Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) expresses concern at the detention in Egypt of Australian citizen Peter Greste;

(2) notes that:

(a) Mr Greste is detained and currently on trial solely for conducting his role as a journalist and for peacefully expressing his opinion on events in Egypt; and

(b) the imprisonment of Peter Greste is contrary to the right to freedom of speech and expression;

(3) recognises that the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General have all been in contact with their Egyptian counterparts seeking Peter Greste's release; and

(4) notes that the Australian Government:

(a) is offering all possible consular assistance to Peter Greste and his family;

(b) has been working with Egyptian authorities at all appropriate opportunities; and

(c) is making direct and high-level representation to a number of other governments as part of a multi-pronged strategy to raise our ongoing concerns about the case.

I commence by paying tribute to the Greste family: Lois and Juris Greste, and Peter's brothers, Andrew and Mike. In particular, my contact has been with Lois and Juris, who have been so dignified and stoic at what must be one of the worst times in any parent's life. I doubt I could be as unfaltering if I were in their place.

Peter Greste is an internationally acclaimed Australian journalist and correspondent. He has worked for Reuters, CNN, WTN and the BBC. From 1991 to 1995 he was based in London, Bosnia and South Africa. In 1995 he was based in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he was a correspondent for the BBC and Reuters, after which he was based in Belgrade, returned to London and then to Mexico, followed by Santiago. He returned to Afghanistan in 2001 to cover the start of the war. After Afghanistan he worked across the Middle East and Latin America. From 2004 he was based in Mombasa, Kenya, then Johannesburg, followed by Nairobi, where he has lived since 2009. In 2011 he won the Peabody Award for a documentary on Somalia. He is a correspondent for Al Jazeera in Africa.

So Peter truly is a citizen of the world, respected by everyone for his dedication, ability and professionalism. Communities across Australia and indeed the world who have been touched by Peter are now anxiously awaiting the verdict to be handed down later today our time. There are communities such as Indooroopilly High School, with over 50 nations represented in the student cohort and with social justice as one of their core values, so how appropriate that Peter was their school captain.

In moving this motion today, I also want to acknowledge the broad bipartisan support across the parliament—not only the seconder of the motion, the Honourable member for Berowra, Phillip Ruddock, who is also my predecessor as co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Amnesty, but also my current fellow chairmen, the member for Scullin, Andrew Giles, the member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, and Senator Penny Wright.

It is appropriate that Parliamentary Friends of Amnesty take a keen interest in the Peter Greste trial. Amnesty International was founded in 1961 and is one of the largest and most active human rights organisations in the world. It is concerned strictly with prisoners and seeks the release of what they call 'prisoners of conscience'. Some of their guiding principles include a focus on the individual prisoner, all action being grounded on fact and the organisation being strictly impartial.

Being a journalist is not a crime. Telling the truth is not terrorism. The long-awaited verdict on Peter Greste is expected to be announced later tonight. The government remains hopeful that, when Mr Greste's trial is finalised, he will be acquitted on the charge of colluding with a terrorist organisation and released. Given the evidence presented by the prosecution, the foreign minister has stated that she would be highly concerned if Peter Greste is given a custodial sentence.

From the outset, the Australian government offered all possible assistance and Australian diplomats were allowed to be present for many of the hearings and interviews with Mr Greste. Peter was moved to Tora Prison on 1 January 2014. Conditions are basic and he was initially not allowed reading or writing material, nor to make contact with family and friends. However, consular officials visited Mr Greste on more than 22 occasions to date. Through consular representations officials obtained improvements in Mr Greste's prison conditions, including frequent consular visits, family visits, telephone calls to his parents in Australia, access to books and magazines, Arabic language textbooks, improved food rations and access to supplementary food items, and the installation of a fan in his cell.

Very shortly after his arrest, I met with his parents Lois and Juris, who had by that stage been in telephone contact with him. His parents had also been in direct contact with the foreign minister's office by that stage and were aware that Minister Bishop was offering all support and assistance that she and the government could provide. The government as a whole, and specifically the work of the foreign minister, the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General, has consistently made clear its deep concern at the charges against Mr Greste. We are all aware that he was doing nothing more than performing journalistic activities at the time of his arrest on 29 December 2013.

