Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this important debate today on the motion to take note of the Prime Minister’s statement on Australia’s commitment to Afghanistan. I will not say it is a pleasure, because, to be frank, any discussion of war can never be a pleasure. Nevertheless, it is entirely appropriate that we, as representatives of the people of Australia, reflect on the situation in Afghanistan and the critical role our soldiers are playing in trying to bring stability to that troubled nation as well as the wider consequences for the fight against terrorism and the support of international security.

Nine years after this war began, it is sometimes easy to overlook the magnitude of the events that gave rise to it. However, we must not ever forget the horrors of September 11, 2001. The barbaric and murderous acts of terror carried out that day were not merely an attack on a few buildings or one particular nation; they were an attack on our way of life, on democratic freedoms, on individual freedoms, on individual liberty, on free economies, on all that we hold dear. There were a great many disturbing and indeed sickening images to emerge on that day. These things are indelibly burned into our memories—the collapse of the twin towers, the burning Pentagon, the scenes of panic as New Yorkers ran to safety, the flag-draped stretchers bearing the bodies of those emergency workers who died whilst saving others and, as emerged later, the harrowing and emotional recordings of calls made by those who in their last moments of life took the opportunity to phone those closest to them and tell them that they loved them one final time.

Yet perhaps the most disturbing images to emerge from those days were not the images captured in the United States; rather they were the scenes of jubilation witnessed in some parts of the world as radical Islamic fundamentalists cheered, danced, held rallies and otherwise celebrated the murders of thousands of innocent people. I am prepared to accept that cultural factors may have had a bearing on some behaviours, but there can be no factor—cultural, religious or otherwise—that can ever excuse the images we saw emerging from some parts of the world in those days immediately following September 11. Any person who doubts that pure evil lies at the core of al-Qaeda’s being need only be shown the footage I have just described.

In September 2001 the world resolved to confront the evil of al-Qaeda and vowed never to let anything akin to these attacks happen again. Yet even as the struggle in Afghanistan was in what we now know were its early days, Australia again suffered the trauma of terrorist violence as 88 of our country’s men and women died as a result of terrorist bombings in Bali in October 2002. This brought the horrifying reality of terrorism right into Australia’s backyard, as we saw our fellow Australians being slain by Islamic fundamentalists for doing what we all like to do—relaxing and spending time with friends and family. If there had been any doubt that the terrorists’ goal was to destroy our way of life and attack our freedoms, the Bali bombings surely ended it. In the years to follow, we would again be reminded of the terrorists’ determination to wreak havoc wherever possible as we witnessed further attacks in Indonesia, in Spain and in London—all of them places frequented by Australians.

The war in Afghanistan and the broader war against terrorism are not like previous conflicts. The enemy does not respect geographic boundaries and measures its success not in terms of territory gained but in terms of numbers killed. This is the brutal reality we are forced to confront. We are dealing with an enemy which does not adhere to any facet of basic human decency. What can one say of people who think nothing of using civilians as human shields as they engage in gunfire with our soldiers? What can be said of a regime that brutally suppresses women, that restricts access to education and that executes people on a whim? There is no epithet that is vile enough to describe the mindset of these murderous people.

There are some who feel that this conflict can be resolved through dialogue, through negotiation, through trying to understand the other side’s viewpoint. I do not agree. That view is based on a tragically misguided assumption—namely, that we are dealing with rational people. Quite plainly we are not. An enemy that actively seeks to prevent learning is hardly going to be inclined to engage in reasoned discussion with its opponents. There is no such thing as a moderate fundamentalist or a rational radical. Despite the claims of al-Qaeda’s apologists—and, unbelievably, there are some dotted throughout the Western world—these terrorists are not misunderstood. They are not victims. They are not misguided, oppressed, dispossessed, disenfranchised or any of the other various adjectives employed by those that seek to defend the indefensible. They are irrational, hate-fuelled killers who will stop at nothing in the pursuit of their twisted and barbaric objectives.

If the Taliban and their al-Qaeda partners are not stopped in Afghanistan, they will move further into Pakistan. They will keep pushing, taking violence to the Western world again and again. We have already seen them do it in the USA, in the UK, in Spain and in Indonesia. We cannot afford to let it happen here in Australia. Accordingly, it is right that our soldiers continue to fight in Afghanistan along with our coalition allies. This is not a war of conquest. The task may not be simple, but the goal is. We seek nothing more than a free society—where thought is not a crime, dissent can be a virtue and religion is a choice that reflects the innate goodness of the human heart. As I say, this task is not a simple one, but then establishing a free country never is. Australia is one of the few free nations on earth that was not birthed through violent revolution, though that is not to suggest its birth was easy or free of suffering, because plainly it was not.

Australian soldiers are undertaking vitally important work in Afghanistan, mentoring, training and supporting the Afghan army’s 4th brigade. Progress is being made and, yes, progress is slow—slower than I would like and slower than most Australians would like. It is true that our soldiers are operating in one of Afghanistan’s more dangerous regions, Oruzgan province, and this is reflected in the tragedy of the increased number of Australian casualties in recent months. I spoke last week in the parliament of the tremendous and ultimate sacrifice these young men made to secure the safety of the Afghan people and to protect the security of Australians here at home.

We have lost 21 of our finest in this struggle against the Taliban. There can be no more confronting reminder of the cost of this war than the sight of grieving families farewelling their loved ones, particularly distraught children attending their dad’s funeral. I know all of us were especially moved by the funeral of Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney, when news emerged later that day that in the hours following the funeral Jared MacKinney’s wife, Beckie, had given birth to their second child—a son, Noah Jared.

