Janet King

I need the receipt. Hang on a sec. I think it's in the back.

I know I brought it.

Got it.

Oi, mate!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Oh, my...! Oh!

Lincoln?

Er, yeah, sure. I can come in.

OK.

I want it! I want it!

I want it!

Come on, guys, stop fighting over... Didn't we get two of these?

Where's the other one? Er, upstairs.

Well, let's leave this one here.

We've run out of time. It's a change of plan.

Quickly get your bags and your hats.

More time for school! Yeah, time for school time.

Come on. Change of plan. And big family hug. Come here.

Come on, Liam. Give me a hug. Ooh, I love you. Mwah! Mwah!

Alright. Blast off! Whoo!

Last one to the car's a rotten egg!

I hear you're doing an inquest this week.

Yes, the corporal from Holsworthy. He topped himself, didn't he?

I couldn't possibly pre-empt the findings.

We first crossed swords over a suicide.

Remember the Jack Rizzoli inquest? Yes.

How long ago was that now?

I'd gained preselection but I was still at the bar

so that must be, er, what, three years?

Two and a half. Mm.

I never was convinced you told us the whole truth about that night.

And Ash was still with you then, wasn't she?

Look, I don't really have a lot of time, so...

Mm. Alright. Enough small talk.

So obviously you and I have had a few differences

in the last few months,

some of them quite public.

Strangely, that could now work for us

because a young man was shot dead last night down in Bankstown.

In the last 15 months,

there have been 18 other shootings in the larger south-west area.

18, for God's sake!

Mostly with prohibited handguns

illegally imported into a country with supposedly tight gun laws

and nothing - no arrests, nada.

The public don't normally care about

crims knocking off crims in isolated spots,

except this was 50 metres from a crowded park.

That's kiddies in prams, and it was Australia Day -

everyone out celebrating what a happy, safe place this is.

Anyone could have been hit.

So we, as a government,

have decided that 19 is enough.

What in the hell is going on out there?

Where are these weapons coming from? Who's in control?

How are they being circulated? Those are the questions.

And, with the authority I have as Attorney General,

I would like to give you

a range of powers that the police can only dream of

so that you can give me the answers.

What are you talking about? A Royal Commission.

Open chequebook. You can seize anything, interrogate anyone.

We want you in charge.

Unless that's too confronting,

you know, given your... recent circumstances.

Love to.

You can see what's going on? Obviously.

Oh good. In that case, I won't say a thing.

I mean, a Royal Commission? It's all about making him look good.

Tony... Yeah, well, that's what's going on.

Yes, I realise.

He'll look strong, decisive but also compassionate,

inclusive, as though all your run-ins over the last year

were about policy, never personal.

Which, from my perspective... Yeah, I know.

But him, that political psychopath, he holds deep, abiding grudges.

The thing is, if you perform well,

he'll take the praise for being big enough to appoint you

but, if you trip up, he'll love watching you fall.

Either way, he wins. Well, hopefully, we both win.

Can you pick your team? Some.

He's already appointed a couple of juniors.

If they're his choices, beware.

Well, one's Lina, so that's OK.

Apparently she grew up in Bankstown,

as did the other one, Heather someone.

They're both locals. That's why he chose them.

I demanded Richard and we're discussing counsel assist.

Obviously, we'll have to apply for leave officially from the DPP

but, luckily, I'm on very good terms with the boss.

Shouldn't be a problem. Ha!

He wants to know whether you've been honest with yourself

about why you really want to do it.

Well, you tell him, when you see him, yes.

I've gotta go. Richard?

Wow. Thanks, I think.

You could fake a little more excitement.

I know Royal Commissions are inquisitorial forums

but will I research or investigate?

Whatever I tell you to do. Same as now, in other words.

I could withdraw the offer if you'd rather...

No, no. I'm thrilled. Should be great.

It's more money too, not that that motivates you.

Of course not.

The fair application of justice - that's what pays my rent.

Let's go over this research for the brief again.

Yes. Good.

Well, um, PTSD affects about 10% of all deployed troops, on average,

and, obviously, that's what Steve Allman was dealing with.

Obviously? Well, the symptoms are classic.

They call it the 'invisible wound'. It's actually quite fascinating.

In a nutshell, in the first few days after a traumatic event,

we remember the trauma

while also reliving the same sense of fear and danger.

Yes, I... And that's true for everyone.

But, after a while, 90% of us

can store that event in our long-term memory

and therefore separate it from that sense of fear

but 10% can't do that

and the longer they take to seek help, then the worse it gets.

But you probably already knew all that.

No, not all of it. Thanks. It was very interesting.

Lance Corporal Parker,

you gave evidence that in Corporal Allman's suicide note

he wrote, 'Major Hamilton's never let up on either of us,

ever since Uruzgan.'

Er, that's what he wrote, yes.

Is it true? No.

No, Steve just grew more and more convinced

that everyone thought he was worthless.

He thought everyone had it in for him.

So you'd say no form of bullying or abuse of power

played any part in Corporal Allman's decision to take his own life?

No.

And what about Uruzgan?

Er, that was the ambush in Afghanistan in 2013.

And the three of you were there?

We were returning to base.

Er, there were 24 of us in total.

Um, I was driving one of the Bushmasters

and, as we went through the Palau Pass,

they opened up from high on the left.

The guys on the tray had to get out of the truck

and use it as protection while they returned fire,

so I-I couldn't drive faster than they could move

until we got clear of the hills -

maybe half an hour.

Casualties?

10 wounded and 2 fatalities -

an American JTAC commander, and

PK, one of our Aussie dog handlers had

his cheek and bottom jaw shot off.

Did Corporal Allman witness that?

Yeah, he was right with him.

They had to keep running from one side of the truck to the other

so he saw him fall.

He... he tried to...

...to do something.

I think... I think he put him back up on the tray. I...

I was driving.

So Corporal Allman witnessed his colleague die right in front of him?

Yes. I-I think so.

That's what I heard.

Then Steve went to take PK's helmet 'cause his had been shot off

but he had to scoop out some of his brain and skull

so he could put it on.

He told you this? No, I found out later.

I was driving.

Sorry, it's not, um... Take your time, Corporal Parker.

We have time. No, I'm OK. It's...

Did he talk about it at all? No.

But he was never quite the same?

Well, he seemed so for a while, then...

I should've asked, I guess.

I could've asked.

She looked post-traumatic as well. She probably is.

Ready? Sure. You coming too?

Where? No, he has to prep for tomorrow.

OK, so Todd pulled over here

because he was looking for something in the back seat.

Train station's there, which means

if he'd stopped 50m that way, we'd have the whole thing on camera.

But as it is...? Nothing.

No-one saw or heard anything.

So I don't know what a Royal Commission can do that we can't.

Solve the crime, hopefully. Which we are already doing.

What? Oh, come on. I know that look.

If you've got something to say...

Firstly, thank you for agreeing to be

the Royal Commission's Police Liaison Officer.

Pleasure.

Secondly, we will need all the information the police have

on all the shootings over the last 15 months,

which, I note tonelessly, are currently unsolved.