A former defence minister has called on all who have held the portfolio to share in responsibility for alleged war crimes.

From 2009 to 2013, the Brereton report alleges Australian soldiers committed 39 unlawful killings of Afghan prisoners and civilians.

Labor backbencher Joel Fitzgibbon, minister for defence from 2007 to 2009, acknowledged that SAS forces were deployed on rotations that were too long and too frequent.

“I’m very happy to take some responsibility Deb, I think every defence minister should,” he told Deborah Knight.

“Every person along that chain of command should take their share of responsibility as well.

“We did drive our diggers too hard.”

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