Sandy Macdonald (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this MPI on Iraq and the way forward because it is the future that is important, not the past. It is important for Iraq, it is particularly important for the Middle East and it is important for the world generally. Australia is committed to contributing to the security, stability, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq. Our assistance is at the request of the Iraqi government, which assumed responsibility on 31 December 2005 following the elections. Our assistance is endorsed by United Nations Security Council resolution 1723, passed in 2006 and extending its mandate well into 2007.

What is entirely clear is that, if the United States-led coalition were to withdraw precipitately from Iraq, it would strengthen terrorists everywhere, damage the global fight against terrorism and abandon Iraqis, including the more than 70 per cent who voted for democracy in the December 2005 election. Unilateral withdrawal from Iraq, however appealing it may appear, is a dead-end policy. The political victory of Hamas in Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal is a recent, clear Middle Eastern example of this. The tragedy of the jihadists and others in Iraq is that they are not powerful enough to govern nor strong enough to defeat the United States but they are powerful enough to spoil. Australia cannot be seen to be, nor can it be, part of any move to strengthen their aims. As an aside I think it is worth making the point that the impact of the Middle East problems on Muslims everywhere cannot be underestimated, particularly in South-East Asia and in Australia’s nearest neighbour and our friend Indonesia, which is the largest Muslim state on earth.

The Senate would be aware that on 10 January 2007 President Bush announced a new surge policy. This comprised additional troops to assist with the security situation, particularly in Baghdad, and a package of over $11 billion in additional funds for reconstruction. The Australian government strongly supports the new security plan. We consider it is the best hope for the Iraqi people. Our desire is that the Iraqi government be given the chance to step up to the plate with this historic opportunity to provide a better life for all Iraqis—and I mean that seriously. Not only should they be given the chance to step up to the plate; they should take it. I think there is some evidence that that is now occurring. To give this historic opportunity a chance, however, the Iraqi government requires the ability to secure itself from increasing criminal and sectarian violence.

What is the progress to date? Iraq now has a democratically elected government that includes representatives from the Shia, Sunni and Kurdish populations. The new security plan for Baghdad is designed, structured and led by Iraqis with US support. The crucial part of the plan is the provision of essential services, and the Iraqi government is expected to spend around $US11 billion on reconstruction and infrastructure projects. Though early in the process, there are some indications that the coalition is disrupting the planning and operations of the terrorists and sectarian militias.

Iraq recently hosted the neighbours conference—and I take up what Senator Allison said about the importance of Iraq engaging her neighbours. The neighbours conference was held on 10 March this year. It was attended by countries neighbouring Iraq as well as other Arabic representatives and the five permanent members of the United Nations. The conference was conducted in a positive atmosphere and resulted in the establishment of working groups to deal with security, refugees and fuel supplies. Further meetings are expected to take place possibly as early as April of this year. Regional cooperation is absolutely essential not just to finding a solution to the Iraq problem but also to balance the other competing major power in the region—namely, Iran.

Additional indicators of some of the progress being made in Iraq are that over 320,000 Iraqi police and soldiers have been trained and equipped. The Brookings Institution in New York says that per capita GDP has increased by over 20 per cent since 2002. Brookings also indicate that there has been a 27 per cent increase in the number of children enrolled at high schools since before the war—that is an incredible number. Nearly 3,000 schools have been re-established since the war; crude oil production is at 2.3 million barrels per day, which is about 7½ per cent higher this quarter; oil revenues are higher than projected and latest figures show that they exceeded annual targets by $US1.7 billion in terms of barrels; electricity generation averaged 11 hours per day over the quarter across the country, which is up by two per cent on the last quarter; and 5.3 million Iraqis—which is an increase of one million people since August 2006—now have access to potable water.

What role does Australia continue to play in Iraq? We have two roles: one is our aid project and the other is the role the ADF plays in supporting the Iraqi security forces, particularly in the training of those forces. The coalition continues to make progress in southern Iraq, with two of the four provinces now under Iraqi security control. Australian troops are providing overwatch in these two provinces through the Overwatch Battle Group, are continuing to engage with local leaders and are available as back-up to the Iraqi security forces. The ADF is confident that the battle group will continue to receive the coalition support it requires to safely conduct its operations after the UK partial drawdown.

The situation in Iraq remains of grave concern but progress is being made in developing Iraqi self-reliance. We are proud of the contribution the ADF is making as part of the coalition to establish security and stability. The ADF is playing an important role in training the new Iraqi security force, providing security for Australian diplomatic missions, conducting maritime interdiction operations and air surveillance patrols, and contributing to coalition operations. Australia is also making a strong and effective contribution to the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people and the reconstruction of Iraq.

Since 2003, Australia has contributed over $173 million in aid: $66 million towards immediate humanitarian needs and $52 million towards reconstruction in the agricultural sector, water sanitation, food supply and distribution, human rights, and law and order. Australia has agreed to forgive some $US850 million in debt. A large part of the aid program is provided through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the UN, which have proven operations in Iraq; and Australia has supported them.

As I mentioned, the ADF in southern Iraq also provides assistance, including the provision of water supply, health clinics, power supply, agricultural assistance, upgrading printing facilities for local newspapers and road repairs. The Australian Federal Police also has a contingent deployed to Jordan to the international police training centre in Amman assisting with training new Iraqi police recruits.

This is a big effort for Australia in helping the Iraqi people build a secure and safe Iraq. There is no way we can look back; we must look forward. We must contribute in the ways that we are both in training the Iraqi security forces and in providing the aid that is necessary to reconstruct Iraq. It is a big effort, as I said. We will continue to do it, and there are signs that there will be a very hopeful and encouraging outcome as we move forward in the next few years.