Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like many Riverina people and others who were watching from around the globe, I was deeply touched, saddened and shocked when I saw the pictures coming out of Paris and Beirut, following the terrorist attacks on Friday 13 November. It was indeed a black Friday. I was heartened by the response of many of the local people in my electorate to Australia's role in condemning these evil and despicable acts and by the solidarity that we have shown towards the people, communities, families and friends of those who have lost their lives, their loved ones, in such a needless and callous way. I was heartened to see the world, including Parliament House, turn shades of red, white and blue, just as France did following the events of 11 September 2001. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, expressed Australia's anger, justifiably, at these attacks and its support for those whom this reckless terrorism has touched. I know the opposition leader and all those opposite concur.

We will as a government, we will as a parliament and we will as a nation be resolute in fighting the perpetrators of these insidious acts. We will do our best to bring about the destruction of IS and Daesh. I am reluctant to call IS by its full title. Its acronym stands for Islamic state. As I have said before, a state builds things. A state protects people. A state promotes confidence and looks to the future. IS does nothing of the sort. IS does nothing but impose its will upon the world. IS wants to impose its destruction, its acts of evil, upon an innocent world.

I have not been to Paris. I have been to Calais in France but I have not been to the French capital, although my wife, Catherine, has. She says it is beautiful. Many people will feel an affinity with Paris, whether they have been there or not. It is so constant an image and idea in our travel, our culture and our conception of the world that we would have all felt something to see those horrible scenes coming through our televisions and through our social media on that Saturday morning, following those dreadful and despicable acts.

The focus of the international meetings attended by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister has rightly turned to how we can best counter insurgency and extremism as it grows online. It is dreadful to think that so many young Australians—more than 110 and many of them young people—have been radicalised by the false and fake hopes and ideologies that are coming from the leadership of the IS movement. Australia has role to play in bringing the spread of IS to an end—hopefully, an abrupt end.

I represent Kapooka, the Army Recruit Training Centre at Wagga Wagga. I represent the Royal Australian Air Force base at Forest Hill, just east of Wagga Wagga. I also represent an important strategic naval base, which is housed along with the RAAF base at Wagga Wagga. The men and women who train at these bases give of themselves. They want a better future not just for our nation, not just for our future generations but for others as well. They would sacrifice their lives if need be for that ideal. They would sacrifice their lives so that others may live free. The price of peace is eternal vigilance—we know that. We know how important it is to have an able and well-prepared defence force. I am so very proud and privileged to represent an electorate in which much of the training of our army is done. Indeed, every young recruit—and some not so young—do their basic training at Blamey Barracks, just south-west of Wagga Wagga. When I go to the march out parades I am always amazed to see the resilient determination and the patriotism in their eyes. I should not be amazed, because I have been there many times before.

Mr Deputy Speaker Mitchell, I know you have been with me to see the wonderful work that our troops do in overseas postings, particularly in Afghanistan. We went there together last year, along with the member for Batman and Senator Sean Edwards, and we saw the great work that they do there. We know that many of those people that we saw in Kandahar and Kabul would possibly now be on joint operations in the Middle East risking their life and limb over Syria or in northern Iraq. We pay homage to them. We certainly respect the efforts that they put in. I am joined in the chamber by the shadow parliamentary secretary who understands just how important is the role that these people play in protecting and safeguarding the future of our nation. These people whom we train and who wear our uniform proudly do not deserve to come up against other Australians—other citizens of this nation—when they are fighting IS, when they are fighting Daesh, when they are tackling terrorism. They do not deserve to have to fight those radicalised people who leave this country to go to fight for IS.

As a former journalist and a former newspaper editor, I think it is a shame to see how IS is sometimes portrayed in the wider media. We see them driving around in the newest cars, brandishing the newest rifles, waving that dreadful black flag. We see those images. What we should be seeing of IS is the depravity that they inflict upon the world—or the aftermath thereof. What we should be seeing is the squalor in which they live. What we should be seeing is the false hope that they provide. That is the image that should always be coming out in our media. But the trouble is we see them brandishing their arms, driving along in their new cars, and this offers some sort of sick hope to young people whom they coerce online to join their sick, depraved ideology.

