Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) welcomes the Australian Government’s commitment to contributing to humanitarian aid in Iraq, including through airdrops;

(2) commends the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for:

(a) their commitment to working with our allies towards a solution, including having reaffirmed the strong state of our bilateral defence and security co-operation with the United States;

(b) strengthening our national security by providing a further $630 million over four years to boost the counter terrorism capacity of our security and intelligence organisations;

(c) their commitment to prosecuting those Australians who engage in terrorism-related activities and to strengthening our ability to monitor, arrest, and prosecute people who have been involved with terrorist groups abroad; and

(d) setting aside a minimum of 4,400 resettlement places in the 2014-15 Refugee and Humanitarian Program for ethnic and religious minorities fleeing the humanitarian crises in Iraq and Syria;

(3) recognises that:

(a) Christian Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yazidis, and Mandaeans are minority religious and racial groups in Iraq, and are subject to ongoing violence, intimidation, harassment and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds;

(b) hundreds of thousands of Christian Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yazidis, and Mandaeans have been forced to flee their homes in northern Iraq; and

(c) a growing number of Australians are travelling to Iraq and Syria and other conflict zones where their aim is to do harm and bring back deadly skills to Australia, and the threat from these extremists is real and growing;

(4) condemns the violent and barbaric killing, intimidation, harassment and discrimination of Christian Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yazidis, and Mandaeans in Iraq at the hands of the terrorist organisation, Islamic State (also known as ISIS); and

(5) calls upon the Australian Government to:

(a) continue to focus on the humanitarian aid mission; and

(b) work closely with our allies to ensure that more people are not exposed to the brutal zealotry of the Islamic State.

This motion calls upon the Australian parliament to do two things: to continue to focus on the humanitarian aid mission in Iraq and to work closely with our allies to ensure that more people are not exposed to the brutal zealotry of the Islamic State. In moving this motion, I note that events have moved rapidly in the past few weeks and we have seen the government put forward a strong series of responses for what has been occurring. We have also seen support from large segments of the opposition. We of course welcome the Leader of the Opposition and those people in the Labor Party who support the government in its strong response to this very important issue.

Like all Australians, I have been appalled and shocked at what has been going on in Iraq. Many of us here have been talking about the minority groups, and this motion canvasses most of those minority groups who have been affected by the brutal zealotry of Islamic State. We have seen beheadings of journalists but also of local Islamic people, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Westerners—all sorts of people. This is indiscriminate killing by a great evil of people in Iraq and Syria. We have also seen those Christian groups—whether they be Assyrians, members of the Assyrian Church of the East, or the Chaldeans, the members of the Eastern Catholic Church who share common and ethnic heritage distant and apart from their Arabic neighbours in Iraq—particularly targeted by IS and their evil zealotry, and they have been forced to flee in large numbers. We have seen that there are about 1.4 million Chaldeans and Assyrians in Iraq. Their population has decreased in recent years to about 500,000, with over a decade of turmoil—this latest incident being the straw that broke the camel's back. We have seen over 60 churches bombed, the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop kidnapped and murdered and other hideous atrocities against people's right to live freely and to practice their religion freely. The Yezidis, a small and ancient group of Persian faith, founded by a philosopher, are being hounded and hunted down by Islamic State, and they have greatly suffered as well. We have seen the results of the fleeing of all of these thousands of people to Mt Sinjar. They had been surrounded for many days and had to be relieved by American and Australian forces.

I note that in particular the government has assisted with humanitarian aid by sending RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft to deliver pallets of badly needed food and supplies, as well as $5 million worth of humanitarian aid provided to Iraq. I think all Australians welcome this humanitarian aid to people in very disastrous and dire circumstances, fleeing a great evil. The cargo included 150 boxes of high-energy biscuits and bottled water. It was enough to sustain thousands of people for 24 hours. We welcome all of these practical outcomes of Australian aid and assistance, which is directly saving lives and preventing great evil atrocities from occurring. I want to particularly thank the Hercules crews and members of the RAAF who are providing the humanitarian aid and assistance. They are doing a great job providing support for the people fleeing from terror.

I also acknowledge the Turkmen and the Shabak. There are so many groups and minorities. The nature of ISIS and the Islamic State is that they do not discriminate. They kill everybody who is not one of them, regardless of their background and religion.

We have seen all of these minorities persecuted: the Shabak, near Mosul and the Nineveh Plains, and the Mandaeans, who began fleeing Iraq under Saddam's rule. Their population has decreased to just a small group of 5,000. I was privileged to meet with the Mandaean community here in parliament house and hear directly from them about their surviving population in Iraq, which is suffering enormously under the ongoing ISIS onslaught.

It brings me to the situation in Australia. I want to commend all of these communities in Australia, whether they be the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Mandaeans, the Shabak or the Yezidis. There are communities here in Sydney, and you will see many Sydney members speaking on this motion, because those communities are predominantly settled in our biggest city, the melting pot that is Sydney. I have to report that all of them have come peacefully, live peacefully and work as good Australians to establish themselves here in Sydney. Hearing from them has been very important to the understanding of members of this House about what is occurring to their relatives, neighbours and friends and people they left behind in Iraq.

All Australians can be proud of the government's response with humanitarian aid. I know this parliament would endorse unanimously the ongoing support of humanitarian aid, in particular, and the humanitarian relief mission for people in such a state. The government has a suite of measures, including the response to terrorism, because the safety of our community is our highest priority. It is the highest priority of any government. The government is putting forward a package of measures this week to deal with the ongoing security environment here in Australia.

It affords me the opportunity to raise some matters occurring in Sydney in particular. I wholeheartedly express my support for the Lebanese Maronite in Parramatta, centred around Our Lady of Lebanon Church and Our Lady of Lebanon School. They have been a fantastic community of great Australians now for a number of generations here in Parramatta in Sydney. To hear that they were threatened in recent days by some youths with an ISIL flag who approached their church and their school, threatening to kill young people, is an abhorrent thing to occur on the streets of Sydney, especially as it concerns such a peace-loving community, one that has been a great success story for migration to Australia. I want to ensure they understand that they have the full support of everybody here in this parliament and of all people in Sydney, and that these kinds of acts of violence and terror on our streets are completely unacceptable and need and deserve the highest form of response.

I also want to commend Mr Abbas Aly, who is the Islamic leader of the prayer centre in my local community, the Annangrove prayer centre, who said on ABC Radio that he strongly supports the Team Australia mantra of the Prime Minister in describing the situation Australia faces. Mr Abbas Aly, the leader of the Annangrove prayer centre, supports the government and the Prime Minister, because he knows that these people do not represent the religion of Islam. The Islamic State is not the true representative of this faith. They have perverted it for their own purposes and, whether they be conducting these acts of terror in Iraq or whether they be threatening people here on the streets of Sydney, they are outside the normal bounds of the religion of Islam, and they are to be condemned. So I welcome Mr Aly's comments, both in condemning his fellow Muslims who have fallen from their true religion, and in supporting the government and the Prime Minister's important Team Australia summary of what is going on in this country today.

On a sour note, it is appalling to see a mosque in Sydney auction the ISIS flag. Whether or not this flag, as Mr Keysar Trad said, is somehow an ancient symbol of their religion that has been perverted by ISIS, or IS, symbols matter and it is very important that this debate not be confused by these sorts of acts, including the auction of an ISIS flag. I urge all Islamic leaders in Sydney to join Mr Abbas Aly in strongly condemning violence and in condemning IS, and also to refrain from using the symbols that have been used by this evil terrorist group in Iraq and its representatives here in Australia, because it is vital that the whole community understands that Islam condemns these acts and condemns these people here in Australia. The auctioning of this flag in Sydney, which was reported widely and shown on YouTube, was a very unfortunate event. I fully support Premier Mike Baird, who came out strongly to say that we would be taking action against anyone supporting ISIS and anyone giving support to terror in New South Wales and Australia.

