A senior Australian Defence Force officer’s framing of the heckling of Welcome to Country ceremonies at Anzac Day services as an exercise in “freedom of expression” has drawn a sharp public rebuke from Defence Minister Richard Marles and condemnation from Indigenous veterans’ groups.
Vice Admiral Justin Jones, the ADF’s Chief of Joint Operations, was asked by Sky News following the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for his reaction to the booing that disrupted services in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth on Saturday, 25 April 2026.
“Well, one of the things that we in the Defence Force are defending, as I’ve said, is our democracy and freedom of expression” Vice Admiral Jones said.
“So, whilst that might be disappointing, those are exactly the principles that the Australian Defence Force is designed to defend” he said.
The remarks landed awkwardly for the Government, which moved quickly to distance itself from the ADF officer’s framing.
Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC Radio National Breakfast on Monday the booing was indefensible.
“The booing that occurred on Anzac Day was a disgrace, and that’s the only way in which it ought to be characterised” Mr Marles said.
“Indigenous Australians, who served in our defence force, deserve that respect” he said.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans Association chief executive Joseph West said Anzac Day was “defined by discipline, respect, and remembrance” and that booing fell well short of those standards.
“Booing during any part of a commemoration falls short of those standards” Mr West said. The association noted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served in every conflict Australia has been involved in, often without recognition or equal rights on their return.
Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James publicly defended Vice Admiral Jones, arguing the ADF’s institutional culture remains resolutely non-partisan and that defending free speech is part of the force’s role. Acting Chief of Army Major General Richard Vagg separately said the heckling lacked respect and missed the point of Anzac Day.
The men and women whose addresses were jeered are themselves veterans. Uncle Ray Minniecon, who delivered the Acknowledgement of Country at Sydney’s Cenotaph and was booed during his address, served with the 51st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment in the Citizens Military Forces. Aunty Di Ryder, who was heckled at the Perth service, is a 20-year Army veteran and Whadjuk Noongar Elder, according to reports of Saturday’s services.
Vice Admiral Jones joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1988 and was promoted to Chief of Joint Operations in 2024. The role oversees the ADF’s international operations, with about 1,000 Australian personnel on deployment overseas, including in Ukraine and the Gulf.
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