Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also draw the room's attention to the member for Mackellar's motion, and thank him for bringing it forward. The member for Bruce makes two very good points. The first was in quoting former Prime Minister Keating. I will put it in a different way: wars and rumours of wars are not new. We've had a relatively stable time since the Second World War, though we've had other wars that we have been involved in, with their considerable consequences for Australian lives and wellbeing. We have had in my lifetime, being a baby born after the war, a relatively peaceful time, especially because we're here, sheltered in this nation. His second point was on the importance of the International Red Cross as a neutral body that can go into war. In 1859 Dunant cared for wounded soldiers, and then first enacted in 1864 the Geneva conventions, with the Menzies government agreeing to them in 1949 and legislating them. Further to that, 70 years after, all states that are connected to the United Nations have signed up to this.

We live in an imperfect world where evil men still perpetrate war crimes against their fellow man, men and women. We live in a time of relative safety because we live on this island—this great south land. But it is important for this House to stand up, even in these evil times, even on what we have read recently of what's happened. Sadly, I was able to see a true-story movie about Americans being sent into war-torn Africa to bring out a humanitarian American doctor. At the last moment, the leader of the brigade that was sent in could not leave the local inhabitants there to be slaughtered in that village. He knew what was going to happen to them. They turned the helicopters around and went back, which was seen as an act of frailty and tomfoolery and a ridiculous move by the leader. They eventually got these people out, so it is a good-news story, but to see the barbarity of what happened in that conflict—that's why I say it is a true story. We have a Geneva convention that will never defeat evil men—never—but will give guidelines as to how we should treat others.

As the member for Bruce said, we do need to step up as Australians. We've signed this convention and we're giving you a guide as to how people should treat each other in conflict, which we know doesn't happen. Let's be honest: we know that, in times of war, terrible things happen. But we also know that, if we're going to prevail in the good, we have to have these guidelines. So it's good to recognise that all the way back to Dunant, when he saw those people virtually crucified on the battlefield and said: 'There needs to be a group to come in. There needs to be a group to come in and look after these people, and we need a neutral group to do that.' Therefore, the Red Cross was born.

These Geneva conventions are important, so that the world knows that there are rules around what we do and how we do it in times of conflict, which we all want to avoid as much as possible. I hope Australia has taken the lead in nuclear disarmament. Australia has taken the lead in giving these Geneva conventions legislation power in this country so that we can say to our own people, 'We will abide by these rules.' And we train our armed services to do exactly that. May they do it well. May they do the job that we ask them to do, and do it within the rules of this Geneva convention.

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