The Defence Minister has responded to claims the family of a soldier murdered in Afghanistan were told to keep quiet about their son’s death.

Peter Dutton told Ray Hadley Defence has “the utmost respect” for Private Robert Poate’s family, and “completely understands” their grief and anger.

“But we need to have the appropriate level of sensitivity.

“Sometimes there are difficulties in the communication of information that Defence would like kept secret for a number of reasons.

“It might’ve been intelligence that’s come from a partner and ally, and they ask for that to be kept in confidence.

“Part of the idea of the Royal Commission is to listen to many of these cases, and work out how Defence can do things better into the future.”

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