Terrorist activity increased by 80 per cent in 2014 to be at its highest recorded level. The attack on Paris killed 130, at least 43 died in the accompanying suicide bombings in Beirut, the Bamako attacks killed at least 19 victims and an attack on the presidential guard force in Tunis killed at least 12—and that is just this month. The terrorist activity high recorded in 2014 was according to the Global Terrorism Index. What a sad state of affairs it is when we have people who spend their whole lives recording global terrorism. The largest ever year-on-year increase in deaths from terrorism was recorded in 2014. It rose that year to 32,685 from 18,111 the previous year—and I dare say that figure is even higher now. The number of people who have died from terrorist activity has increased ninefold since 2000. Terrorist activity is highly concentrated. Five countries account for more than 75 per cent—more than three-quarters—of deaths. Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria account for more than three-quarters of terrorism related deaths. How sad is that? Private citizens are increasingly the targets of terror attacks, and that is disturbing. That is very, very worrying. According to this GTI, or Global Terrorism Index—and how sad it is that we have to even have one—deaths of private citizens increased by 172 per cent between 2013 and 2014, compared to the total number of deaths, which rose by 80 per cent. Terrorist attacks on religious targets decreased by 11 per cent in 2014. So the mood is swinging from religious groups to private citizens. In Australia we have seen the dreadful death of a young man working for the New South Wales Police Force—an absolutely dreadful incident—and we hope and we pray that these sorts of attacks do not continue.

We hope and we pray for our brave soldiers, our sailors and our Air Force personnel who are going into harm's way. We hope and we pray that ISIL can be negated and wiped out. The damage that that movement is doing in Syria to many of humankind's most ancient cities which hold some of the most treasured artefacts, possessions and temples is beyond belief. Some of the artefacts, precious urns and other symbols of mankind which had been destroyed had lasted hundreds if not thousands of years and had been lovingly recovered and preserved by archaeologists and put on display. With no more than a cursory thought, they have been smashed by members of ISIS with sledgehammers. How dreadful is that?

But it is the deaths of people that is, of course, of far graver concern. It is the numbers of journalists and other freedom fighters who have had their throats slit and have had their lives taken—snuffed out just like that—by these people. And for what? People do not deserve to be treated in this way.

Australia stands united in solidarity with the people of Paris, as we should. IS has to be eradicated. I am pleased that the parliament and the nation recognise this. I am pleased that my electorate is doing its bit in prayers and support for those affected and by way of training our people who will go and fight this scourge. As I said, our thoughts and our prayers are with those people affected. Paris did not deserve this. The world does not deserve to have IS continue its deadly regime. The sooner IS can be snuffed out the better.

Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today with my colleagues on this side and those on the other side to condemn terrorism. I also speak on behalf of all Canberrans in condemning terrorism. It gives me great sadness to reflect on the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Mali, Beirut and Istanbul and the one late last year in Sydney. Before that, there were the attacks in New York, Bali, Nigeria, Yemen, Cameroon and many, many other places around the world. It is heartbreaking to think of the families who have lost loved ones at the hands of a terrorist.

The only thing that gives me hope is the way that horrific events such as in Paris, Istanbul and Mali and horrific situations such as we have seen in Sydney have exposed the worst of human nature but also exposed the best. The outpouring of support and love, care and compassion that we have seen flow after these attacks in Paris, Beirut, Istanbul and Sydney has been remarkable, deeply moving and incredibly powerful. People have rallied around those countries and communities and the people who live there, sending messages of support and prayers from every part of the world.

This is what needs to happen. In these challenging times that we face at the moment we must focus on what unites us and not on what divides us. Now, more than ever, is the time to support one another and stare down this hate. We must do everything we can to defeat ISIS and other terrorist groups like Boko Haram and al-Qaeda offshoots. It is promising to see world leaders uniting on this. It was the focus of everyone's attention at the G20, at APEC and at the East Asia Summit. It is promising to see world leaders coming together with a strong determination to come up with coordinated strategies to defeat ISIS. This gives me hope that we will defeat ISIS—because we must.

Terrorism is an affront to all humanity. There is no question just how little regard ISIS has for human life. We have seen public murders, slavery and systematic sexual abuse. We have seen the most unspeakable acts of sexual violence, where rape and sexual abuse are not just a by-product of war but used as a deliberate military strategy to degrade the enemy.

Horrifyingly, we have learned that girls from Iraq and Syria have been stripped, sold and, in many cases, made to undergo over a dozen virginity reparation surgeries. There are of course countless reasons to destroy, degrade or contain terrorism in all its forms, but the sorts of horrific stories we are hearing about those women and what they have to endure are reason enough. What I find most deplorable is the fact that, as I said, sexual slavery and the degradation of women and girls has become not just a by-product of war but a deliberate strategy.

We were all horrified to hear just recently about the mass grave that was dug up and the 100 Yazidi women found there who were aged between 40 and 80. That story did not just speak about the fact that these women had been killed—and I hate to think about how they were killed—but also spoke about the other women. What happened to the girls? What happened to the other girls in that community who were in their teens, 20s and 30s? What happened to all the women who were aged under 40? Where are they? That is what I worry about. That is the thing that really keeps me driven on this issue. This is the reason I want to see this hateful organisation overcome. What happened to those young girls? They are probably sex slaves. God knows where they are now. They are probably scattered throughout the region. It reminds us again about what happened to those schoolgirls that Boko Haram took more than 12 months ago. I think we are getting up to 18 months. What happened to them? Where are they? And where are the Yazidi girls? What are they enduring each day at the hands of these barbarians?

