Tension in the war room: Rift grows between Richard Marles and his generals after defence minister ‘lays down the law’ in a closed meeting

Tensions are rising at the highest levels of the Australian military as Defense Minister Richard Marles is forced to address rumors that he is at odds with top officials in his department.

At a closed-door meeting late last year, Mr. Marles reportedly presented the bill to about 25 to 30 military leaders and bureaucrats, including Secretary Greg Moriarty and Defense Force chief Angus Campbell.

Mr Marles told his department in no uncertain terms that it should be able to deliver excellence, with the tirade described by two sources as ‘awkward’ and ‘would get them a rocket’. The Australian Financial Review.

Another source claimed about Mr. Marles and the department: “He doesn’t respect them and they certainly don’t respect him.”

The tensions are believed to be rooted in a disconnect between the department’s calls for new military hardware and the government’s struggle to secure funding.

During Question Time in Parliament on Thursday, Shadow Defense Secretary Andrew Hastie questioned his counterpart about the claims.

He asks whether Mr Marles can confirm reports of a ‘verbal undressing of his secretary’.

Mr Marles responded by saying the Australian Defense Force is ‘on a journey’.

“I make no excuses or excuses for demanding excellence and a culture of excellence in the Department of Defense and the Australian Defense Force,” he said.

He then said that the problems in the organization were the result of the coalition’s ten-year government.

“I have some sympathy for where the Defense Department is,” he said.

‘If you have six or seven different ministers in nine years, it is demoralizing.

“When you leave behind the nation’s oldest service fleet since World War II, it’s demoralizing.

“And when you make $45 billion worth of announcements and you don’t put a cent behind it, it’s demoralizing.

“So there’s a lot of mess that needs to be cleared up, what this government is doing.

‘We provide direction and work closely with Defense to improve the culture.’

Defense Secretary Greg Moriarty (left) and Chief of Defense Forces General Angus Campbell (right)

Mr Marles told Sky News earlier this week that a ‘culture of excellence’ is important to ensure ‘tenders happen as quickly as possible, and we are in the thick of doing all that’.

But some sources claim Mr Marles himself is partly responsible for delays as the department’s submissions pile up in his office ‘without action’.

Another source of conflict is reportedly the Defense Integrated Investment Program, a 10-year plan to purchase new weapons and equipment.

The Army had requested about 600 projects, but this was reduced to about a third of that, causing frustration within the department.

For their part, Mr Marles and Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy are frustrated by the military’s outdated requests, which they say ignore the Defense Strategic Review, which aimed to modernize the country’s military hardware.

The Defense Ministry is furious over the funding shortfall, while the government is frustrated at dragging its feet on modernization reforms, a source claimed.