I have said before and I say again that war has a terrible human cost. Having served for a long period in the Army, I understand the challenges our soldiers face. Yet when you read the statements from the families of fallen soldiers, many of the same themes emerge—that they believed in serving their country, how highly they valued the friendship and support of their fellow soldiers and that they supported the mission and believed in the cause they died supporting.

I believe that to abandon this mission now would fail to honour the sacrifice made by these 21 brave and dedicated soldiers and family men. Having begun this difficult task nine years ago, we have to see it through. Australia owes that much to Afghanistan, to our allies and ultimately to ourselves and the families of the 21 soldiers we have lost.

I am not arguing for an open-ended commitment. Australia has certain tasks to complete in mentoring the Afghan army and making sure that it is able to provide protection and security for its own citizens. We must also provide the support that is needed to Afghanistan’s central government, to make sure it is able to suppress the Taliban threat on a permanent basis. This will not be quick or easy; however, I maintain that a few difficult years now is infinitely preferable to an even more protracted struggle down the road, as would undoubtedly occur were the Taliban to infest other nations in the region, including Pakistan, with its hideous ideology.

To leave now would almost certainly guarantee the re-emergence of a Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. What progress has been made in terms of democratic elections, improved rights for women and better educational opportunities for the Afghan people would be wiped out. With a secure base in Afghanistan, the Taliban and its al-Qaeda allies would once more turn their murderous intentions toward Pakistan, to the rest of the subcontinent, to the Middle East and perhaps to Central Asia. That would have devastating implications for Australia and for Australians, both in national security and in economic terms.

Having committed to this mission, we must ensure that our soldiers have the equipment and resources they need to undertake their very difficult task. I support the words used by the Leader of the Opposition during his very effective contribution to this debate:

It is not our role to second-guess the advice of commanders on the ground in terms of troop numbers or equipment.

I trust the government will continue to monitor the situation carefully and provide timely information to this parliament as appropriate. I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to an annual statement in this House about the progress being made—and I hope that on each occasion in the years immediately ahead whoever is Prime Minister will be able to inform the House that greater progress is being made as Afghanistan moves towards a more independent national security framework.

I know that this is not a position all members of the House will share, nor is it a position that all Australians will share. In the lead-up to this debate, I have been contacted by numerous constituents in Cowan. I am sure many members of this place have had a similar experience. War, by its very nature, is an issue that evokes a wide range of passionate opinions. Those of my constituents with whom I have spoken have represented a full range of opinions. I thank the constituents who have taken the time to let me know their views on the war in Afghanistan. This has happened in recent days, but also I thank the many people who have raised issues with me over the whole three years I have been the member for Cowan. Many of my constituents have drawn upon their own experiences in Vietnam and other wars or operations and I value their perspectives. Others have provided me with their moral and ideological viewpoints. All are valid. What has been clear is that in Cowan the majority of people who have contacted me do not like war and they do not like our soldiers dieing in Afghanistan, but they do appreciate that the Taliban and al-Qaeda cannot be allowed to win and that our soldiers should not die in vain.

One of those who took the time to contact me ahead of my contribution today was Mr Patrick Shinnick, himself a CMF veteran. Mr Shinnick holds some strong views on the Afghanistan conflict and the level of support being afforded to our soldiers. Whilst I and the many other people I have spoken to about the war in the last three years do not agree with every issue he raised in his correspondence to me, I would certainly echo the sentiment he expressed—I understand this is not an original quote—that, ‘They only deserve freedom who are prepared to defend it.’ I would also note two more views of Mr Shinnick which are widely held in Cowan. Although I have not covered them today, I have mentioned them before in parliament. The first point is the concern that so many of those who come by boat illegally from Afghanistan choose to come here and not to fight for the freedom of their own country. Mr Shinnick and one other constituent of mine suggested that we should arm and train the young men who come here illegally by boat and send them back to fight in their own country. I would advocate great caution in arming these people, as I believe they could then constitute a security threat for Australia.

The second point Mr Shinnick raises, which I particularly agree with, is the matter of compensation and support for the families of the soldiers killed or wounded. This is a matter that represents an obligation of the nation to those who have given so much in the national interest. I hope that this debate serves to remind all members of the important cause our soldiers are fighting for in Afghanistan. As I have remarked before, I often think that when we enter the House of Representatives each day we should have to walk past a board showing the names of the soldiers who have died in this current war, to remind us that our deliberations and our decisions have serious consequences. This discussion must never be couched solely in language concerning financial cost or foreign policy outcomes. Regrettably, soldiers will be lost and families will be devastated.

In our determination to see our mission through, let us not forget the names of those 21 who have given their lives to help bring stability to a troubled region. Let us not forget the families they leave behind, particularly young children. Let us not forget those who have suffered and died at the hands of the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other Islamic fundamentalist and terrorist groups who will stop at nothing in the pursuit of their perverted ideological ends. Let us not forget those Australians who have died at the hands of terrorists around the world—the innocent victims of barbaric murderers who measure success not in terms of votes won or minds changed but merely in terms of numbers killed.

I am sure the thoughts of all members of the House of Representatives are with our soldiers in Afghanistan. We should all be proud of the job they are doing, of the way they represent our country in some of the most inhospitable places on earth. We wish them well as they continue their difficult work and hope that further progress is made, that the pace of success increases and that they return to their homes and families safely.

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