Green independent MP; “I do not recall that I vos ever a Nazi.”

Cartoon; Bill Leak.

Andrew Wilkie is the obsessive MP who is holding the Gillard government to ransom over poker machine legislation.

A story has emerged over his officer cadet days when he was apparently something of a rebel who was disciplined frequently. There is no problem with this as young guys are often a bit rebellious.

In his case however it seems to go a great deal further. He was one of the senior cadets implicated in the Duntroon bastardisation inquiry. This was an event about 30 years ago over the victimization of the juniors by seniors at the Royal Military College where things got completely out of hand. It is normal for guys aspiring to be officers to be tested to see if they can handle adversity but it has bounds which were exceeded.

Wilkie has claimed in his defense that he was “seriously bastardised” in his first year and went on to bastardise others. It is noted that in the case of children who are sexually molested that they tend to go on to do the same thing, but this should not be an excuse. A rational person does not conduct himself in a manner that he has encountered but found unpleasant in others.

One report though that really tosses the excreta into the fan is that during that time he not only ordered cadets to give the Nazi salute on the 50th anniversary of Hitler’s rise to power but authorized the victimization of one who refused to comply.

Wilkie denies any recollection of the incident, but there are others including the guy who stood up to him who do. The reporter who brought this up is a relative and is fairly highly regarded. It is inconceivable that he would allow himself to be used as a tool. It happened.