Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) celebrates the release of Mr Peter Greste by the Egyptian Government;

(2) commends the Greste family on its courage, resilience and grace for more than 400 days;

(3) congratulates the Australian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister on their unrelenting pursuit of Mr Greste's cause;

(4) commends the efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Egypt under the direction of Mr Justin Brown and Ambassador Dr Ralph King;

(5) thanks the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry for their role in Mr Greste's release;

(6) calls for the immediate release of Mr Greste's colleagues, Mr Baher Mohamed and Mr Mohamed Fadel Fahmy;

(7) recognises the many thousands of ordinary Australians and others around the world that showed their support to the Greste family during the past year; and

(8) notes that 'Telling the truth is not terrorism and Journalism is not a crime'.

How wonderful it is that we can debate this motion today. It is a celebration— a celebration of the release and safe return of an Australian citizen, Peter Greste, held prisoner for more than 400 days for doing his job. It is a celebration of an event that draws together the fundamentals of what is good and right and just about our nation. And, importantly, it is a celebration of family—that one underpinning rock of Australian society.

Peter's work as a foreign correspondent was a role with risk always attendant. However, it is journalists who educate and inform us about our world. Peter's arrest and extraordinary trial were so contrary to justice as we know it that they built a groundswell of opinion across Australia and the world, and across political lines. When I received that first, typically modest email from Juris and Lois, it was hard to comprehend what was happening. Peter had been imprisoned and was in trouble, they said, but just how much trouble we were soon to discover. In the weeks and months that followed, the phone calls and the emails had their highs and lows but never ended in any suggestion of defeat.

By now the basic details of Peter's arrest, incarceration and trial are well known; his first moments of confusion when strangers burst into the hotel room on 29 December; his disbelief at being taken to prison; the months in fearful legal wrangling; followed by what Peter describes as equating to being punched by Mike Tyson, when he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, and surely it takes a worldwide community of like-minded brothers and sisters to free a man who was doing his job, reporting what was happening in a country in crisis.

Peter's arrest triggered immediate action within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, from the minister and from the Australian Ambassador to Egypt, Dr Ralph King—action that required careful and adroit diplomacy. The challenges were significant. Regional Middle East politics were involved. The political situation in Egypt was charged by its recent history. Developing countries generally do not have the strong and robust institutions of justice that we take for granted. Egypt is no exception. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her department were at their best. It was a carefully planned and constructed response that produced the best result we could have hoped for. I congratulate the minister for her remarkable work. Her handling of this event ensured Peter's release sooner rather than later. She is an outstanding foreign minister, of whom all Australians can be proud.

Presidents and prime ministers also spoke out. Hundreds of journalists around the world covered their mouths with tape and uploaded their photos to social media sites. Thousands of ordinary citizens of the world blogged and tweeted and emailed. And President el-Sisi and the foreign minister of Egypt thankfully kept their minds and their phone lines open to the entreaties of our government.

Importantly, in this place this was a bipartisan issue. I want to pay tribute not just to the minister and members on this side of the House—all of whom did so much—but also to the opposition for their measured and careful role. There is so much about our own nation and our own challenges that demand political debate with a generosity of spirit, absent of barefaced politics and spin. Importantly, we saw this during this difficult time. It should happen more often.

Finally, let me talk about family because with Peter, Lois, Juris, Mike and Andrew we have a remarkable family who came to Peter's aid and did not waver until he was home. Australians watched with enormous admiration as a family fought for him. Lois and Juris, you can be rightfully proud. Together you are a magnificent team. You made us proud to be Australian. In their initial email to me, Juris and Lois said:

We believe this matter is not only about the unjust detention of an Australian citizen but an assault on the free functioning of the press. If we are to uphold Australia's commitment to the notion of a free press being the backbone of a healthy democracy, we should also support that concept throughout the world as a fundamental human rights principle.

Telling the truth is not terrorism. Journalism is not a crime. I commend this motion to House.

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