An open letter addressed to the new PM and signed by nine prominent persons (including ex-PM Malcolm Fraser) was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on September 14, 2013.

The open letter invited the “prime minister-elect Tony Abbott to tell the Australian people whether he believes that a prime minister should continue to have the authority to take Australia into international armed conflict on her/his own, or whether he would support a bill requiring parliamentary debate and approval before the Australian Defence Force is deployed overseas in combat.”

The open letter was signed by Paul Barratt, John Menadue, Malcolm Fraser, Professor Ian Maddocks, Professor Peter Baume, Gary Woodward, Professor Ramesh Thakur, Elizabeth Evatt and Kellie Merritt. 

Read the whole open letter here.