This motion calls for greater aid. I think that is a worthy objective that we can all support. Human being are thrust into these conditions by great evils—a 'death cult' as the Prime Minister puts it, and it is a death cult, because these people do worship death. They are willing to blow themselves up, to kill themselves, for the sake of killing others. It is a death cult. It is vital that nations like Australia, the United States and all of the different countries that are forming a coalition, including countries in the Middle East, act to protect basic human rights. That is what this is about. It is worthy that we are sending forces to assist the international coalition in providing succour to people who are having their basic human rights violated. We strongly support the government and the government's attempts to eradicate radicalism and violence and to deal with those people here in Australia who, God forbid, are working to support the zealotry of the Islamic State.

Most of all today, we send a message to those minorities who have so successfully migrated here to Australia and formed such great communities in Sydney and our other cities. We support them and their fellow human beings in their difficult circumstances in Iraq, and this government and the Australian parliament is prepared to act.

Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I think of Australian values, words that come to mind include 'democracy', 'peace', 'secularism' and 'the rule of law'. They are the values which define our system of government, our culture and, indeed, our approach to international relations and diplomacy. As a nation and as a people, Australia has never been involved in unilateral invasion and conflict. It is not in our nature and it does not fit well with our values. But we do play our part in upholding the values of democracy, peace and the rule of law and in protecting the sanctity of life. We are known throughout the world for our loyalty and for our staunch adherence to and willingness to stand up for those values that I mentioned earlier. Once again, Australia is entering a region of conflict. But as is always the case for our nation and its people, we do not put our own dedicated and skilled personnel in harm's way lightly. These are steps which we take with great seriousness and consideration.

It is well accepted that the 2003 Iraq war was a mistake which was costly for the people of Iraq and for participating countries including Australia. Overnight we saw the former Prime Minister John Howard admit that he was embarrassed by the actions that were taken in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Not only was the Prime Minister embarrassed, it was the nation of Australia and its people that were embarrassed by that unjustified action. But 2014 is not 2003. In 2003, the government of Iraq and the majority of the Iraqi population opposed the military action of the United States and the so-called coalition of the willing. The aim of the 2003 action was poorly defined and changed during the course of the invasion. At the beginning it was to eradicate weapons of mass destruction, then later on it became regime change. The 2003 war was based on false information about weapons of mass destruction, and the UN's weapons inspectors were not given enough time to do their work. The war was not supported by the United Nations, and the international community was overwhelmingly opposed to military action.

In contrast, today, the democratically elected national unity government of Iraq is seeking help from the international community to protect civilians from the real threat of mass atrocity crimes or genocide. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister for foreign affairs, Tanya Plibersek, recently wrote in an opinion piece on Australia's approach to this mission in Iraq and adherence to the doctrine to protect in guiding our decision to support the action. The doctrine to protect, developed through the United Nations, through which the former Labor foreign affairs minister Gareth Evans had an influential hand, informs the decisions of governments and countries as to the right time to intervene in foreign disputes and humanitarian crises. It was born out of horrific acts of barbarism like the 1994 Rwandan genocide or the conflict in Kosovo and it sets out a set of criteria which should be met before taking the difficult decision to become involved in such actions. Those criteria include that there is a just cause, the intention is right, the action is a last resort, the action has legitimate authority, it is proportionate, and it has a reasonable prospect of success.

In regard to the situation in Iraq, Labor is of the belief that these criteria have been met in respect to Australia's commitment to this action. Over the last few months, the horrific and barbaric nature of the Islamic State has shocked the world. We have watched as innocent people of Iraq have been displaced and forced to flee their homes with nothing but their lives. Just this weekend, the news broke of more than 60,000 people, mainly Syrian Kurds, seeking refuge in Turkey as Islamic state militants continued to seize land and villages in Syria. Until recently, Turks and Kurds had fought a civil war that killed 40,000 people. Now Turkey accepts Kurds as refugees. This is evidence of ISIS's power and ability to change the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and the dynamics of the region. As caring, compassionate global citizens, Australians have been deeply saddened at the news and the images of peace-loving people in northern Iraqi and Syria clutching their loved ones as they flee what has become a ruthless, evil force seemingly ready to kill at will anyone that does not share their extreme radicalism and bloodlust.

