Scott Morrison assured the senior military figure Lt Gen John Frewen that “the necessary resources and assets will be put at your disposal” when he was appointed to boost confidence in the Australian government’s vaccination rollout.
A letter obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws reveals the prime minister told Frewen a “direct command and control structure” should help speed up the vaccination program and if the goals were achieved it would allow a faster reopening of Australia’s international borders.
Days after announcing the appointment in June, Morrison asked Frewen to closely coordinate with his office and that of the health minister in the newly created position.
The letter also shows Frewen’s appointment required agreement from the Australian defence force chief, Gen Angus Campbell, and it was the ADF that put in place the “tasking” arrangements.
Morrison sought Frewen’s help at a time when the Coalition was under significant political pressure over slow progress in vaccinating Australians, prompting the opposition to raise concerns he was using the military to shield ministers from scrutiny.
Since his appointment, the senior army officer has held numerous press conferences and conducted media interviews about the state of the rollout and, behind the scenes, is reported to have been active in national cabinet debates.
Morrison has even invoked Frewen’s name in parliament as the prime minister pursued political attacks on Labor.
Frewen commanded ADF personnel in the Middle East in 2017 and assumed a senior role at the Australian Signals Directorate in 2018.
Guardian Australia made applications to three departments under freedom of information laws regarding the terms of Frewen’s new appointment after the government did not answer detailed questions about his reporting lines and position description.
Morrison’s two-page letter, which appears to have been signed four days after the prime minister announced the appointment at a post-national cabinet press conference, offers the most detailed account yet of what the government expects Frewen to achieve as coordinator general of the National Covid Vaccine Taskforce.
Morrison set two overarching goals for the taskforce: to “ensure public confidence in the vaccine rollout” and to “ensure as many Australians are vaccinated as early as possible within the TGA guidelines and available vaccine supply”.
“My expectation is that a direct command and control structure, with you as coordinator general, will ensure these goals are met.”
The letter said Frewen would have “direct operational control of all relevant assets and resources across all commonwealth government departments and agencies engaged in the direction and implementation of the national Covid vaccination program” – although the document did not itemise those resources.
Morrison set a number of responsibilities for Frewen, including “communication around the vaccine rollout”, engagement with states and territories, and distribution and delivery of vaccines.
Frewen was asked to be in touch with hospitals, GPs, pharmacies and Aboriginal health services – all while reporting directly to Morrison and the health minister, Greg Hunt.
“Accordingly, communications should be jointly addressed to both of us and coordination should occur with both of our offices simultaneously.”
Despite telling him to report directly to Morrison and Hunt, the letter asked Frewen to “work closely” with both the health department secretary, Brendan Murphy, and the public service commissioner, Peter Woolcott, “to ensure that you have the support you require”.
“I expect that the necessary resources and assets will be put at your disposal by the Australian public service,” Morrison told Frewen, who was given an office within the health department.
Some analysts said it was “extraordinary” that a military officer was reporting directly to a prime minister and health minister “over the top of any of these other officials”.
John Blaxland, a professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University, said Morrison’s appointment reflected confidence in the military but also “a sense of vulnerability of the government that it needs the military to step in”.
It was consistent with a trend over the past 25 years of governments outsourcing and eroding the permanency of senior public service roles.
He said the prime minister was “cashing in on the Anzac mythology, if you like, through John Frewen, to get the Australian people to rise above their own fears and anti-vax phobias”.
Blaxland – who attended Royal Military College at Duntroon alongside Frewen – spoke of his integrity and professionalism but said the ADF had “many other fish to fry”. “My concern is that we are seeing normalisation of the military performing functions that are not military functions,” he said.
Morrison asked Frewen to stay in touch with top state and territory bureaucrats through a group chaired by Phil Gaetjens, the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
There was no mention in the letter of “Operation Covid Shield”, the phrase that Morrison now uses to refer to the vaccine taskforce. The title has evoked memories of Operation Sovereign Borders, a military-led effort to turn back asylum-seeker boats instituted when Morrison was immigration minister.
Frewen was the commander of Defence’s own Covid-19 taskforce when appointed to the new role.
The letter and the covering email were released by PM&C this week. But the FOI decision maker refused to release a second related document, on the grounds it would reveal “deliberative processes” and “disclosure would be contrary to the public interest”.
Similar FOI requests were sent to the defence and health departments but decisions have yet to be finalised.
At a media conference in early August, Frewen was asked whether he was concerned about his role becoming politicised.
“Look, I serve the government of the day, as I have almost four decades now,” Frewen said.
