Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. It is in light of your previous answer to the House regarding Afghanistan. With the United States President announcing the start of a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and with Robert Gates now openly confirming that coalition forces are holding peace talks with the Taliban, will you now reconsider my dissenting report in 2009 to the foreign affairs, defence and trade committee, which recommended Australia publicly and explicitly identify our military exit strategy from Afghanistan as well as seeking a public and explicit confirmation of the strategic importance of engaging in peace talks with the Taliban?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Whilst it may not—

Mr Schultz interjecting—

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

The member for Hume has been in this place long enough and in a state legislature long enough to know that that sort of behaviour in the chamber is intolerable and disorderly. I cannot condone it at all. To abuse the questioner in that manner is disorderly. The member for Hume will leave the chamber for one hour under 94(a).

The member for Hume then left the chamber.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answer to the member's question, whilst it may not have been in the form that the member was anticipating, I believe that we are now in the situation where we do regularly and very publicly provide the strategic outlook for Afghanistan to the Australian people by having a parliamentary debate. That is something that we had last year. It is something that we are committed to annually and I believe that that is the appropriate and most formal time for me as Prime Minister to update the Australian nation on the strategic outlook in Afghanistan.

Of course, in between those very formal occasions in the parliament, the Minister for Defence keeps updating the parliament, and consequently the Australian public, on our view of the strategic outlook. Our view of the strategic outlook is that we are on course to transition. We always indicated that Oruzgan province, where we work, would not be amongst the first areas to transition, but that progress is being made. The insurgency is being countered and we are acquitting our training mission, and these are the preconditions to move into leadership by Afghan local forces of the security environment.

I hope that when we come to update the House on Afghanistan through my formal statement later this year we will be in a position to provide more particular guidance about what transition in Oruzgan province means. As I have indicated to the parliament before, it will not be a transition day for the whole province but a more finely calibrated place-by-place transition. I would hope we would be in a position to provide more information to the parliament and to the Australian public through that important statement and the ensuing debate on Afghanistan, where I anticipate people will put a variety of views, as is absolutely appropriate in this place, on something as important to the nation as Afghanistan.

On the question of continued engagement in other work and activities in Afghanistan, I know through his dissenting report the member took a particular interest in governance, in aid and in what makes a nation in Afghanistan. As the member is aware, we are engaged in governance and aid work and I have said publicly, and I am happy to reiterate, we will stay engaged in Afghanistan beyond 2014 in assisting the Afghan people. President Obama has spoken today about the enduring need for that partnership between the international community and the people of Afghanistan. I am always happy to look again at a parliamentary report, and the member has invited me to do so, but I believe we have achieved his broad aims in that we now have a much more regular and detailed way for the Australian nation to consider the strategy in Afghanistan through the regular parliamentary statements and debates.