But although the horrible scenes appear as a distant nightmare, we have been reminded of how quickly this nightmare could be visited upon the people of Australia. Last week we saw a joint task force uncover evidence of a plot to undertake terrorist activity here in Australia. Across Sydney and Brisbane, more than 800 police carried out pre-dawn raids searching 25 homes in two states, detaining and questioning 15 men and charging two. For Australians, this news was a salient reminder of the horrible truth that we are not immune from the threat of terrorism here in Australia and there are evil people intent on destroying Australians' peaceful way of life. Thankfully, we have also seen the government rethink some of its budget cuts in programs that are aimed at creating harmony within our community.

I speak of the countering violent extremism program which was put in place by the previous Labor government and was proposed to be cut in this year's budget by the Abbott government. Thankfully, they have backed off on that commitment. They have also backed off on their commitment to get rid of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, which is performing a very important role in ensuring that our security and intelligence laws are up to date and armed with the necessary actions to combat the threat of terrorism. More recently, we have seen the Attorney-General back off on what were draconian Racial Discrimination Act changes. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the 800 individuals who were involved in uncovering this plot last week for their professionalism and dedication to the cause of protecting Australian citizens.

Labor is supportive of Australia's humanitarian mission to northern Iraq through the provision of military personnel and equipment. We are proud to be among upwards of 50 countries in a coalition committed to countering the spread of ISIL. But we are not blind supporters of this mission. Our support is conditional on the belief that we should be only committing our resources as long as it takes the Iraqi government to regain control of its own security to protect its people. We would also like to thank the government for its bipartisan approach and call on them to once again ensure that they are forthcoming with information on this very important mission over coming weeks in the parliament to keep the Australian people well apprised of its progress.

In respect of aid assistance to the region and the humanitarian effort, particularly the support for refugees who are in very difficult circumstances—and many are women and children—Labor of course supports the nature of this motion and the call for increasing aid to assist those refugees who are fleeing this persecution.

Finally, I would like to take a moment to wish our service men and women all the very best on their mission. I say to them: you have the full support of the Labor Party and the people of Australia in the important work that you will do in this region. There is no doubt that your bravery, knowledge and skills will help save countless lives. We are indebted to you for your service, and the thoughts and prayers of the people of our nation are with you.

Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great conviction I stand today to second the motion put forward by the member for Mitchell. I strongly support this motion to recognise the ongoing violence, intimidation, harassment and discrimination of religious and ethnic groups in Iraq and Syria at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The swift and bloody emergence of this lethal terrorist group is of deep concern to this government and we strongly condemn their brutal activities in Iraq and Syria. Considered a terrorist organisation by many countries, including Australia, the Islamic State has committed violent atrocities against civilians and foreign expatriates, including: the ruthless persecution and targeting of religious and racial minorities in Iraq and Syria; the barbaric kidnapping and killing of two American journalists and a British aid worker; and the mass execution of its enemies. Whilst conflicts in Syria and Iraq are far from our doors, this gross violation of human rights is of deep concern to this government and many Australians.

I believe it is important that this House welcome, recognise and commend the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the immigration minister for their comprehensive response to the growing humanitarian crisis. Australian officials have repeatedly raised the Islamic State's blatant violation of human rights with the Iraqi government and the United Nations Security Council. Australia co-sponsored a new UNSC resolution to condemn and express disapproval for all terrorist acts committed by the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front in Iraq and Syria. The resolution, adopted on 16 August, makes clear that the international community will not tolerate their brutal activities. In step with the Iraqi government, Australia also made the first flight of military stores to the Kurdish region and participated in a humanitarian airdrop to the besieged town of Amerli. The drop included the delivery of 15 pallets of food, water and hygiene packs—enough for 2,600 people for a day.

