Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate about our involvement in Afghanistan. The debate is timely as not only has the operation changed since our original involvement commenced in 2001, following the terrorist attacks in New York that year, but the politics have changed as well. Our current commitment to the operation in Afghanistan is our largest current troop commitment. It is our job to question the government to ensure not only that our troops are supported in the operation but also that there is sufficient budgetary appropriation to provide whatever is required by our commanders and advisers in the Department of Defence so that our troops are not let down by a lack of resources for the mission.

We have a right to question. I am not here to criticise; I am here to question the government so that the Australian public can have confidence that our troops are getting the support they need from their government. The people of Australia want to know that. That is why I welcome the statement by the Prime Minister and the opportunity to talk openly in the parliament about our commitment to the operation in Afghanistan.

I acknowledge and admire the professionalism of our troops because they operate in the time-honoured way of our history. They are like the Anzacs of long ago; they are our Anzacs of today. They rank amongst the best soldiers in the world. They are professional, they are good at their job and they are dedicated. It is not sufficient to just support the troops; we must support the objectives of the operation. The coalition has always supported the troops and the operation.

I had the opportunity as chairman of the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade to go to Afghanistan in 2002, under Operation Enduring Freedom. We went to the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The night before, we went to Kyrgyzstan and saw the pilots and those involved in the air operation. It was with great pride that I was able to be there and see the men and women who formed part of that operation. Under the same chairmanship role, I was able to go to Iraq in 2005 and go on patrol with our troops out of Al Muthana province and then on into Baghdad. It is worth recording that whilst we were in Iraq the referendum that had been conducted saw the people of Iraq determine their own constitution which requires that the parliament in Baghdad must include 25 per cent women members. That is a far cry from the situation that existed under Saddam Hussein. I put that on the record because I have been to see where our troops have operated. Not only have I seen the environment; I spent a night in the desert with them and I went on patrol with them, and I have seen the terrain where they operate.

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