Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to debate what I consider an important issue, and I acknowledge the role of the member of Cook in bringing this issue before the parliament. It is exceptionally important that the Australian parliament expresses its view about the shocking and critical developments occurring in Zimbabwe. Some of the latest developments referred to today concern the parliamentary Amnesty group’s concerns about the representation of Alec Muchadehama and Andrew Makoni from the law society. The two arrested lawyers evidently endured critical conditions and had their personal liberty compromised. Efforts were appropriately made to represent the two lawyers, but it is alleged that they were met with strong police defiance and intimidation. I hope that today’s report by the member for Denison about their release is correct. The actions of the police, as far as I am concerned, directly violated constitutional rights, including protection of the law, presumption of innocence and legal representation.

More importantly, it is appropriate that we consider the general situation in Zimbabwe today. It is saddening to think that this is typical of the precarious situation in Zimbabwe, a nation that would have a great opportunity if it could only get some decent leadership and a strong democracy. The human rights atrocities committed in Zimbabwe have long been reported by the United Nations. It is alarming to consider what conditions must be like for people in Zimbabwe, when the life expectancy of the average woman has decreased from 63 to 34 years in just 10 years. Inflation is currently at 1,000 per cent and is higher than that of any other country in the world. Agricultural production has declined significantly since white farmers were forcibly removed from farms in 2000. The country is now experiencing dire food shortages that aid agencies are finding impossible to address.

I think I express the view of all members of the House when I say that Zimbabwe is an international disgrace. The Australian government has appropriately tried to engage the Zimbabwean President, Mr Mugabe, and, unfortunately, has consistently met with a brick wall. In 2003, President Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth in response to the Commonwealth’s expressions of concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe. I note that, since 1997, the International Monetary Fund, the Bush administration and the Blair government have all withdrawn funding to Zimbabwe. Funding arrangements have become untenable due to the nation’s massive human rights atrocities and the Zimbabwean government’s refusal to address its alleged humanitarian violations.

It is hard to believe that this once proud nation has crumbled and disintegrated into upheaval and chaos in just over two decades. I visited Zimbabwe in the early nineties when I had the privilege, as part of the CHOGM process, to chair a meeting of the Commonwealth council of trade unions which was about lifting sanctions on South Africa. It was a meeting in which we celebrated the success of finally making progress and ending apartheid in South Africa. That was the first and only occasion on which I have had the opportunity to visit Zimbabwe. Then, I found a nation that had opportunity. But we saw the first tendencies towards the problems which Zimbabwe now confronts across the length and breadth of the nation.

It is interesting to note that in 1979 the Zimbabwe African National Union led the nation to independence. Unfortunately, since that time, as we know today, Robert Mugabe, who was once feted and respected in the international community, has held continuous rule as Prime Minister and then as President. That is the unfortunate situation—that he was once feted and respected. Now, Mugabe rules over a violent and bloody regime, and the people are living in inhuman conditions. I can only hope that the debate today further focuses both the Australian community and the international community on our concerns about what is occurring in Zimbabwe.

We look to the leadership of the Commonwealth and the Australian government to make further progress in trying to improve the situation of ordinary people in Zimbabwe. It is a nation with a future—provided we can get a change of government, which has to be led by the people but which may need international support and encouragement to achieve that on the ground. I commend the motion to the House. It is something that deserves the support of all of the Australian people, not just the parliament.

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