These initiatives are important because, while we as a government have the responsibility to protect the security of our own citizens, it is through our concern and compassion for the welfare of all humans that we commit to helping others who are suffering in the international community. As such, I call on the House to commend this government's contribution to international efforts to protect people against the advances of the Islamic State.

On 19 June, this government announced that it would contribute $5 million to the work of the United Nations refugee agency and the World Food Program in Iraq. In addition to financial assistance, we have also considered ways that Australia can contribute to the international humanitarian crisis closer to home. The government has set aside a minimum of 4,400 resettlement places in the 2014-15 refugee and humanitarian programs for ethnic and religious minorities fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria. Iraqi Christians and Yazidis are also now listed as eligible for special humanitarian visas.

The security implications of the escalating Islamic State terrorist situation are not geographically confined to Syria and Iraq. The growing reach of the deadly Islamic State poses a threat to the security of all Australians, both here and abroad. And just as the wellbeing of Macarthur residents is my highest priority, the collective safety and security of the entire Australian population is the highest priority for this government. I move that the House acknowledge the government's steadfast commitment to strengthening our national security through international and domestic channels. Abroad, we have intensified our international counter-terrorism engagement, particularly through multilateral efforts, targeted financial sanctions and travel bans with countries of the Middle East and South-East Asia and key allies.

I also urge this House to recognise the serious threat that the growing number of Australians travelling to Syria and Iraq pose to Australia's national security. The number of Australians involved in the Iraq and Syria conflicts is substantially higher than in previous foreign conflicts, including Afghanistan, in which eight Australians were later convicted of planning terrorist attacks back in Australia. According to ASIO, around 60 Australians have been identified as currently fighting in Iraq and Syria and a further 90 Australians as involved with extremist groups within these countries in other ways. There is a real and growing concern that upon their return to Australia they would use the deadly skills they have learnt from supporting and fighting with the Islamic State to do harm to Australia, its national interests and its citizens. That is why the government is committed to prosecuting people who have engaged in terrorism related activities and to strengthening our ability to monitor, arrest and prosecute people who have been involved with terrorist groups abroad.

To boost Australia's counter-terrorism capacity, this government is providing a further $630 million over the next four years to the Australian counter-terrorism agencies. The funds will make a crucial contribution to a range of counter-terrorism measures, particularly those that give security agencies the resources, technical skills and legislative powers they need to combat the evolving challenges of home-grown terrorism. Terrorists and violent extremists represent a fringe minority and are an affront to the values of all Australians. This government refuses to bow down to the Islamic State. There is no place in Australia or anywhere else in the international community for such groups, and this government will not tolerate such barbaric activities in Australia or their infliction on innocent civilians overseas. I stand firm today to call upon the government to continue to focus on the humanitarian aid mission and to work closely with our allies to ensure that more people are not exposed to the brutal extremists of the Islamic State.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support this private member's motion and, in saying that, state that now is the time for unity. That is, unity in the face of barbarism and terror. Our world changed on September 11 2001, when terror entered our lives in a way which it has not left since. Every aspect of the way in which we go about our world changed on that day. A month or two ago, I was at Ground Zero in New York. I visited the September 11 memorial, which is a remarkable museum and a remarkable memorial to those who perished on that day in those attacks, a number of whom were Australian citizens.

What we have seen in the last couple of months is perhaps the most unsettling and the most significant development in the situation of terror since September 11. With Islamic State, we are now witnessing a form of terror and form of organisation whose method is brutality and whose method is about putting on display their blood lust and, in the process, seeking to strike terror and fear in the hearts of everyone. The public beheadings of James Foley, Steven Sotloff, David Haines and many others are amongst the most appalling images that we have seen, as are those images of young children and others holding the heads of soldiers in a manner which is unfathomable to anybody within our society. We live in an age where there are crucifixions being undertaken as a form of terrorising others. This is what we are facing and this is what needs to be contested.

