Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens’ position on this matter is very similar to that of Norway. We should be facilitating peace rather than taking a side in what is undoubtedly a very nasty civil war that is taking place in eastern Turkey. As contributors to the debate have pointed out, it has led to the loss of some 30,000 lives. There has been a great deal of inhumanity involved, and that applies to both sides. One of the things that we need to deal with in assessing such matters is the behaviour of governments as well as that of organisations, having regard to community disagreement with government.

I repeat the personal view that the Kurdish people should have their right to self-determination. But, that aside, how much better it would be if Australia were taking not the EU position but the Norwegian position, which is that we should be not taking sides but facilitating peace and an outcome which is going to bring peace within Turkey and satisfaction to both the Turkish government and the Kurdish people. The difficulties with proscription of the PKK in Australia have been well canvassed in this debate. I did not bring this disallowance motion without some concern, I can tell you, because it is very easy for a debate simply to become one of who is soft and who is tough on terrorism. What we all have to be strong on is achieving peace beyond proscriptions like this. It is incumbent upon the Australian government to be taking an active role in helping both sides in Turkey to achieve peace, and I have heard nothing about a contribution being made there during this debate—nothing whatever. I would be much prouder of this debate were I hearing that Australia was moving to emulate the very active peace pursuit of Norway, which of course is involved not just in Turkey but also in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the world where there are huge intractable problems and where the government, on one side, loses civility, and the people on the other side become branded as terrorists, although terror comes from both sides of those debates. There is a strong feeling within the Australian community that knows about this issue that proscription is not the way to go.