Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I have a couple of questions for the parliamentary secretary. I would like to table a document in relation to Zimbabwe, in particular in relation to Australian government policy relating to Zimbabwe. I have a report written by Andrew Macpherson, who the parliamentary secretary has met before. He has done extensive aid, agriculture and food production work in various parts of the world, but particularly in Africa. I will seek leave in a moment to table the report that he has made to me.

He has recently been in Zimbabwe. He has been a resident of Harare for something like 18 to 20 years. He is currently living in Armidale, frequently travelling back to parts of Africa. He still has a home in Zimbabwe with his wife, who has been involved in a lot of international education programs as well with African students coming to Australia. The issue that he raised, which I would like the minister and the parliamentary secretary to take on board, is the foreign policy initiatives in relation to Zimbabwe’s government of national unity. He met with some of the ministers of the current government and also with the Australian ambassador. There seems to be a view—and it is a view that I hold in a sense—to do with Australia, because of Mugabe and the games that have been played over the years and the way in which the Mugabe government has really thumbed its nose at the international community much to the detriment of the people who actually live in Zimbabwe. There is a feeling coming through particularly from the Morgan Tsvangirai supporters that, with the formation of the government of national unity and because of the deteriorating economic circumstances and the virtual nonexistence of money in the country at the moment, rather than penalise the people of Zimbabwe to in effect penalise the president we should look at initiatives to help the government of national unity. It would not be putting money in the pockets of President Mugabe and his followers but would be embarking on processes, maybe through the United Nations or other organisations, whereby money could be used to assist in some areas particularly where reformers have a role to play in the new government. There is a feeling coming through in this document that I have here that would suggest that if we leave Zimbabwe out in the cold that will in fact play into the hands of the Mugabe thugs into the future. So I will table this document for the minister and the parliamentary secretary to look at. I think it is a good account of someone who has lived in that country, knows the agricultural scene in that country and the way in which people relate and knows of the efforts that are going on in terms of the government of national unity to improve that country. I now seek leave to table the document.

Leave granted.

I thank the House. The other issue that I raise briefly is Australia’s foreign policy role in assisting agricultural production particularly in Africa. I know that, for example, Sudan, in these times when we are talking about food security, has the potential, because of its very extensive and magnificent dryland soils—and they are dry but Australia has dry soils as well—to produce six times the food that Australia produces. With the climate change debate, in particular the carbon footprint debate that is going to be going on, I think Australia will have to play a much greater role in assisting countries like Sudan—and I know there are political issues as to a place like Sudan—to come to grips with food production in their own countries rather than our having the transportation of food all over the world under some sort of artificial market in which many of the players cannot afford to pay for the food anyway—and with a carbon tax on top of that we do not know what that will all actually mean. So I would invite the parliamentary secretary to address those two issues. (Time expired)

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