Crossing the Line
The explosive inside story behind the Ben Roberts-Smith headlines
Nick McKenzie
Sydney, NSW: Hachette, 2023
Paperback 320pp RRP: $34.99
Reviewer: Neville Taylor, July 2024
Chris Masters’ investigation into the Australia Special Forces in Afghanistan spanned 10 years, including being embedded with the ADF in 2017, was published as No Front Line (Allen & Unwin). It was then he passed concerning information to fellow journalist Nick McKenzie about unpublished reservations about events in the ten-year period. Threatened legal action and support from heavyweights Kerry Stokes and Brendan Nelson made the two wary but determined to continue to uncover the truth involving the SAS exploits in Afghanistan.
The incredible claims made by Roberts-Smith and the devious physical and psychological steps against anyone who dared to cast dispersions on his military actions bordered on the unbelievable. McKenzie’s article Leonardis naming Robert-Smith appeared online and he unsuccessfully sought to prevent its publication in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald next day.
McKenzie spent five precious years pursuing the truth about Roberts-Smith. By September 2018 both McKenzie and Masters had become aware of Roberts-Smith’s intention to seek legal redress against Fairfax Media. Both journalists realised the outcome of the trial would determine their professional futures and commence to explore every possible avenue to provide evidence of Roberts-Smith’s alleged gross misconduct. This entailed McKenzie making a trip to Kabul in 2019, where he contacted the family of the Afghan allegedly kicked off a cliff before being murdered. Back in Australia previously tight-lipped former SAS members were having second thoughts about remaining silent, and more evidence was gradually accumulated, and this also applied most importantly to General Brereton conducting the Inquiry into the SAS. Danielle, Roberts-Smith’s former girlfriend provided the contents of six USB files buried in the garden by Roberts-Smith.
In June 2020 the Brereton Report was released with Roberts-Smith being the only SAS person named from a group responsible for 29 murders. Twelve months later the deformation trial commenced in Sydney’s Federal Court building with Justice Besanko presiding. Australia watched 90 sitting days, during which more witnesses continued to come forward to give evidence for the defence. This included employees who worked under Roberts-Smith at Channel Seven in Brisbane and spoke of his bullying approach, his ‘my way or no way’ approach to management, and heavy drinking during office hours. Roberts-Smith and his legal team continued their campaign in discrediting witnesses. McKenzie and Masters were desperate for the judgement to list at least one murder in order to retain their professional integrity
With Roberts-Smith ensconced in Bali, on 1 June 2023 Justice Besanko handed down his judgement. He found that Roberts-Smith was a serial war criminal, a compulsive liar and a vicious bully involved in four murders. For McKenzie and Masters, their faith in themselves and the creed by which they worked had finally risen to the surface.
McKenzie has carefully woven many threads together to provide his readers with an accurate account of a watershed moment in the history of the Australian Defence Force and investigative journalism. He has demonstrated that truth and excellent reporting were able to triumph over bullies, fabrications, high-level backers and very ‘deep pockets’.
The RUSI – Vic Library thanks the publisher for making this work available for review.