in ways worth reflecting upon.

I had just talked with Mr Crean in person seven weeks prior to his death, at an event for the Australia Korea Business Council (AKBC).

Mr Crean was the chair of the council and was hosting a series of industry and trade discussions that included speakers such as then-premier Mark McGowan, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill, Hanwha Defense Australia CEO Richard Cho, former Australian ambassador to the Republic of Korea Bill Patterson, and Republic of Korea ambassador Kim Wan-Joong.

There was considerable uncertainty at the event as to how the recently released Defence Strategic Review (DSR) related to the future of defence programs.

There was a sense of instability in Australian defence contracting in the future.

I must point out that none of this concern was expressed by Mr Cho. He was diplomatic, as always, and very proud of the Australian workforce Hanwha had created in Geelong in support of Australian Defence Force programs.

During the panel discussion, I shared my opinion that the current sense of uncertainty was driven by a change in our security settings that the DSR addresses, from “no threat” to “be prepared”, the first significant change of setting since the early 1990s.

This creates uncertainty but also an alignment to current reality that has been missing for decades. This bodes well for future certainty and consistency beyond a period of adjustment.

I further noted that any future cuts to programs were, therefore, not an indication of faith in or commitment to South Korean industry or relationships, but rather a reflection of Australia’s inability to appropriately forecast the need to change our settings and subsequent decisions.

I may have assured the room, but in doing so may have also offended Mr Crean, given his central role in government over those decades.

After the event, Mr Crean found me and (unexpectedly) thanked me for my comments. He explained his perspective and understood and appreciated my points, and how I was seeking to reassure the room. He was humble, emotionally intelligent and sincere.

While I expected to be apologising for my comments without warning and explaining my diplomatic intent, his supportive and disarming response was no surprise.

Mr Crean’s most famous contributions to defence lie in his opposition to the Iraq war.

In January 2003, he famously told departing troops he supported them but didn’t support their deployment.

This was followed by speeches in parliament, most notably in front of then-president George W Bush in October 2003, where he expressed opposition to the war, drew attention to the strength of shared values, and how differences of opinion can enrich relationships.

“Our commitment to the alliance remains unshakeable, as does our commitment to the war on terror. But friends must be honest with each other. Honesty is, after all, the foundation stone of that great Australian value, mateship,” Mr Crean said.

The essence of his objection was the absence of the United Nations’ approval and questionable intelligence.

It was a brave position to take, and it has been argued that Mr Crean’s stance led to his loss of the Labor leadership.

What this reveals about Mr Crean is something we should value from those in political life, regardless of policy opinions.

Integrity over self-interest. Honesty expressed with care. Consistency in core beliefs regardless of consequence. Passion for the task at hand, as evidenced by his post-political life and interests.

During our discussion in May, Mr Crean indicated a desire to establish a defence sub-committee for the AKBC.

I encouraged him to consider having a nominee director from the Australian Industry & Defence Network, ensuring greater togetherness and efficiency in our advocacy.

We agreed, and Mr Crean asked if we could meet in a few months to discuss. He handed me his card, which sits in front of me as I write this.

I’ll always regret not having the chance to have that meeting, as I feel there was much to learn from someone with a history of honesty and integrity.

Thank you for your service Simon, may you rest in peace.

• Kristian Constantinides is the general manager of Airflite, and was chairperson of AIDN-WA for seven years; the opinions expressed are purely his own