Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and, subsequently, coalition troops fighting in Afghanistan. On this occasion it is important for us to take hold and remember why we first went into Afghanistan, to remember what we have fought to achieve and just how far we have come. At this time we must not lose our courage, our resolve and our commitment to the ideals which our service men and women have sacrificed and fought for.

Earlier this year I visited Afghanistan and was witness to the many significant gains we are making—greater gains than ever before and gains at a greater rate than ever before. Australia is making a difference and there are tangible results to be seen. There have been significant improvements in security, and the ability of the Taliban to engage in armed conflict and recruit supporters has been severely impeded.

Australians are taking an active role in preparing Afghanistan to secure its future. Troops such as those I spent significant time with in Mentoring Task Force 3 are having a genuinely positive impact by skilling the Afghan National Army to take the lead on security. Australian troops are providing the essential element of any civilised society—that is, security. An enduring sense of security will be a strong incentive to the Afghan people not to pick up a weapon, to do things differently to how they have been done before, to voice concerns peacefully and to live without the violence that has defined the Afghan nation for so long.

This progress is positive in more than one way. We are seeing communities develop from often the simplest of tasks. Successes in what we might see as the most simple of tasks, such as building a road or a school or a market, are creating power, prestige and legitimacy for the elected government, resulting in greater trust and better communities.

These are positive impacts that will outlast our presence in Afghanistan. This represents tangible and real progression towards a more free and secure Afghanistan. These gains repudiate the often misguided public perception that what we are doing in Afghanistan is like putting our hand in a bucket of water only to pull it out and see the progress washed away. This progress is being made in such a way that the Afghan people will be able to continue to sustain and develop its governing capacity after the coalition forces withdraw. Dedicating the time and resources required to reach a point where the country is self-sustainable is of critical importance. The timing of our withdrawal must be determined by the realities on the ground. To withdraw too soon would undermine the achievements of our troops thus far, negating the many positive advances we have seen in Afghanistan.

As politicians it is in part our responsibility to communicate the positive gains we have made in Afghanistan. The greatest frustration I found from our service men and women on the ground was how the war is reported back home, particularly the failure to report the positive achievements our troops are making. As the Prime Minister said in this place, the ramp ceremonies and funerals that Australians see on TV are part of the story, undeniably an important part of the story, but they are not the whole story.

The Afghanistan that we are working towards, that our highly professional and committed soldiers are fighting for, is an Afghanistan where its people are free to choose their own way of life and determine their own future, one which is governed by an elected government that has the legitimacy and security it requires for effective governance.

With this in mind, it is imperative that as politicians we begin to turn our attention to our future strategic partnership with Afghanistan, a partnership beyond military ties and which will add value to both our nations. We are well within reach of the goal of the ANA taking the lead on security by 2014, as the Prime Minister has already stated in this place.

I had the privilege of meeting with many DFAT and AusAID officials who are undertaking the all-too-often undervalued work of engagement and assistance to the Afghan and provincial government. They are supporting the democratic process and institutions that encourage economic growth and a prosperous civil society. It is the vital work that these departments and agencies do now that will help determine the enduring success of our mission in Afghanistan long after we leave. It is their work that will help the Afghan and provincial governments ensure greater effectiveness and self-sufficiency of their governance. It is in this light that it is evident that the success in Afghanistan will be a process as much as an outcome. We also need to be engaging with nations across the region such as Pakistan to ensure that they are not granting sanctuary to terrorism, as was underlined this year by the successful mission by the United States against the head of al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, in Pakistan. Finally, we need to continue to support the good work that our troops are doing. Our men and women serving in Afghanistan need to be assured that they have our support and that we are proud of the work they are doing to ensure a safer Afghanistan, a nation that will never again harbour terrorism or extremism.

Speaking with our troops in Afghanistan, I was immensely proud and encouraged to see that among our troops morale is high. They believe in what they are doing and bring a sense of purpose to their duties. They believe in what they are achieving and are optimistic about their    progress. Too many of our finest Australians have paid the ultimate price to ensure that a stable Afghanistan is a better place for the Afghans and less conducive for those who promote terror and violence. The perception of our troops is that there is little justice given to the gains being made and little support for their hard work on the ground.

We have an opportunity to get this right and to stop Afghanistan continuing to harbour those who would threaten our way of life. We have an opportunity to cement the gains we are making. But, in order to do so, in order to protect our way of life, we need to stay the distance to see our mission through. The cost of prematurely withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan is too great. The stability of Afghanistan and the region rests in an exit strategy that is founded on the progress and realities on the ground. The best way for us to honour the sacrifices of our servicemen and servicewomen, to honour those lives lost in this battle, is to see it through to the end.

Let me conclude by saying that I was deeply humbled and awed by the professionalism, dedication and commitment I witnessed in our servicemen and servicewomen on the ground. Regardless of our individuals views on Afghanistan, all Australians should be immensely proud of those in uniform, those who every day embody the ANZAC spirit.

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