Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq and in support of the actions the government has taken in support of the innocents in Iraq. I also wish to acknowledge, as those of us on this side of the House should do, the very responsible position that those opposite have taken with respect to this most crucial national security matter.

The Prime Minister should be congratulated for his statement to the House earlier this week. It was appropriate, prudent and measured, and the members of our nation's national security committee also ought to be commended for the way that they are addressing this most difficult and complex consideration and task.

The threat we face is one neither of religion nor of race; it is a system of perverted beliefs and actions that lead to extremism and terrorism. As the Prime Minister consistently reminds us, these are the actions not of a state but rather of a death cult. We are witnessing a confluence of calamities in the humanitarian situation in the region and Australia's domestic national security interests.

The jihadist terror movement calling itself the Islamic State—which is reflective of neither of those two terms, of course, in any sense—is committing acts of such unrelenting barbarity upon the people of Iraq that Australia, as a responsible international actor, cannot ignore their pleas for assistance. Millions of people are being subjected to ethnic cleansing, forced religious conversion, sexual slavery and the denial of the most fundamental and universal of all human rights. We have seen a litany of atrocities including beheadings, crucifixions, mass murder and the corruption of children into this twisted movement of fear and hate.

Iraq is known as the cradle of civilisation, the source of some of the most celebrated and significant cultural and scientific advancements in human history. Indeed, it was the site of the Garden of Eden and of the Great Flood and was the birthplace of Abraham. Yet what we see today, on an almost daily basis, are the most savage and unrestrained acts of criminal brutality. We must do all we can to assist the victims of this savage and unrelenting campaign. Yes, these people are in a distant land, but our history from our inception has been one of acting globally to protect locally. Sixty Australians or more—it disappoints me to note—are fighting for the jihadists in Iraq and Syria, and they are supported by another estimated 100.

On September 11 2001, just 21 jihadists killed over 3,000 people and changed the course of history forever. We must not allow those who have revealed themselves to be agents of terror, accustomed to killing in the most brutal of ways, to return to our shores, take root in our communities and wreak havoc upon our country. We must take action to support those who, in defending themselves, are helping to defend us.

That is why I support the humanitarian airlift in Iraq and the military resupply effort. We are acting at the request of and in concert with our allies in the region and across the world—including the US, the UK, France, Canada, Italy and of course, and most importantly, the Iraqi government themselves. By undertaking this humanitarian action and by strengthening our national security arrangements at home, we are performing the first duty of government: the defence of the nation. The people fighting for the jihadists have rejected the fundamental beliefs of Australian society and, in my view, forfeited their right to enjoy our freedoms.

Australia is a land of tolerance. It is land of peace. It is a land of prosperity. It is a land of liberty. It is remarkable for its diversity, and it is enriched by the contributions of all those people who live on its soil. We must not allow this extraordinary achievement to be threatened by the evil intent of those who share nothing of our values and who wish to subvert our national way of life. I commend the Prime Minister's statement to the House.

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