With the inauguration of President al-Sisi on June 8, the government continued its program of high-level representation to the Egyptian government, urging that Mr Greste's trial be concluded promptly and that he be enabled to return home. The Prime Minister spoke to the then interim Egyptian President Mansour, and foreign minister Bishop and the Attorney-General have also had discussions with their Egyptian counterparts.

Mr Greste was charged with collaborating with the outlawed group, known as the Muslim Brotherhood, by:

1. their agreement and assistance to supply members of that group with funds, equipment, tools and information, in full knowledge of that group's aims;

2. possession of publication and recordings that include promoting their goals in order to inform others about them, in full knowledge of that group's aims;

3. broadcasting data, news, false rumours and untrue images, and presenting them to the public, inside and outside the country, with the aim of creating an impression amongst public opinion that the country is witnessing a civil war in order to weaken the state's image and standing, to harm the country's national interest, disrupt public security, spread panic among the populous and inflict damage on the public interest; and

4. possession of telecommunications, photographic and broadcasting equipment, and equipment to transmit sound and images, without a permit from the competent authority.

Anyone who knows Peter Greste is confident that he is innocent of all these charges. There have to date been 12 hearings in Mr Greste's trial, in the Cairo Criminal Court. Mr Greste has been denied bail at all hearings.

There have been many and continuing instances where our government has made representations to the Egyptian authorities. Prime Minister Abbott spoke by telephone to then interim President Mansour and he expressed appreciation for the president's letter to Mr Greste's parents and sought assistance from the president to bring about an early resolution of the case and Mr Greste's release. Minister Bishop has spoken with Egyptian ministers on many occasions. She has met with Egypt's Ambassador to Australia and raised Mr Greste's case. The Attorney-General, Senator Brandis, also telephoned the Egyptian justice minister about the case in April. Australia's Ambassador to Egypt, Dr Ralph King, met the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor-General in January to seek advice on the basis of the investigation into the activities of Mr Greste. Dr King also met the Assistant Minister for Prison Affairs to seek improved prison conditions and he also met the President of the Court of Appeal to press for the ongoing provision of a translator for Mr Greste during court proceedings. As well as other high-level meetings, Lois and Juris, Peter's parents, wrote an open letter, to which the then-interim President and Chief Justice of Egypt, Mr Adly Mansour, replied that he would 'spare no effort to work towards the speedy resolution of the case'.

The case of Peter Greste is incredibly concerning. Free press is in every person's and every country's interests. As Prime Minster Tony Abbott stated:

A free press will help every country, including Egypt, to be better in the months and years ahead and obviously a free press is not compatible with harassing journalists going about their ordinary business.

The trial of Peter Greste has received notable international reaction. In January, US Secretary of State John Kerry said:

We have consistently expressed our serious concern about the limits on freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in Egypt, including leading up to the referendum, just as we expressed our concerns about the dangerous path Egypt's elected government has chosen in the year that led to 2013's turbulence. The United States again urges all sides to condemn and prevent violence and to move towards an inclusive political process based on the rule of law and respect for the fundamental freedoms of all Egyptians.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has also called for the release of Mr Greste. A spokesperson for the high commissioner said that the arrest was based on vague charges and was of great concern and had increased fears among the general media.

In a White House press briefing in February, spokesman Jay Carney said that the detention was 'of deep concern to the administration,' and went on to say, 'We have strongly urged the Egyptian government to drop these charges.'

With the verdict being handed down today, I think I can speak for all Australians when I say that we are hopeful for a positive outcome and our hearts go out to his family during this tough time. Being a journalist is not a crime. Telling the truth is not terrorism. I commend the motion to the House.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, the opposition strongly supports this motion. Peter Greste, an experienced Australian journalist, was arrested in Egypt, along with his two colleagues, in December last year charged with spreading false news and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. Today, Peter Greste's family, his journalistic colleagues in Australia and around the world and many Australians are waiting anxiously for the verdict, which is expected this evening Australian time.

