Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Let me state for the record that the coalition, whether in government or in opposition, will never withhold or withdraw support for our troops, particularly when they are serving overseas. In receiving this statement today, the coalition supports the statement in principle. Our work in Operation Slipper commenced some 6½ years ago. The International Security Assistance Force, led by Major General Mark Evans and supported by Brigadier Stuart Smith, has done an outstanding job. Whether it is through the National Command Element, the liaison offices, Reconstruction Task Force 3, the Special Operations Task Group, the Air Force control and reporting centres, the force level logistic assets or, indeed, other support elements, the Australian military has a great presence and has made a great contribution. Indeed, in this House last week we moved condolence motions for Special Forces Sergeant Matthew Locke, Trooper David Pearce and Special Forces Commando Luke Worsley, who gave their lives in defending the freedoms and democracies that Australia stepped up to the plate for after 9-11 to make sure that there was a democratic, free Afghanistan, which was free of terrorist elements that rain down not only on that country but indeed across the world. We stood up to the plate at that time, I am proud to say, and the Labor opposition supported that.

Some of the work that has been achieved over there includes the training of 130 Afghanis who are being trained by our people in the reconstruction task force in the trade training schools. One hundred and thirty-five members of the Afghan National Army have been trained by the reconstruction task force. Some of their work has included the redevelopment of Tarin Kowt provincial hospital, the renovation of Tarin Kowt high school and major causeway constructions over the Garmab Mandah River. The ANP checkpoints on the eastern and western edges of Tarin Kowt have now been completed. The Yaklengah health centre has been renovated. The Talani school has been refurbished. Training has been implemented—that is, put in place and commenced—at the Afghan health and development services. Twenty wells throughout Tarin Kowt have been established to provide clean drinking water for people. This is the fine work of the Australian military in areas such as Afghanistan.

The issue that we have in relation to this statement is that, to date, the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow minister for defence, I and our shadow parliamentary secretary, the member for Herbert, have not actually been briefed on the processes of this ministerial statement and what it means. We support the idea of increasing training, but there are some questions that we have to ask which would normally be asked during a private briefing, such as questions concerning the allocation of special protection forces for our trainers. We do not intend to be political in relation to this statement; we intend to be supportive of our men and women who serve overseas.

Much has been said by the minister in relation to the information provided by NATO. I am informed by previous ministers for defence and for foreign affairs that we have always had access to and been included in NATO information. I can only assume that, with this restructuring of the force, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister must have had information provided to them that showed the necessity of developing this battalion of Afghanis to provide greater security and protection in their growth and development as a country providing their own security. The minister has mentioned the need to stamp out the narcotics trade. This is very important. The effects on the local people there and, indeed, across the globe are quite dramatic. The human rights injustices created by the Taliban and the terrorists that have been active in that area have been beyond a dimension that we could ever understand. Without prolonging this, we support this ministerial statement in principle as we have always supported our fine men and women who serve in the Australian military.

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