Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The tragic events in the United States of 9-11 showed us that we live in a global village, that no-one is an island. Australia's loss of lives in the Bali bombings demonstrated that we are not immune from the world's new kind of war. No longer do the brave men and women of our defence forces go away to distant countries, as their predecessors once did, to fight a war in a fixed location to prevent it spreading, maybe even spreading to Australia. Instead, the new international war, the war against terrorism, can be fought in any country and can strike at any time, even here in Australia.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott was right to offer Australia's support and help to the United States in Iraq when requested to do so. The Prime Minister told the House this week that Australia would help transport arms and military equipment to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in an attempt to counter the advance of ISIL in Iraq. We have already seen that the US air strikes on the ISIL advance did relieve the siege at Mount Sinjar. They have been effective in relieving the siege at Amerli. They have broken the ISIL advance in the Kurdish areas. Australia was involved in humanitarian airdrops to both these locations and will continue separate humanitarian airdrops to provide food and water supplies to people isolated by the militants in Iraq.

Australia has not been asked yet to commit troops on the ground, but we as a nation are not inclined to stand by in the face of preventable genocide. Some Australians are apprehensive about the risk of becoming involved in another conflict in the Middle East as we provide our support to the US in its endeavours to relieve the situation. So far this year more than one million Iraqis have been driven from their homes. Indeed, as the Prime Minister said, we have watched in horror the beheadings, crucifixions and mass executions, and thousands of women have been forced into sexual slavery. It is simply unacceptable on any level. Australia, like other countries, cannot leave the Iraqi people to face this evil alone. It is the right thing to do to help to stop the suffering if we can and to deal with its perpetrators to prevent it spreading.

The Iraqi ambassador to Australia has made it clear that Australia and the US are working with the full cooperation of the Iraqi government. Our embassy in Baghdad is in direct contact with the Iraqi government to secure the necessary approvals to get humanitarian consignments to Erbil, in the Kurdish region of Iraq. Australia is doing what it can to help with the request from the US Obama administration, with the support of the Iraqi government.

We have been told that about 60 Australians are believed to be fighting with terrorist groups across Iraq and Syria. Many of these fighters will seek to return to Australia at some time having become, as the Prime Minister said, accustomed to killing. It is unacceptable. Our government sees them as a serious and growing threat to Australia's security. We cannot expect that they will be law-abiding citizens if and when they return.

The modern war is a global war. It can strike at any time in any country. It is indeed a war on extremism. We must do what we can to prevent it spreading and we have a responsibility as a civilized country to help those already terrorised by this new war. Australia is showing real leadership. Australians indeed are angry and overwhelmingly support the Prime Minister's actions that reflect this anger within the community. Now is not the time to be debating, grandstanding and publicity seeking; now is the time for action. I truly condemn the member for Denison and the Greens for the way they have behaved in this situation. It is not the view of reasonable people in Australia. It is unacceptable, it is publicity seeking and it is grandstanding.

The Prime Minister, with the support of the opposition, is acting decisively and acting in accordance with the Constitution and defence legislation. Just as importantly, the government is doing what is right to keep our nation safe, and this is a fundamental responsibility of government. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding and we as a nation simply cannot sit by and watch. I thank the Prime Minister and the foreign minister for their leadership, and the opposition for their support. I also wish to thank those military personnel serving—not by choice—on these missions. No doubt these are dangerous circumstances. Our thoughts and prayers are with those people serving with our military forces overseas and their families.

As the member for Lyons, as a representative of the people of Lyons, and from my own personal position, I must make my position quite clear about this. As most reasonable Australians do, I support wholeheartedly the efforts of the government to stamp out what can only be described as extremism. That is the enemy here; radicalised extremists that would do us harm. As a government, our fundamental responsibility is to keep the people of Australia safe and indeed that is what we are doing.

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