Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs representing the Minister for Defence. I remind the minister of the 56,000 Australian men and women serving our nation in the Australian Defence Force. Will the minister please advise the House on why it is important that all Australians respect and support the work of our military?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for his question and I acknowledge his distinguished service as an officer in the Australian Army and his deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is an unwritten rule, indeed, a protocol that has been observed for decades in this parliament and across Australian political life, that there be bipartisan support for our military, our troops, whether at home or abroad.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There will be silence on my left!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was shattered yesterday in Senate estimates by Senator Stephen Conroy when he launched an attack, when he traduced the reputation of one of Australia's most distinguished military commanders for serving his country.

Mr Mitchell interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for McEwen!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy attacked this commander's motives and his conduct in a most despicable slur designed to dishonour an honourable man.

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell has served this country for 30 years: as a squadron commander of the SAS and he commanded the 2nd Battalion group in the UN Mission in East Timor. Indeed, he was awarded the Order of Australia for exceptional service. He commanded all Australian troops in the Middle East and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his outstanding leadership.

He is a man of the highest calibre; an officer who has served his country with distinction. It was because of his outstanding skills that he was asked by the Australian government to serve his country once more. He has headed up Operation Sovereign Borders to fix the mess that was left on our borders by the last Labor government.

Operation Sovereign Borders was endorsed by the Australian people at the last election. It has been designed to dismantle the criminal people-smuggling trade. It is designed to stop people taking that dangerous journey to Australia and it is designed to save lives. It is dangerous work and it is difficult work, and General Campbell has undertaken this task with the professionalism and diligence for which he is renowned.

Labor can disagree with that policy. They can come up with their own policy. They can attack the government. But they should never engage in the gross disrespect that we saw meted out to General Campbell in Senate estimates yesterday. General Campbell himself said he took extreme offence at the slurs.

Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting—

Now, Senator Conroy should apologise. The member for Hunter knows that. Senator Conroy should apologise—he should have given an unqualified apology. If he does not, the Leader of the Opposition should remove him from the role of shadow minister for Defence. He is unfit for that role.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We will have a little more attention paid to a very serious answer as was given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs