Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In 1876 the French philosopher Emile Boirac used a term in his book L'Avenuir des Sciences Psychiques that is now used every day internationally: deja vu. It's a French loan word for the phenomenon of feeling as though one has lived through the present situation before. It's an illusion of memory. For those listening in experiencing that strong sense of recollection right now, I can assure you that even though the coalition is only 10 months into their stint in opposition, that deja vu feeling you're feeling is not a neurological illness. Every Monday, without fail, when we come into this House, we see those opposite feign a passionate interest in an issue that they'd ignored for a decade in government.

It's very disappointing that there are politicians today exploiting the horrible times in Iran for their own political purposes. Over their last decade in office, the former Liberal-National government did not impose one single solitary sanction on anyone in the Iranian regime. Nobody, not one—nada, zip, zero. That conga line of Abbott, Turnbull, Morrison governments did nothing and said nothing when they were on the international body that elected Iran to the Commission on the Status of Women.

When the Liberals and Nationals were in government they were so concerned about Iran's treatment of women they sat back and let them be a part of the Commission on the Status of Women. Some selected self-muzzling by the former foreign minister Bishop—and I'm sure you know which bishop I mean: the one who became a champion for the sisterhood the moment she walked out of the cabinet door in her red shoes, when she had less power.

Unlike the Liberal-National government, the Albanese Labor government has taken stronger action against Iran on human rights than any previous Australian government. We stand with the people of Iran as they courageously demand full respect for their human rights, despite the dark and systemic threats against them, threats that continue in Australia.

The Iranian regime's flagrant and widespread disregard for the human rights of its own people has appalled all Australians, and we're holding perpetrators to account. From the beginning of this wave of crackdowns, we've worked strategically to build pressure internationally on Iran. We're at the forefront of efforts to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. The LNP sat on their hands or stood in their red heels and let this happen in the first place. Australia co-sponsored and advocated for the successful Human Rights Council resolution establishing an independent investigation into human rights violations in Iran.

Last year, the Albanese government imposed Magnitsky-style human rights sanctions on six individuals and two entities, including Iran's morality police, over their involvement in the Iranian regime's abhorrent, flagrant and continued human rights violations. In February we announced additional Magnitsky-style sanctions on 16 Iranian individuals and one Iranian entity, including senior Iranian law enforcement and military officials. And today Minister Wong imposed sanctions and travel bans on a further 14 Iranian entities for egregious human rights abuses in Iran. We've also joined partners to impose targeted sanctions on multiple individuals and entities involved in the production and supply of drones to Russia that have been used in its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.

The Albanese government has consistently and forcefully raised concerns directly with Iran. The foreign minister and Attorney-General have written to and engaged with their Iranian counterparts. We've summoned their representatives in Australia on several occasions. Our ambassadors have made representations in Tehran, including directly to the deputy foreign minister, and we've called out Iran internationally, jointly with partners and in multinational forums—all the skills of diplomacy—most recently at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where Assistant Foreign Minister Watts condemned Iran's brutal repression of protesters and its ongoing systemic discrimination against women and girls. The Albanese government is working deliberately and strategically to apply pressure on the Iranian regime. That includes the commission that the foreign minister Penny Wong has since worked determinedly and successfully to get Iran removed from. Also, Foreign Minister Wong, I hope you recover from your COVID soon.

Whilst I know the mover of the motion before the chamber well, love her work in many areas and have worked with her over the years in parliament, I don't think that this motion reflects the last 10 years of inaction. The last government to put sanctions on the IRGC wasn't the Morrison government, the Turnbull government or the Abbott government. It was actually the Gillard government that last recognised the threat they presented and put broad based sanctions on them back in 2010. This is an opposition that specialises in calling for action that it actually failed to take.

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