Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to commend this report by my colleague and friend the Chairman of the Human Rights Subcommittee, the Hon. Laurie Ferguson MP, which has sought further participation of NGOs in the human rights dialogue process; has sought further transparency, has sought that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade extend its human rights dialogues in both China and Vietnam and return to one in Iran; and recommends that, in order to ensure that human rights dialogues are properly monitored and evaluated on an ongoing basis, the Australian government establish an independent human rights dialogue consultation committee to develop a set of principles, objectives and benchmarks for Australia's human rights dialogues. The committee calls for greater parliamentary participation in the dialogues, recommending that the committee receive briefings from participating agencies prior to and after each dialogue being held.

Having attended many of the investigations at committee hearings that helped to produce this report, I want to also thank the witnesses from a wide variety of the Australian community who showed their ongoing concern for the need to sharpen the human rights dialogue process that Australia undertakes. Within the United States, Congress produces reports on human rights, and indeed the State Department's report on human rights around the world has become the authoritative document. We have got a long way to go in Australia before we achieve that level of expertise but hopefully the recommendations made in this report will help achieve that end. I particularly commend the committee's recommendation to re-establish a bilateral human rights dialogue with Iran. Of course, that is virtually impossible given the current state of the government in Iran. However, any evaluation of the people of Iran, both its majority Persian and its minority Azeri ethnic groups, would know that this is one of the most ancient and thoroughly civilised peoples, with a deep affection for education. The current regime that is imposed on them—it obviously stole the last election—is, in historical terms, a passing phenomena. I can imagine the days, just a few years hence one hopes, where Iran has replaced the current evil regime and Australia can extend its hand not just in trade and international affairs but also in helping civil society in Iran develop and reconstitute itself after the dark ages that this poor country is going through at the moment.

The committee also recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Attorney-General provide a brief to the Human Rights Subcommittee prior to each of the dialogues. I think that is an excellent recommendation. The committee also recommends that DFAT enhance its reporting of Australia's human rights dialogues in its annual report. At the very minimum it should list the dialogue participants, list the issues raised at dialogues about each country and note the key outcomes or achievements. This is so both the Human Rights Committee and the federal parliament can evaluate them. It is very good that the foreign minister has formally invited the chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, or his or her nominee, and the shadow foreign minister, or his or her nominee, to participate in these dialogues as members of Australia's delegations. Again, in the US Congress the role of both leading Democrats and Republicans in participating in this debate ensures that there is continuing parliamentary oversight. It is not simply left to the executive or to the bureaucracies that deal with state-to-state relations to see that the ethics of Australia as well as our national interests are prosecuted in foreign policy. That is the ethos of the theme of this report. I commend Mr Ferguson's activities and this report to the House.

Debate adjourned.