Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to join the member for McPherson in support of this motion, and I acknowledge her strong leadership in this area and the work that she did as the previous home affairs minister. I also commend the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee chair, Senator Claire Chandler, for her work in this space.

Whereas the Iranian Army functions to protect Iran's sovereignty and defence, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps essentially exists to preserve the ayatollah's theocratic regime and to defend the ideology of the first ayatollah, which is deeply entrenched in the function and philosophy of the so-called Islamic republic. In the words of their own constitution:

The Revolutionary Guards is an institution under the Leader's supreme command. Its goal is to protect Iran's Islamic Revolution and its achievements and persistently struggle to achieve the divine aims, spread the … law of God …

This is the same supreme leader who has pledged to annihilate the State of Israel, who denies the Holocaust, who authorises the torture and murder of those who practise other religions, and who empowers law enforcement to slay women on the streets of Tehran for what they wear and what they say. Make no mistake: the IRGC is a threat to women; it is threat to a Christians, Jews and minority groups even within Islam in the nation of Iran; it is a threat to the democratic and egalitarian people of Israel; it is a threat to human rights defenders, advocates and whistleblowers; it is a threat to democracy and Western democratic ideals; and, most pertinently for us in this place, it is a threat to Australians and our national interests both at home and abroad.

In my role as the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I've joined with colleagues from across the political aisle in listing groups as terrorist organisations on a number of occasions: Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, radical Islamic extremists and self-proclaimed caliphates. These are people who deal in violence and fear and the most heinous evils. They often do it under the guise of religion, patriotism or ideological purity. Here we have a primary branch of the nation's armed forces perpetrating terror, dealing in organised crime and smuggling, and connected with persons and groups aiding terror through financial and material support.

As brave Australian academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert states:

The IRGC has a stated policy of 'exporting the revolution' beyond Iran's borders, and this has led to its sponsorship of a number of Islamist proxies in other parts of the Middle East, many of which have been designated terror organisations by Australia and its Western allies.

Listing the IRGC as a terror group, just as our UK and US allies have, would enable Australia's brave law enforcement agencies to prohibit Australians and residents from sending funds or material support to the IRGC, allow the refusal of entry to IRGC members, collaborators and co-conspirators, and position Australia to better counter the threat of Iran's exported extremism alongside allies. It would send a very clear message to those of like mind that we will not tolerate the indignity and inhumanity of the IRGC, of terror, of anti-Semitism, of religious persecution and of gender based violence.

The member for Bruce spoke earlier about why we hadn't done anything to date. I can tell the member for Bruce this. If the Department of Attorney-General's advice is that the current law does not permit this government to list the IRGC, we'll work with the government to amend the Criminal Code to enable them to make that listing. We are standing with the government, offering constructive feedback. We'll work with them. The ball is now in the government's court.

The shadow minister for home affairs and we as an opposition will work with them to make whatever necessary changes to the legislation are required to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. I call on the government to do just that.

See this speech in context