The ideology underpinning all of this is an ideology of intolerance and an ideology that says that their way of looking at the human experience is the only way. As a result, there are indeed many minorities in northern Iraq and in Syria—such as Christian Assyrians, Chaldeans, the Yazidis and Mandeans—who are experiencing the persecution and the death that is being wrought by Islamic State. Australia's international reflex, when faced with a moment of this type, has always been to play our part and to pull our weight. That is what we are doing now in northern Iraq, along with many other countries who are deciding to contest and defeat this brutality. It is important and it is the Australian way to act in this.

It is not only a danger that we face in a global sense in Syria and Iraq but, as we saw last week, this danger is being brought home to our own country and to our own streets. The counter-terrorism operation which we witnessed last week was the single largest in Australia's history. It shows the terror that we are facing globally is a very real terror that we are facing in Australia as well. From that work and the diligence and the professional efforts of those persons working for Australia's counter-terrorism agencies, we as a community and a society should take reassurance that we have the very best of the best looking after our interests and making us safe at home. For that, I thank them.

Labor's disposition in all of this is to support the efforts of the government and to work constructively with the government in a bipartisan way. We want to see the detail of all the measures that are being put forward, as anybody would expect us to do in being elected to this place and fulfilling our role with our own sense of diligence. This is a moment for bipartisanship and to work in cooperation with everyone in this building to do what we can. We are concerned, in saying that, that the humanitarian aid provided to the Middle East has been cut. We do support an intake of 4,400 coming from Syria and Iraq, but we do believe that ought to be in addition to our humanitarian intake. Most of all, we support the work of our personnel in doing the very dangerous work that they are and shouldering the burden of this. (Time expired)

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to start by commending the member for the Berowra for putting this motion before the House. I would also like to commend members of the opposition who have also spoken in support of this motion. In doing so, we need to acknowledge the absolute evil that the death cult of ISIS is. For we have two options: one option is that we can just look on from our TV screens and the other option is that we can do what Australia has always done, which is to join international coalitions. Where there is evil in the world, where there are people who threaten freedom, where there are people who threaten democracy and where there are people who threaten liberty, we as a nation join in a coalition with other nations who have the same ideals and the same objectives and we work with those nations with our military forces.

That is what our troops have always done throughout history. Where our nation has committed troops to fight on foreign soil, they have never done so for territory or for conquest. It has always been to bring freedom, to bring peace and to bring prosperity to those foreign lands. Having our troops positioned currently in the United Arab Emirates—where they are ready if needed and in coalition with other nations—to find that death cult in Iraq is in that same tradition that our military will take forward. Ultimately, the reason why we fight in foreign lands is because our servicemen know that that is the best way to protect the security and peace that we here enjoy in Australia. The best way is to try and extend that same peace, security and freedoms to people elsewhere in the world.

I would also like to commend the motion. The government is providing a further $630 million over four years to boost the counter-terrorism capacity and security of our Australian intelligence organisations. In doing so we need to acknowledge the problem that our security agents face—the radicalisation of youth, mostly Islamic youth, in many of our larger cities. What causes that radicalisation? We know that people who try to recruit people to their death cult, to radicalise those individuals, rely on the message that they are being targeted or being unfairly treated because when the government and our security agencies talk about the raised risk of terrorist threat in this country it is all a beat-up, it is all scaremongering.

That line of debate and that line of thought and public commentary—and we have seen a substantial proportion of it in the media and even by some members of this parliament—actually feeds into the radicalisation of the youth. That dangerous denial of the problems we face feeds into the narrative that actually makes us all less safe. So I ask members of this parliament, members of the media and certain sections of the public who have a scepticism—often a healthy scepticism—about the needs for our security and defence forces to think very carefully before they make comments that this is all a beat-up, that this is all scaremongering and that groups are somehow being targeted, because when they make those public comments it feeds into the radicalisation of those youth and is something that the terrorist recruiters latch onto and use to try to radicalise people to their death cult—and it is a death cult. We have seen Australian citizens, people who were brought up here and went to Australian schools, going to Iraq and becoming suicide bombers. We have seen people who went to public schools in New South Wales recruited and photographed—and they are the most gruesome photographs—with people who have had their heads cut off. So we all have an obligation to make sure we are not engaging in any activity that encourages radicalisation.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to participate in this debate on humanitarian aid in Iraq. Despite the bipartisan acceptance that action must be taken to address the growing influence of the Islamic State, I think Australians are right to express concern about our involvement in another international conflict. The memory of our most recent venture in Iraq a mere decade ago still lingers, as does how this involvement has contributed to the human tragedy now unfolding in the Middle East.