We support Peter Greste because he was simply doing his job, and his job is a job that is vital in a free society and in a democracy. Journalism is one of the most basic foundations of our democracy, and it is especially important at a time of turmoil and transition, such as Egypt has experienced in recent years. We greatly admire the strong support Peter Greste has been given by his family. His two brothers, Andrew and Mike, will be in court today, and his parents, Juris and Lois, have been giving amazing support to Peter. Other family members have been engaged in campaigning to make sure that Peter's case is before the public, and his friends have been very active on his behalf. At times like this, times of adversity, we know how important family can be. I am sure that Peter is immensely proud of the role that his parents and his brothers have played in stepping up to the challenge and campaigning so tirelessly on his behalf.

We applaud the support that Mr Greste and his colleagues from around the world have received from, for example, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who has raised the importance of press freedom with President al-Sisi. Journalist organisations have also been very vocal in their support, and the member for Ryan has spoken about the role that Amnesty International have played. We commend the government, too, for its advocacy with the Egyptian government. I note that the Prime Minister has spoken recently, in the last 24 hours, to the newly elected Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and that the foreign minister has spoken in recent days to her counterpart. Of course, the foreign minister has spoken in the past to the foreign minister as well. We are very pleased to see that the level of consular support provided to Mr Greste in jail has been consistent and of a very high quality, and I congratulate the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who have been offering that consular support.

Peter Greste has been a journalist for 25 years. He says that he was inspired by Australian cameraman, Neil Davis, who died while reporting a coup in Thailand in 1985. Mr Greste said it was Davis biography that inspired him to become a foreign correspondent. I remember reading that biography as a young woman—a biography by Tim Bowden called One crowded hour. It took its title from a poem by Thomas Osbert Mordaunt. Davis loved that poem and he wrote it on the flyleaf of all of his work diaries: 'One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name.' Neil Davis displayed extraordinary courage during his life as a cameraman, and the biography goes with Davis through some of the war zones that he served in as a cameraman.

Davis—from memory—started his life in regional Tasmania, and Mr Greste began his career in regional Victoria before working in Adelaide and Darwin. His career as a foreign correspondent began in 1991. He has worked as a freelance reporter for Reuters TV, for CNN, for WTN and for the BBC. Peter Greste joined Al Jazeera English in 2005 to report on north Africa. He won a Peabody Award in 2011, as the member for Ryan said, for a documentary on Somalia, the focus of much of his work since he moved to Africa nine years ago. You get a strong sense of his commitment from the places that he has worked. As well as Africa, he has covered Afghanistan and Central Asia, the Balkans, Iraq and Latin America—certainly not the career choices you make if you are after an easy life.

Peter Greste is no stranger to danger. While working for the BBC in Somalia in 2005, he witnessed the death of his producer, Kate Peyton. Ms Peyton was shot in the back while they were both standing outside a hotel in Mogadishu. In an interview with the ABC, Mr Greste recalled the incident. He said:

… we both knew what we were getting into.

It was a risk we both judged to be worth taking, if only because so few reporters have been into Somalia in the past decade, and nobody can hope to make a considered judgment of either Africa or Islamic extremism without understanding why that country has remained so anarchic.

It was the same commitment to his job, to helping the world better understand important events, that took him to Egypt late last year. Ironically, Mr Greste thought that his assignment to Cairo had been quite routine. Again, that reminded me of Neil Davis's story. Neil Davis considered the coup that he went to cover in Thailand as quite a routine assignment. It was that assignment that saw him lose his life.

Peter Greste said in a blog he wrote from his prison cell that he had gone to Egypt to take the 'opportunity to get to know Egyptian politics a little better'. He wrote that his search for 'accuracy, fairness and balance' had led him to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. I quote him again:

How do you accurately and fairly report on Egypt's ongoing political struggle without talking to everyone involved?

