Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters and the government's response to this threat?

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

I thank the member for Menzies for his question. I acknowledge his concern about the threat posed by Islamic extremist terrorist organisations such as Daesh—or ISIL, as it is known. As the Prime Minister advised the House this morning, the threat from Daesh is one of the most immediate security challenges facing Australia. The disturbing frequency of attacks in recent months directed or inspired by ISIL/Daesh—in France, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia—demonstrates that this is a global, regional and domestic challenge.

Around 110 Australians are overseas fighting with or supporting groups like ISIL/Daesh and as many as 65 Australians have been killed. No one country can counter the threat of ISIL alone. This is why Australia remains a significant contributor to the international military coalition in Iraq and Syria. We are committed to combating this terrorist organisation at its source. With Australian support, this campaign is making progress. ISIL's territorial hold is being reversed. The group has lost 50 per cent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq, and 20 per cent in Syria, and the group's leadership ranks are being successfully targeted. Indeed, most recently, one of the terrorist leaders in Syria, al-Adnani, described by the Pentagon as 'a principal architect of ISIL's external operations', was killed in Syria, a significant blow to the terrorists. I take the opportunity to thank the Leader of the Opposition for his in-principle support for the government's changes to Australia's policy on targeting enemy combatants.

Australia is playing its part also in preventing our citizens from travelling to the battlefields in Iraq and Syria. To date, I have cancelled around 180 passports, refused 24 and suspended a further 33. We are equally active and committed to combating the threat from violent Islamic extremism in our own region, where ISIL's growing influence is a serious concern. We are working with partners in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. We are improving border security measures to detect and disrupt foreign fighter travel. We are redoubling our efforts to counter extremist messaging, and improving the management of prisons and terrorist prisoners. We are also working with other nations in the region to cut off the financial support to ISIL. So the government continues to take all necessary steps to counter the threat from terrorists, to combat the terrorist organisations and to keep Australia's safe and secure wherever they may be.