Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your elevation to the high office of Speaker, which I am sure you will undertake with great dignity.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whilst I have taken the member for Hume to task, the member for Brisbane does not actually earn brownie points for that.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I should say it was my intention, as this is the first occasion on which I have risen, to pass on that compliment to you—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

notwithstanding the other comments. My question without notice is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister provide the House with an update on the situation in East Timor and the government’s response?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. The situation in East Timor today, as we are advised, is stable but tense. Our security forces and diplomatic personnel are keeping the government informed of developments but, as we know from previous experience, while things may be calm now there is no way of predicting firmly how they may unfold in the days ahead.

As we know, on 11 February there were assassination attempts on both the President and the Prime Minister of East Timor. This government has utterly condemned those actions and, in doing so, has been supported appropriately by the opposition. On 11 February I spoke on two occasions with the East Timorese Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, and he made two requests of the government in relation to both military assets and police resources. As a consequence of that, the National Security Committee of Cabinet agreed to both those requests.

On 12 February the troops which were to form part of the additional deployment to East Timor were dispatched, and they arrived in Dili yesterday at company strength. Today the AFP deployment will be increased by something in the order of 50 additional AFP personnel. Taking these two additional deployments together, it will mean the total Australian troop strength in East Timor will stand at something like 1,000 and the AFP component something like 100. On top of that, because of the additional logistical requirements of our force in being on the ground in East Timor, the decision has also been taken, in consultation with the government of East Timor, to have HMAS Perth lie offshore to provide any assistance as may be required.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs travelled to Darwin yesterday and, as I understand it, met with his East Timorese counterpart. We are still deeply concerned in this place about the health, condition and struggle which the President of East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, is currently engaged in following the assassination attempt on him on 11 February. All medical resources which can be deployed to assist him since that event occurred have been deployed. Our thoughts and our prayers go with him in his fight for recovery. It is a tough fight, and he is a friend of so many people in this parliament on both sides that we wish him and his family well.

I conclude in response to the honourable member’s question by saying that those in East Timor should be aware of one central fact: the government of Australia remains resolutely committed to use all powers within its possession to reinforce that democratically elected government and will not restrain itself in the future in providing further assistance to the government of East Timor should those requests be forthcoming and reasonable.