He went on to say:

We had been doing exactly as any responsible, professional journalist would—recording and trying to make sense of the unfolding events with all the accuracy, fairness and balance that our imperfect trade demands.

The Peter Greste case is a reminder of the important role that journalists play in bringing news of conflict to the nation and to the world. And, sadly, it is also a reminder of the phenomenal risks that our foreign correspondents take in undertaking their work, just going about their day-to-day lives.

You can go back as far as Charles Bean, who was the official correspondent of World War I. He was the correspondent with the Australian Infantry Force troops. He beat Keith Murdoch to that job. He landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, a few hours after the first troops had landed. He stayed there for most of the campaign, and he lived in the same difficult conditions as our soldiers. You also do not have to go that far back in history to think of the Balibo five and Roger East, Australian-based journalists who died in East Timor in 1975, reporting on the Indonesian invasion.

Today we have correspondents in most of the most dangerous places on the world. Samantha Hawley has been covering the troubles in Bangkok recently. There is Terry Moran, in Kirkuk, and Matt Brown, a Middle East correspondent, who seems to fly into danger as other people fly out of it. There are so many examples of Australian journalists who have taken great risks for their craft, including Sally Sara in Iraq, Michael Weir and Paul McGeough. There is a group of Australian correspondents who risk their lives because they are chasing the story and because, I guess, journalism is in their blood, but much more importantly because they understand that for Australians to have a true sense of our place in the world, for us to truly understand both the risks and the opportunities that exist in the world, we have to have Australian voices with an Australian perspective of how we fit into the great events that are shaping history today. Peter Greste's work is in the same fine tradition.

We are fervently hoping for a good ending to this difficult chapter in Peter Greste's life and career. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and his colleagues in Australia and around the world, who are today waiting with almost unbearable anticipation for the results of his legal proceedings. Our best wishes go to his parents and family.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a privilege to be able to second this motion. I will not say it is an honour and I will not say it is a pleasure, but I commend the member for Ryan for proposing this motion and I commend the member for Ryan for her willingness to assume the leadership of the parliamentary amnesty group. In moving this motion she spoke of the interest of that organisation and the members of it in supporting this resolution today.

I take the opportunity of saying that this is one of the finer moments of the parliament. That is because it is a measure in which there is a unanimity of view expressed by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and I am sure it will be reflected in the further comments and observations that are made during the course of this debate. It is not always the case that we have that degree of unanimity of view, but when it does occur it says a great deal about our parliament, the institution and our willingness to put aside differences of view to try and achieve a worthwhile outcome on a matter of moment. This motion seeks to do just that.

It notes that Mr Peter Greste has been detained and is currently on trial. We know it is a very sensitive time in relation to that trial right now. Let me say a few matters about Egypt. I recognise that Egypt has faced very considerable challenge. I recognise that it is a country that has people of different religions and different cultures, and sometimes they do present management issues. I understand that. But I think those sorts of differences do need to be managed. We are a country that respects the rule of law and we do not seek to interfere in the exercise of judicial power. We want to see the rule of law operate in Egypt. We do not want to interfere with their justice system, but we want their justice system to be just and one that produces just outcomes.

We have been active, noting that we believe that Mr Greste has not been seeking to undermine Egypt and the rule of law in that country. We do think that there is an entitlement for people to be able to report on what is happening around the world. So I think it is important that the parliament notes that in this very sensitive matter—and it is a sensitive matter—that the Australian government has been offering all possible consular assistance to Peter Greste and his family. The government has been working with Egyptian authorities and it is making direct and high-level representation.

The member for Ryan detailed those matters in very considerable detail. The Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have been active in ensuring that our interest in one of our countrymen, who is being detained and dealt with within Egypt's judicial system, is a matter of concern to this nation and the people of this nation.

We do understand that terrorism is a difficult issue. We do understand that the law sometimes has to deal with those who seek to undermine institutions and important values that we see as being fundamental. But our response needs to be proportionate and appropriate in dealing with those threats. In speaking to this matter, I speak to encourage Egypt not only to protect its sovereignty and its people but to do so in a just way and to respect certain fundamental human rights and values, as it moves forward.

Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In congratulating the member for Ryan in initiating this motion, I do so not from the perspective of the normal niceties that are renowned in these debates but out of a genuine appreciation of her efforts. They are characterised not only by this particular instance but by her leadership within the Amnesty International Group and broader human rights issues in other nations. I do congratulate her. I recognise the efforts of Australia's public servants in pushing home this issue on behalf of the Greste family and on behalf of the Australian people in their concern about Peter Greste and his current predicament.

This matter has dragged on since December. Abdullah Al-Shamy, one of the other people detained from Al Jazeera, has been involved for a very long time in a hunger strike. I understand that that has finished in recent days and I am very glad.

We have heard other speakers enunciate the role of this journalist, Peter Greste, around the world in so many difficult areas during conflict and in areas where human rights are suppressed. We know that he has received international awards, which indicate his professionalism. He has been employed by a significant number of first-rate international media outlets. The joint statement of the editors of the BBC, Reuters, ITN, Sky, NBC and ABC News—which can probably agree on very little else, of 21 February this year, noted:

… Peter Greste to be a fine, upstanding correspondent who has proved his impartiality over many years …

He writes—

that is, Peter, that when the Muslim Brotherhood was listed as a terrorist:

… "it knocked the middle ground out of the discourse. When the other side, political or otherwise, is a 'terrorist', there is no neutral way… So, even talking to them becomes an act of treason, let alone broadcasting their news, however benign."

That was a predicament that he was in, as a professional journalist, in trying to convey to the rest of the world an understanding of what was occurring in Egypt.

I, along with the member for Berowra, have had the opportunity to attend many rallies in Sydney around concerns about the suppression of rights during the hegemony of the Morsi Muslim Brotherhood regime. We naively thought that we would never be involved in resolutions such as this, if they were to be replaced. But that is not the case. Obviously, there are also significant measures in the constitution of Egypt which would lead one to expect that these resolutions would not be necessary. Article 70 of the constitution affirms:

… freedom of the press, printing and paper, visual, audio and electronic publication is guaranteed.

Furthermore, article 71 notes:

It is prohibited to censor, confiscate, suspend or shut down Egyptian newspapers and media outlets in any way …

And further:

… no freedom-restricting penalty shall be imposed for publication or publicity crimes.

Given our belief that this Australian journalist has displayed commendable neutrality and impartiality and that his career has indicated that, it is of concern that he would face a sentence in this case of 15 to 25 years. This presents an unfortunate view to the world about what is prevailing in that country. It has been noted by the shadow foreign minister that Neil Davis was an inspiration to him. We know that he typifies the problems confronted by journalists; ironically, if he was in Thailand today Davis might be facing the same situation.

I very much want to join with the other members of parliament who see the need for the world to recognise that there are proper judicial practices and people are given a fair trial. It was disturbing that at an early stage Mr Greste was given no writing materials and no visits from his family. Clearly, the world needs journalists out there to interact with different forces within any regime, to understand what is going on and appreciate the full nuances of problems and understand the culture. I am pleased to be part of this significant cross-parliamentary reaction in calling for his release.

Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak to this motion and to add my concern about the ongoing detention in Egypt of Australian citizen Peter Greste. Following on from the member for Werriwa, the member for Berowra and the member for Sydney, I too would like to commend the member for Ryan for putting this motion before the House. The member for Ryan and I share a love for human rights, as does everyone who has spoken on this motion—it is bipartisan, as the member for Werriwa said. I also note that I did not put my name down to talk on this motion, the member for Ryan did, and I wear that as a badge of honour. She rang me to tell me she had done that and I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to talk on this issue today.

As we meet today, almost six months have passed since Mr Greste was arrested in Egypt on a range of charges stemming from his work as a journalist. I join with the foreign minister and others in expressing the hope that we will soon see a verdict handed down in Mr Greste's case that will acquit him of all charges and that, hopefully, he will be home soon. I note the sensitivity of this matter as the verdict is due today. I would like to commend the Prime Minister, the foreign minister, the trade minister and the Attorney-General, who have been working tirelessly in expressing their concerns to the Egyptian government about the charges labelled against Mr Greste.