We would do well to remember the basis of our initial involvement with the coalition of the willing. We were told by the then Prime Minister, John Howard, that our involvement was not about a regime change but was all about the detection and destruction of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The fact is the then United States President, George W Bush, was desperate to establish a link between Saddam Hussein's regime and the 9/11 attack. Either the Australian government knew that this was contrary to all the advice from credible intelligence sources or was negligent in establishing the facts before embarking on such a cavalier military adventure.

The misguided and poorly planned coalition of the willing involvement in Iraq in 2003 created a power vacuum, impacting on all levels of Iraq's administration and bureaucracy, which has in turn contributed to the unleashing of certain forces within the Islamic sect that has allowed the rise of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State. This is directly responsible for the more than 1.4 million people, including Assyrians, Chaldean Catholics, Mandaeans, Yazidis and other minorities, fleeing their homelands or having to face what can only be referred to as genocide.

The rise of the Islamic State, a cruel medieval theocracy that hates not only the West but also much of the Islamic world, now overrides any considerations, quite frankly, of the past. The fact is the international community has no choice but to take action to support these minorities or stand accused of aiding and abetting genocide. However, I believe Australia has a higher moral responsibility, as do all the partners of the coalition of the willing, to help clean up the mess that we unwittingly helped create.

Many expatriate Iraqi groups in my electorate, including the Iraqi Australian Christian Association, the Assyrian Universal Alliance, the Mandaean Australian culture group, the Assyrian Australian National Federation, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic community and the broader Kurdish community, expect that we will play a role in re-establishing security in their homeland. It is right and proper that this parliament, with the support of both major parties, is standing up against ethnic cleansing in Iraq by providing humanitarian relief to those who are in such desperate need, particularly the Yazidis on Mount Sinjar, and by providing military support for the Kurdish Peshmerga forces who are leading the fight against the Islamic State. Recently I read an account by a young commander in the Kurdish Peshmerga all-female unit. Nuve Rojhat, in speaking about the Islamic State, said:

… what they hate most is that Kurdish women have rights and they want to take them away from us. We are here to support all women, not just Kurdish women … They [IS] believe women are less than human and just here to be used. They are selling Yazidi women in Mosul for just $20.

If that is not a plea for becoming involved and assisting, I am not sure what is.

Under the circumstances there is a need to review our humanitarian intake from the Middle East. In view of this crisis, it is only right that we continue to play our role in providing humanitarian relief to those in need, but it is also right, because of our involvement in the coalition of the willing, that we play our role in resettling people caught up in this dreadful conflict.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion and commend the member for Mitchell for bringing on this debate today. Obviously, at the time the member for Mitchell lodged this motion some weeks back, the issues were very serious and it is fair to say they have only become more so in recent days and weeks. As all speakers in this debate have said, this motion is welcome for highlighting the humanitarian effort that Australia is taking—the action we are taking on behalf of those persecuted minorities in Iraq—and for the way we are doing that in concert with many other nations. Already the Australian Defence Force has completed humanitarian drops in mid and late August, providing water, high-energy biscuits and hygiene kits to those stranded and under severe threat.

In the time available, I do not want to revisit all the examples of the utter and awful horror that the world has been witness to over recent weeks, but I do want to say that this motion has been moved—and those who have spoken on it have done so—in a bipartisan spirit. Speakers on this side have rightly pointed out that this is an issue where the opposition has offered the government support, and speakers on the other side have rightly pointed out that the Prime Minister has kept the opposition briefed and informed of all serious developments and that will continue. As we reflect over the last couple of weeks since we last sat and the events particularly during the course of last week, we are acutely aware that this is very much an issue that is both far away and close to home—far away in Iraq but close to home because those perpetrating this terror seek to do so wherever they can.

