Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: I would like to make some remarks about recent developments in East Timor. I think the parliament and the nation of Australia were shocked to hear of the developments in Dili yesterday morning. All in this chamber—government and opposition members—have been long committed to the success of the East Timorese democracy. It was therefore with great and profound shock that we received the news that an assassination attempt had been made on both the President and the Prime Minister of that newly democratised country. The facts have yet to be fully determined but, as honourable members know, the President of East Timor, Jose Ramos-Horta, once injured, was immediately transferred to Australian controlled medical facilities in Dili and then, by medical evacuation, to Darwin. My most recent advice is that his condition remains very serious.

Furthermore, on the question of the present and future of the government, we the Australian government have been in close contact with our counterparts in Dili in the last 24 hours. Yesterday I spoke on two occasions with the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, to satisfy in our minds that he and his family were safe and also to confirm with him the request which was made for further and additional military and police assistance from Australia. Having received that request, a decision was yesterday taken by the National Security Committee of the government to provide additional military assistance in the form of a company-level deployment out of the Lavarack Barracks in Townsville and a further supplementation of the AFP complement in East Timor, with a further 50 to 70 to be deployed there.

The Prime Minister of East Timor further requested that I make an early visit to Dili, and I propose to do that later this week. We are advised that the present situation is that the streets of Dili remain calm. This, however, is a very fluid environment, and all of us in this parliament who have observed the throes of the emergence of this new democracy since the independence ballot some years ago know how volatile things can become. It will therefore require our continued efforts and attention to respond to security developments as they unfold. Therefore, we took a further decision late last night and this morning, in response again to a legitimate request from our friends in the government of East Timor, to supplement the military and police assistance I referred to earlier with the dispatch of HMAS Perth, which was in the region, to anchor offshore from Dili to provide further logistical support to our deployment there. I am sure I speak for all honourable members when, on behalf of this parliament and this country, I pass our sense of shock and solidarity to our friends in Dili at this appalling attack on their democracy and affirm our resolve to stand by the democratically elected government of East Timor at this time of great duress and challenge.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I also seek your indulgence to speak on the same matter. On behalf of the opposition, the alternative government, I commend the response of the Australian government, which has been both swift and appropriate, to the crisis that appears to have evolved in East Timor over the last 24 hours. The attempted assassination of the President, Jose Ramos-Horta, a great leader and friend of Australia, and also Xanana Gusmao, the Prime Minister, represents an attack on democracy. An attack of this nature, albeit in East Timor, is an attack on us and the values that are important to our country. Governance, economic reform, security and the many things that Australia, along with other nations, including New Zealand and the United Nations, have been involved in in East Timor are essential not only to the security of East Timor itself but indeed for our region and our own country.

I publicly thank the Prime Minister for the assistance that he has given in briefing us on the situation in East Timor. I also say on behalf of the opposition that there is clearly very strong bipartisan support for seeing that this fledgling democracy succeeds and that those East Timorese enjoy the same peace, security, freedoms and rights that we do in our own country, which we too often take for granted. I would also ask the Prime Minister to assist in seeing that either I or my foreign affairs spokesman are also able to travel to East Timor as soon as practicable to discuss the situation there with the leadership in East Timor, the United Nations security forces and our own military commanders on the ground. In the meantime, the government will receive all the support that it needs from the opposition. If there is any further assistance that we can provide, in any way, shape or form, to the East Timorese people, I can assure you it will be given by this side.