I am also aware that there have been a large number of diplomats, both Australian and otherwise, who have met to speak on this case and are working hard to provide assistance to Mr Greste and his family. It is my understanding and that of the Australian government that the charges against Mr Greste cover activities that would very much fall under the normal journalistic activity of a respected and award-winning foreign correspondent, which he is.

In my electorate of Reid we have a significant community of people from Middle Eastern and African backgrounds. I have followed closely, along with my constituents, the political unrest and turmoil across the region in recent years arising from the Arab Spring and the push for free and democratic societies in many countries, including in Egypt. It is obvious that there is a push, especially amongst the young people of the Middle East, for more open and free societies. The elections in Egypt last month were noted by the European Union observers as being held in a democratic and free environment. That is encouraging to hear and I congratulate President al-Sisi for his success. It is my hope that the recent elections will lead to a more stable environment in Egypt and a continued acceptance of the democratic values that the people of Egypt have been working towards in recent years.

It should be noted, however, that a core tenet of a free and democratic society has been and will always be freedom of the press—a free press that reports the facts independently and without fear or favour. As I am sure most of my colleagues in this parliament will agree, a free and independent press definitely works to keep members from all sides of politics accountable to the people they are elected to represent. But it also provides an essential service in a modern democratic country such as Australia, ensuring that the people are informed of all sides of the debate, no matter how politically inconvenient it may be. A free press is in everyone's interest, most notably the citizens of a country, but the benefits also extend to a country's regional and global partners, ensuring open and accountable political processes. As the Prime Minister stated this morning, independent media is 'good for democracy, good for stability, and good for security'.

Once again, I commend everyone who has been working to secure Peter's release. I note that as recently as this weekend the Prime Minister was speaking with President el-Sisi, and the foreign affairs minister spoke with her counterpart in Egypt to discuss the case. I would also like to mention the efforts of Peter's family, who have been working tirelessly over the last six months to support Peter as much as they can. It is written in my notes, 'I can only imagine,' but I cannot imagine the strength it has taken for the family to work through this period, and I hope their efforts are rewarded in today's verdict and that we have Peter Greste home as soon as possible. As the father of a 16-year-old who is currently in New York on a two-week trip and who is determined to become a journalist at some stage in his life, I reiterate: I cannot begin to imagine what Peter's family have gone through and continue to go through. I know that all my colleagues in this House will join with me when I say that they are in our thoughts and prayers. I hope things go well today.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would first like to thank the member for Ryan for moving this important motion. I know that she has a personal connection with the Greste family and has followed this case very closely. Today, after nearly six months of imprisonment and 12 hearings, the Egyptian courts will hand down a verdict in the case of detained Australian journalist Peter Greste and his Al Jazeera English colleagues. For Peter, his family, his colleagues, his friends and his supporters, this has been six months of uncertainty and anxiety. Indeed, I think it has been six months of concern for all Australians.

Peter Greste and his two colleagues were detained by Egyptian authorities last December, charged with 'airing misleading news' about Egypt's political situation. If convicted, the three face between three years and life in prison, and the prosecution has been asking for a sentence of 15 years. This is obviously a very difficult time and also a very sensitive time. I hope, as many others do, that today Peter Greste and his colleagues are freed.

Peter Greste left Australia in 1991 to pursue his dream of becoming a foreign correspondent. Since then, he has covered Afghanistan and Central Asia, the Balkans, Iraq, Latin America and now Africa, where he has lived for the past nine years. In 2011, he won a prestigious Peabody Award for a documentary on Somalia, a place that has become a major focus of his work since moving to East Africa. His work highlights the important work that many of our foreign correspondents do, bringing the news around the world to us here in Australia. It is also an important reminder of how critical the freedom of the press is and, here in Australia, how lucky we actually are.