As speakers have already noted, the actions of Australia's security agencies and police last week highlighted that issue. It is something that needs to be confronted abroad and at home. Our Defence personnel, as the member for Corio said, are acting on behalf of freedom, and we wish them the very best. Of course, they have our prayers for the work they are doing with more than 40 other nations. Before I conclude, I want to address some of the issues around our security agencies. Clearly it is absolutely vital that they have the best resources possible and they have the best tools they can possibly have. That means that they are funded to do their job—we have seen the government do this—and that they have the best laws possible. This week in the parliament we will be working together to ensure they have the best laws possible. When it comes to issues like metadata, there are some who are opposed to security action in this area. We need to be reminded at all times that when the head of ASIO speaks, we should listen because it is the overall freedom his and other agencies are trying to protect.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia's involvement in Iraq should be defined and conducted with humanitarian protection as its primary and overwhelming objective. There is no doubt of the depth of the humanitarian crisis that is occurring now in Iraq. In Iraq 1.8 million people have been internally displaced and hundreds of thousands are in need of humanitarian assistance. The situation in Syria is also dire: 6.5 million Syrians are internally displaced and 10 million need humanitarian support.

The context for what has been said in debate on this motion should be, however, to recognise that the Abbott government cut $7.6 billion from foreign aid in this year's budget. The budget cuts to aid come on top of the $8.4 billion reduction caused by abandoning the commitment that our aid budget would reach 0.5 per cent of GNI—a commitment originally made by John Howard and which Mr Abbott promised to keep as late as December last year. The effect of these cuts in Iraq meant that our country program went from $7.7 million to zero in this year's budget. To look internationally, we should note that the United Nations called for $6.5 billion in aid for the Syria crisis—the largest ever appeal for funds. Australia under the coalition has pledged us $30 million or so in aid: a sadly inadequate response to an enormous humanitarian need. Labor in government pledged over $100 million in aid to the crisis in Syria.

I was left in no doubt as to the extent of the crisis caused by the Syrian conflict. I met recently with the president of the Jordan National Red Crescent Society, Dr Mohammed Al-Hadid, who told me of the difficulties that Jordan is facing with more than 1.4 million refugees from Syria now living in Jordan. Labor calls on the government to substantially increase Australia's contributions to the United Nations and to relief organisations which are delivering humanitarian assistance in Syria and in Iraq. This should include increased support to UN agencies that are operating in the neighbouring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon, which have so far borne the majority of the burden of displaced Syrians, with insufficient international assistance. As I have said, Australia thus far has contributed only $30 million or so to the Syrian crisis. Based on the size of our economy, Oxfam has calculated that our fair share of this international fundraising effort would be in the order of $117 million—and just by way of comparison, looking at other international contributors: Denmark has managed to contribute 163 per cent of its fair share, and the UK has given 141 per cent of what would be its fair share.

This is the consequence of the kinds of cuts to foreign aid that have been made by the Abbott government in this budget. It leaves Australia unable to contribute at the same level at which other countries have found themselves able to contribute. It leaves Australia are unable to do our fair share—as we should, as one of the wealthy countries of the world—in repairing the damage and in trying to assist in what is undoubtedly a very deep humanitarian crisis now unfolding in the Middle East. Again, you could point to the fact that on 12 September, the United States announced a further commitment of $500 million to Syria and to regional countries involved in supporting Syrians displaced by the violence. We have seen the United States also contributing a further $48 million in humanitarian assistance to respond to the crisis in Iraq, bringing the total funding in 2014 from the United States for Iraq to more than $186 million dollars, and all of this additional funding is going to go to supporting humanitarian needs including the preparation for winter.

There is also a role for Australia through our refugee and humanitarian migration program. We have had an announcement from the coalition government, back in August, of some 4,400 places for Iraqis and Syrians fleeing violence and persecution but, regrettably, these places are not an overall increase to Australian's humanitarian intake but will apparently be part of the existing 13,750 places allocated annually under the program.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.