As I said, there are countless reasons to destroy, degrade or contain terrorism in all its forms and bring down ISIS and Boko Haram and all those evil offshoots of al-Qaeda. But, for me, the use of sexual violence as an act of terror is one of the worst possible crimes against humanity and the most compelling reason to defeat this evil. We absolutely must fight this evil in every way we can.

According to the United Nations, sexual violence in conflict is one of the greatest moral issues of our time. It is a moral issue we face now, and it has been a moral issue for time immemorial. Historically, rape was characterised as a private crime and not a matter of universal human rights. It was considered a crime against a woman's honour rather than an act of gross physical violence. To date, the focus on sexual violence has been on state actors. However, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, as an orchestrated, institutionalised, industrialised terror tactic and as a combat tool is a more recent phenomenon—and a horrifying and unimaginable one at that. What we are seeing with ISIS is a non-state actor engaging in the most unspeakable acts of sexual violence. It is different to other uses of sexual violence in conflict because women's bodies have now become part of the terrain of conflict, according to a report by Amnesty International. As I said, rape and sexual abuse are not just a by-product of war; they are used as a deliberate military strategy.

The United Nations estimates that ISIS has forced some 1,500 women, teenage girls and boys into sexual slavery, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the true figure is far greater. I have seen reports of between 1,500 and 6,000, but, after the mass graves of Yazidi women and girls were found recently—which makes you wonder what happened to them—I am sure the figure is far greater than that 6,000. The UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict found that girls from Iraq and Syria were made to engage in the most unspeakable acts of sexual violence. What these women, young girls and boys have had to endure is just unspeakable. The intense shame that accompanies these acts is too much for many women to bear, with a number later committing suicide.

As I said earlier, it is a great moral issue of our time, as described by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura. As I also said earlier, there are countless reasons to destroy, degrade or contain terrorism in all its forms, but for me it is especially for the women and children, who often suffer the most during and after conflict. In order to protect these women and children and all of those living in the Middle East region, as well as those who have been forced to flee, we must defeat ISIS. The situation we face is complex, with many elements, so the solution must include military, political, diplomatic and humanitarian strategies and assistance for refugees.

I am proud of Labor's bipartisan approach to national security. So far Labor has supported and enhanced four rounds of national security legislation and the government's decision to deploy our ADF personnel to the Middle East to protect civilians and build the capacity of Iraq's security forces. We can and must provide Iraqi armed forces with the skills and training needed to defeat ISIS. Labor also welcomed the government's commitment—after we had called on the government to increase our existing refugee intake—to take in an additional 12,000 refugees.

While Labor has consistently sought to provide bipartisanship on national security, we have also called for greater transparency. We have been calling on the government to develop and make public a long-term, inclusive and coherent strategy to end the conflict and to make Australia's objective as transparent as possible. Australians have the right to know what the strategy involves and, most importantly, what our exit strategy would look like, so we will continue to call for greater transparency.

After the most recent terrorist attacks in Paris, the world has united as never before to defeat those who would wish us harm—to defeat ISIS. This has involved our ADF personnel, who have played a vital role in that strategy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the men and women of our Defence Force for their courage, dedication and bravery. It is these qualities that make our Defence Force what it is—a world-class Defence Force.

There are 780 Australian Defence Force personnel currently deployed in the Middle East region, including Iraq, and another 1,461 deployed elsewhere overseas. These men and women spend months—sometimes years—away from their home and loved ones. They often put their lives on the line in order to protect Australia and our national interests. We owe them so much. We also owe their families, who make a great sacrifice, so much. I would like to extend my thanks to our ADF personnel and their families, and to Australia's security agencies, who are working around the clock to keep Australians safe.

I would like to offer my deepest condolences to those who have lost someone they love as a result of terrorism. ISIS, Boko Haram and the al-Qaeda offshoots are a scourge on our nation and the world, and we must do all we can to defeat them. They are evil. We must do everything we can in a military, diplomatic and political sense. There has to be a holistic, coherent and cohesive approach. We have to have a military response; we have to have a political response; we have to have to have a diplomatic response; and, as I said before, we have to have a humanitarian response. The best way for us to respond is by standing together in solidarity—united, not divided—and joining together in love, not dividing in hate.

I want to conclude with the words of the French ambassador. The foreign minister and I were at a function with French industry at his residence last week. He made a very powerful and compelling speech that was deeply moving for everyone who was there. I encourage all Australians to follow his words, which were, in a way, an act of defiance. He sent a very positive message to all Australians and to the world: we are alive and we are not afraid.

Debate interrupted.