In the last 48 hours, I am aware that the Abbott government has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to have Peter released, with foreign affairs minister Bishop speaking directly to Egypt's newly elected foreign minister to convey Australia's desire for Peter to be allowed to return home as soon as possible. The Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General have all been in contact with their Egyptian counterparts seeking Peter Greste's release and I commend them on this. They are making representations at every level within the Egyptian government to ensure that Peter Greste is home as soon as possible. This matter has bipartisan support from both sides of the House. Certainly, the shadow minister for foreign affairs and Deputy Leader of the Opposition has also been making her comments in a very bipartisan manner, with one goal in mind. I am pleased that the Australian government is doing everything it can to support Peter and his family. I hope its efforts prove successful.

This, I can only imagine, would be an extremely difficult time for Peter and his family. Peter's brothers have been in Egypt for much of the last six months, following the trial and providing whatever support they can to Peter. I have great admiration for Peter's family, their strength and their perseverance.

This case has highlighted how important consular assistance is for Australians who find themselves in difficulty overseas. Many Australians seek help from the government each year, and consular assistance is so important and so vital in supporting Australians and their families when they are caught up in disasters or political turmoil abroad. The cases handled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are often extremely complex and they do incredible work. Peter and his family have been in regular contact with the Australian consular officials, and our Australian officials in Cairo have been doing the very best they can. It is a good opportunity to commend our diplomats overseas on the work that they have done on this case and the support they have provided.

Today, my thoughts are with Peter and his family, and with his two Al Jazeera colleagues and their families. I know that everyone in the House—and, indeed, around Australia—is hoping for news this afternoon of Peter's release and his safe return home to his family. I commend this motion. I commend the member for Ryan for bringing it to the House. I have so much hope for good news later on this afternoon.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is indeed a privilege to get up here, support this motion and follow on from all the previous speakers, who have also spoken so eloquently on this private member's business. It is worth reminding the House what this motion is about. It asks:

That this House:

(1) expresses concern at the detention in Egypt of Australian citizen Peter Greste;

(2) notes that:

(a) Mr Greste is detained and currently on trial solely for conducting his role as a journalist and for peacefully expressing his opinion on events in Egypt; and

(b) the imprisonment of Peter Greste is contrary to the right to freedom of speech and expression;

(3) recognises that the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General have all been in contact with their Egyptian counterparts seeking Peter Greste's release; and

(4) notes that the Australian Government:

(a) is offering all possible consular assistance to Peter Greste and his family;

(b) has been working with Egyptian authorities at all appropriate opportunities; and

(c) is making direct and high-level representation to a number of other governments as part of a multi-pronged strategy to raise our ongoing concerns about the case.

Representations have been made by the Australian government on behalf of Peter Greste, and I commend the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, for the job that she has done in advocating for the release of Peter Greste. She has obviously made contact with the new Egyptian foreign minister, but she was also very active in making contact with the previous interim administration. The Prime Minister also has, obviously, over the weekend spoken with Egypt's new President. In a very good development over the weekend, we also saw the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, make a special trip to Cairo. In a very important move, I thought, from a US Secretary of State, he highlighted to the Egyptians in a press conference the need for the Egyptians to uphold press freedom.

This motion here today goes to that very fundamental principle: the importance of upholding press freedom. Our Prime Minister has led the way in highlighting this importance when he said:

… I do want to make this point and make it very strongly: a free press is in everyone's interests.

The Prime Minister also went on to say, this morning or yesterday in a press conference on this matter, that, in his view—and this is a point that he made to the Egyptians—Peter Greste was reporting on, not supporting, the Muslim Brotherhood when he did his reporting. We in the House should always remember the importance of the press in the job that we do. As Thomas Jefferson, the third US President, put it so succinctly:

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

I think that sums up this debate extremely well.

Freedom of the press is integral to democratic government. It goes to the core of having a proper functioning democracy. It is the surest way of maintaining trust between a government and its people. Without a strong press, no government can be adequately scrutinised or held to account, and if a government cannot be scrutinised or held to account, the people that put it there will never have true confidence in that government.

