Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd have questioned why Scott Morrison got a rockstar welcome during a recent visit to an Australian airbase.
A photo emerged of Australia's Prime Minister walking off a plane and onto the vibrant red carpet with a 'Ceremonial Stairway Guard' on either side of him at the RAAF Base Williamtown earlier this month
It was certainly a glitzy welcome for the leader and while you might think it's fitting to honour the highest ranking political member of Australia, it's historically very odd.
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A spokesperson for Mr Turnbull told the ABC they don't 'recall any domestic arrivals at a RAAF Base or commercial airport where he was greeted by a Ceremonial Stairway Guard'.
Similarly, Kevin07's spokesperson said that type of arrival definitely isn't standard protocol.
This idea was further compounded when a man with 40 years of experience with the Australian Defence Force confirmed he had never seen anything like it.
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Ray Martin wrote on Twitter: "In 40 years in the ADF, with eight Prime Ministers during that time, never saw one receive a red carpet and an honour guard for an internal visit to a base.
Until now. Did I miss one?"
Hell, we didn't even roll out the red carpet when the Prince Charles visited an RAAF base in Darwin back in 2018. You'd think the next in line to the British throne would get one but nope.
ABC's Fact Check dug into the archives and confirmed no Prime Minister has been pictured getting Mr Morrison's type of rockstar welcome.
We've dished out similar glitzy welcomes for the Indonesian Air Force in 2007 and former Governor-General Peter Cosgrove in 2018.
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Apart from those two events, the only other time was in February this year for the arrival of Ministers for Defence and Defence Industry, Linda Reynolds and Melissa Price, as well as the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld and Air-Vice Marshal Cath Roberts
That's it.
Neil James, the executive director of the Australia Defence Association, told the national broadcaster he initially thought the image of Mr Morrison was photoshopped.
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"Is it standard procedure for a prime minister to be greeted by a Ceremonial Stair Guard? The clear answer is no," Mr James said. "It doesn't matter whether you're visiting a ship, an army base or an airforce base, this just doesn't happen.
"One of the key points about the Defence Force is that you don't bring the Defence Force into political controversy.
"Surely someone in the Prime Minister's Office should have looked at it and said 'this will embarrass the political neutrality of the Defence Force, we shouldn't use this'."
Featured Image Credit: Scott Morrison/InstagramTopics: Australia