Trevor Evans (Brisbane, 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 recent terror attacks overseas, and steps this government is taking to keep Australians safe both here and abroad?

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

I thank the member for Brisbane for his question. Mr Speaker, the world is witnessing a wave of hate-driven and brutal terrorist attacks, particularly over the last two months. In fact, this morning we learned that there had been another terror incident overnight in Brussels, and a short while ago we learned that ISIS-linked gunmen tried to take a school hostage in the southern Philippines about 200 kilometres south of Marawi. In Afghanistan, a truck bomb killed 90 people in the capital of Kabul. This is just in the last few weeks. In Iran, ISIS fighters attacked the parliament and a shrine. In Iraq, terrorists attacked civilians and killed, amongst others, a young Australian girl in Baghdad. In Somalia, civilians and soldiers have been killed by the ISIS-linked Al-Shabaab. In Mali, a hotel resort was attacked by terrorist fighters linked to al-Qaeda. In France and Britain, we have also seen recent attacks; in the United Kingdom alone, four terrorist attacks in the last month. And of course, we all recall the tragedy on London Bridge when two Australians were killed. Just two days ago, worshippers at a London mosque were attacked, thus adding to the cycle of violence. In our own region in the last couple of weeks, Indonesia has suffered a number of terrorist attacks; and in the Philippines, the armed forces are battling to retake the city of Marawi, and this is following a month of fighting insurgents and ISIS-inspired militants. And of course in Melbourne, there was an attack by an ISIS-inspired killer, bringing to five the number of terrorist attacks that we have suffered in Australia since September of 2014.

The Australian government is doing everything we can to keep Australians safe, here and abroad. We are fighting with the coalition forces, we are sharing information with countries in our region, we are monitoring foreign terrorist fighters—we are cancelling their passports so that they cannot travel overseas and we are monitoring their activities. We are also working very closely with nations in our region on counterterrorism, so that we can destroy these terrorist organisations that are seeking to destroy our people and our way of life. And there is also a humanitarian cost. Yesterday, I announced that the Australian government would provide $1 million to the Philippines to help support those who are besieged by terrorists in the southern Philippines.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition seeks to rise to support and endorse the remarks of the foreign minister. The list that she read out of terror incidents, murder and evil around the world—less so but certainly including in Australia—reminds all of us in this place that there are some things more important than some of what we argue about, so we acknowledge the remarks.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!