This motion here today, which I support, calls for the release of Peter Greste. It is an important motion because it not only highlights what is happening to an Australian citizen in Egypt at the moment but reminds us all of the broader principal here—the fundamental role that the press plays in ensuring that we can have proper, functioning democracies.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise in a spirit of bipartisanship to speak in support of the motion moved by the member for Ryan, and join in her expression of deep concern over the detention of Australian Peter Greste in Egypt. I would also like to join the member for Ryan in noting the work done by this government and the continued consular support offered to Mr Greste in seeking his release. I hope that all of the work done will, indeed, secure Mr Greste's freedom.

After six long months in detention and over 12 court hearings, Australian Peter Greste, along with his colleagues, will later today know of their fate when a verdict is handed down by an Egyptian court. Today I join with other members in suggesting that nothing but Greste's being released and returned home safely will be acceptable.

Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste was arrested on 29 December 2013 with his two colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed when their Cairo hotel room was raided. Egyptian prosecutors have demanded the maximum penalty—ranging from 15 to 25 years in jail—for all 20 defendants in the trial of Al Jazeera journalists accused of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood. The prosecution has charged the 16 Egyptian defendants with joining the Muslim Brotherhood, designated as a terrorist group. The four foreign defendants in the case, including Greste, are charged with spreading false news, collaborating and assisting the Egyptian defendants in their crimes by providing media material, editing it and publishing it on the internet at Al Jazeera. In light of the looming verdict to be handed down by the court at some point today, I join other members in calling for Greste and his colleagues to be released.

Peter Greste has had an amazing career in journalism which we can all be proud of. We all hope for his speedy release from detention into freedom so that he can continue the work that he has excelled in for so long. Greste launched his journalism career in regional Victoria before gaining further experience in Adelaide in Darwin. He left Australia in 1991 to pursue his dream of becoming a foreign correspondent, working as a freelancer for Reuters TV, CNN, WTN and the BBC.

Peter Greste has shown much courage in working in some of the world's most dangerous places to ensure the rest of the world can have insight into the hardship of some of the world's most vulnerable people. Greste worked for the BBC as Kabul correspondent in 1995, covering the emergence of the Taliban. After the 11 September attacks in 2001, he returned to Afghanistan to cover the war before continuing his work across the Middle East, Central Asia and Latin America. In 2004 Greste relocated to Mombasa in Kenya, where he worked as a freelance journalist and photographer.

On assignment for the BBC in 2005, Greste witnessed the death of his producer, Kate Peyton, who was shot in the back while they were both standing outside a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

He returned to Somalia in 2011 to film a BBC documentary about life in the war ravaged nation, which won a prestigious Peabody Award. For the past nine years he has worked as a correspondent for Al Jazeera in Africa. As you have heard, he is an internationally renowned and respected journalist. The outpouring of support that has occurred on his behalf from respected media outlets throughout the world has been there for all to see.

There is no doubt that Egypt faces a number of challenges at the moment in terms of its move into democracy. And there is no doubt that those challenges are for the Egyptian people and the Egyptian authorities to deal with. There is also no doubt that respect for the rule of law in our dealings with countries other than our own is paramount. But, as other speakers have also mentioned, freedom of the press is an essential part of a society that is free. And freedom of the press produces, within itself, difficulties for the societies in which it is pursued.

There are plenty of times when I have criticised journalists in this country and, sometimes, overseas. There have been plenty of times when I have wondered about the way individual journalists and, sometimes, media organisations have undertaken their journalism. However, there is no doubt that the principles underlying freedom of the press are essential. And there is no doubt that trying to report the truth—and ensuring that it is widely reported—in environments such as those in the Middle East, is extremely difficult. I join with others in this chamber, in this community, within the government and throughout the world, to call on the Egyptian authorities to consider these issues with mercy and compassion and to ensure that journalists such as Peter Greste get a fair trial. I hope that Peter Greste and his colleagues will soon be released and I show great respect to their families for the suffering and pressure that they currently facing.

Debate adjourned.