The appointment of Lieutenant General John Frewen as Coordinator General of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce raised some eyebrows when it was announced back in June.

Labor accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison — who casually refers to the Lt General as ‘JJ’ — of “hiding from scrutiny behind military uniforms”, given the poor perception of the vaccine rollout at the time.  

But Lt Gen Frewen has since gained a reputation for being forthright and across the details. Plenty of journalists have asked about niche statistics and been told, “I can get that for you.” And they’ve got it.  

Here, he talks with Australian Doctor about his current focus and what he’s learnt from dealing with general practice.