Ben Roberts-Smith did not show up at the Australian War Memorial, but he almost overshadowed it

The circus didn’t move on; in the end, it never arrived.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suspended parliamentary businesses early on Tuesday to allow federal MPs to attend the opening of the Australian War Memorial’s new Anzac Hall. It should have been a unifying moment, with the focus on the veterans who fought and died for their nation in conflicts overseas.

Instead, a planned appearance by decorated soldier turned accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith threatened to turn the event into a media frenzy and another front in the culture wars. Roberts-Smith successfully varied two of his bail conditions last week so he could attend the ceremony.

Greens leader Larissa Waters said she would skip the opening given Roberts-Smith is facing five counts of the war crime of murder for his time with the Special Air Service Regiment in Afghanistan. He denies the charges.

Defence Minister Richard Marles defended the Victoria Cross winner’s decision to attend the opening, saying it was “absolutely appropriate” for him to be included.

“There is a presumption of innocence in this country and Ben Roberts‑Smith is a recipient of the Victoria Cross, and the Victoria Cross recipients have been invited to this, which is appropriate and so I am comfortable about that,” Marles said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was more than comfortable, she was enthused.

“I’ll be going, and I am hoping to actually catch up with him, say hello to him, give him my support,” said Hanson, a passionate Roberts-Smith defender.

As dignitaries began arriving in Canberra for the lavish event, however, Roberts-Smith’s lawyers announced he would be a no-show.

Roberts-Smith’s barrister Slade Howell told the Downing Centre local court in Sydney that his client would no longer be attending after he “fell ill” with a bad stomach flu.

“As a result has not travelled to Canberra to attend the official opening at the war memorial,” Howell told the court.

This absence meant he did not come face-to-face with Liberal frontbencher and former special forces soldier Andrew Hastie, who has become a hate figure in parts of the conservative movement for appearing as a witness in Roberts-Smith’s unsuccessful defamation trial against The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

The nation’s top military leaders, including outgoing defence force chief David Johnston, attended the event, as did Albanese.

“What a sublime and powerful addition it is. A bold vision turned into a reality that enhances the institution of which it is now part,” the prime minister said of the new hall, which includes three major new galleries on Australian defence personnel’s service in Afghanistan, peacekeeping operations and the Middle East.

“It amounts to an act of profound respect from the nation to all who have served in our name, and all who serve now.”

War Memorial director Matt Anderson described the new gallery as the country’s “most comprehensive exhibition ever created on Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan, Australia’s longest war”.

“It is so contemporary the galleries were formed in real time. The fall of Kabul was happening as our curators were collecting the unfolding stories,” he said.

As she arrived at event, Hanson expressed disappointment that Roberts-Smith could not attend, saying he deserved to be there.

Not everyone felt so glum about Roberts-Smith’s conspicuous non-attendance. As much as they may have defended his right to appear at the event, you could almost hear the sighs of relief emanating from the event’s organisers.

The prospect of an ugly, or at the very least tense, spectacle had been averted.

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