MPs Defend Roberts-Smith’s Attendance at War Memorial

Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully had his bail varied to attend the event on the evening of June 23.

Ben Roberts-Smith attends the ANZAC dawn service in Currumbin, Australia, on April 25, 2026. Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Senior politicians have defended the decision to allow alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith to attend the opening of a major new gallery at the Australian War Memorial.

All living Victoria Cross recipients have been invited to the official opening of the memorial’s atrium and Anzac Hall, a gallery focusing mainly on Australia’s commitments to the Middle East, Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations.