Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the motion moved by the member for Ryan. I will start with a long-used quote: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’ That is why, as a government, you need to make the tough decisions and the right decisions. Sometimes the public may not be behind you but you still have to do what is right for your country and the world.

Prior to participating in the war that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, the Australian government made a commitment to do everything in its power to encourage the establishment of a representative government in postwar Iraq. As the end of 2006 draws near, we do not resile from this commitment. Unlike those on the other side of this chamber, I believe it is crucial that the Australian government remains unequivocally committed to the aspirations of the Iraqi people to a democratic and free society. What more would any country want?

On three occasions in 2005—in March, in October and again in December—Iraqis endured the most fearful intimidation to come out in their millions, even in the insurgent strongholds, to vote in favour of a democratic future. What is more fair, reasonable and right? Saddam Hussein, whose regime was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, has now been tried and sentenced by his own people. His sons were butchers. They would systematically rape women. If you were an Iraqi parent, you did not want your daughter to be in the Iraqi Olympic team. Why? Because they would have been sexually abused. This is the type of government Saddam Hussein had, and this is why it was so crucial that he be toppled.

These events represent to the world the shining emblem of the Iraqi people’s determination to move forward towards democracy, but Labor seems opposed to this. In this place on 19 October this year the Leader of the Opposition said of Labor’s alternative strategy for Australia’s future in Iraq that it involves three elements. The first is the unilateral withdrawal of Australian troops. I ask you: then what happens? The second is to provide Iraqis with aid and training. I totally concur with that and we have been doing that. The third is to put Australian troops in the region and our resources into practical measures. I would say we are doing that too.

In essence, Labor’s policy is nothing more than to unilaterally pull out Australian troops and hope for the best. But why? The Leader of the Opposition argues that coalition troops are a magnet for jihadists around the world who are destabilising Iraq and causing disputes between the Shiite and Sunni communities. He may be correct, but that does not mean that it is in Australia’s best interests or in the world’s best interests to withdraw. It is significant that in presenting Labor’s policy the Leader of the Opposition is careful to avoid the question of what effect an Australian withdrawal would have on the morale of the terrorists within Iraq and, more importantly, around the world. Moreover, the Leader of the Opposition says nothing about what effect an Australian withdrawal would have on the United States and on other Western liberal democracies with whom Australia has so far stood shoulder to shoulder against terrorism. Labor has simply chosen to ignore these pivotal questions.

The Leader of the Opposition also believes that Australia should withdraw its troops because the coalition leadership in Iraq is a security blanket for the Iraqi civilian leadership. To advocate a unilateral withdrawal, paying no heed to whether the Iraqi civilian leadership is capable of managing without coalition support, is incredibly reckless and ill considered. Adopting Labor’s strategy would make Australia a mere proxy of our enemies. It would give great heart to the non-state actors from every corner of the globe, from Jerusalem to Jakarta, to recruit and strike Western interests.

Australia is a country that honours its commitments. No Australian government should unilaterally leave its allies to finish a job that they began together in good faith, especially when the basis for doing so is as precarious as that upon which the Labor Party’s policy rests. For those reasons I support the government’s position on Iraq, and I commend the member for Ryan’s motion to this House. I have heard the opposition members’ contributions, and I fully concur that our Australian troops are doing a fantastic job under trying circumstances. I congratulate our troops on their service to this country in the war against terrorism. (Time expired)

See this speech in context