Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Egypt and Israel from 31 October to 6 November 2008 and seek leave to make a statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

I present this report with great pride. The delegation visited Egypt and Israel in October and November last year and also made a brief visit to the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. I was accompanied by my colleagues the member for Maranoa, who was the deputy leader of the delegation; the member for Fisher, yourself, Mr Deputy Speaker Slipper; as well as a Senators Colbeck, Marshall and Sterle. I thank all of them for their active and constructive contributions. All members engaged in discussions, visits and inspections with great enthusiasm and in a really good spirit of bipartisanship.

Australia has a significant involvement in the Middle East, as a trading partner and also through the continuing efforts of our Australian Defence Force. It is important that Australia’s parliamentarians maintain an interest and continue to develop relationships in this very important region. The visit provided us with a valuable opportunity to gain a better understanding of the Middle East peace process. We also explored opportunities for expanding relationships, particularly in the areas of trade and investment. We learnt more about Australia’s wheat and live meat exports to the region as well: two very important trade points for us.

It was very pleasing to meet with members of the ADF serving in key peacekeeping roles. We have men and women in the region as part of the Multinational Force and Observers and also the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation. All Australians can be justifiably proud of their commitment and their service. There is a significant level of goodwill generated from our contribution to these operations. We also valued the opportunity to pay tribute to Australia’s war dead in both countries, and I commend the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for its care of the graves of Australians and others buried in the Middle East and in fact elsewhere in the world.

The delegation was encouraged by statements of optimism made during the visit about the peace process. We were, of course, extremely concerned about the breakdown of the ceasefire arrangement in December 2008 and the resulting conflict between Israel and Hamas. The delegation supports continuing diplomatic efforts to halt all violence and to find a path forward towards a lasting and stable solution. In 2008, $45 million of development assistance was provided to the Palestinian people by the Australian government, doubling the amount of the previous year. I note the recent announcements of a further allocation of $10 million towards humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip and, just last week, of an additional $20 million to meet the recovery and reconstruction needs of the Palestinian people.

The delegation received briefing from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and visited the Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem. A significant level of Australia’s assistance is provided through the agency. It aims to improve governance reform, health care and food security for refugees. We also had the pleasure of visiting a project supported by Australia’s direct aid program. The Australian Embassy in Egypt provides funding to support the KidsBake vocational training centre in one of the squatter communities in Old Cairo. It provides valuable skills training for young girls with a view to assisting them to find employment and a future livelihood.

Delegation members joined me in expressing sincere appreciation to the government, parliamentary, business and other representatives who met with us during this visit. We were grateful for the welcome and hospitality extended to us, for the time that was made available for meetings and for the useful and interesting exchange of information and views. We also express appreciation to those who assisted with the arrangements made for the visit and, in particular, staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade both here and overseas. To Ambassador Larsen in Israel and to Ambassador Shwabsky in Egypt: our thanks for their assistance and that of their officials, who were of enormous assistance to us on the ground during our visit. I also want to acknowledge the work of delegation secretary Lyn Witheridge and thank her for her support both before and during the visit.

In conclusion, it was a really enriching process for all of us on the delegation to visit this very important part of the world where a lot of us wish to see peace progress. I know that we came away with the strong feeling that we also would like to see that happen, and I am sure we all wish that for the region concerned.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have great pleasure in joining the member for Canberra, who was the leader of this delegation to Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories in October and November of last year, in this debate. As the member for Canberra outlined in her comments, the object of the delegation was to renew and strengthen our relationships with these countries. It is a very important part of the world, and I believe that we as a delegation were well received and welcomed wherever we went. It was important for us as a delegation to gain an understanding of the relationship between Australia and Egypt and Israel and to gain an understanding of the issues surrounding the Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza. There were also domestic issues that were important for us to gain an understanding of, particularly, for me, in Egypt, a very large, important and influential Arab state.

The commemorative activities that we participated in as an Australian parliamentary delegation were also important. The first commemoration was in Egypt, regarding the Second World War Battle of El Alamein. In 1942, Australians troops were pivotal in beating Rommel and the Afrika Korps. We went to the Commonwealth war graves at El Alamein and, as the sun went down, it reminded us all of how our Australian troops, along with other Allied forces, suffered in a most difficult semidesert environment. As a former veterans’ affairs minister, I was interested to visit the 9th Division memorial just outside the Commonwealth war graves at El Alamein, which has only recently been established. It recognises the 9th Division of the Australian Army and its pivotal role in the Battle of El Alamein.

In Israel it was wonderful to visit the Park of the Australian Soldier at Be’er Sheva, which was established last year, and to talk to the local people about the sense of pride that they have in that park and the peace and serenity that it provides for the people of Be’er Sheva, particularly as some rockets from Gaza had recently landed in Be’er Sheva. The leader of the delegation, the member for Canberra, laid a wreath at Be’er Sheva and I had the great honour of reciting the ode, which is something I will never forget. We all took time during the minute’s silence to reflect on the sacrifice that was made by Australians for peace and the way of life that we have in this country today.

In the battle for Be’er Sheva, Australia’s 4th Light Horse made a historic charge which still stands as the last successful ‘cavalry’ charge in history, although they were called the Australian Mounted Infantry. It was typical of how the Australian Light Horse, and the men and women in the Australian Defence Force even today, put convention aside. They did not dismount in that charge towards the wells of Be’er Sheva but just kept going. That was why they succeeded in gaining those wells, which were so important for water for the horses and the troops. They then went on, through Be’er Sheva, up into Damascus.

I have strayed a little from where I wanted to go in my limited time. We had a discussion in Egypt about Australia’s relationship with Egypt and the export of Australian wheat to Egypt. A pivotal part and a cornerstone of our relationship to Egypt are our wheat exports. The Egyptian representatives highlighted to us the importance of wheat in feeding their population and complained to us that the price of wheat this year was a little high. I said, ‘That’s the world market,’ but was able to confirm, at least, the prospect of a very good harvest. We also discussed the live export of cattle, which was suspended on 26 February 2006 and recommenced by Minister Burke in 2008. It was great to visit the feedlot and see Halal cattle being processed in accordance with our regulations. (Time expired)

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member for Canberra wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a later occasion?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

In accordance with standing order 39, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.