Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

Of course, we as a government are concerned about the domestic situation in Iraq. However, I would, at the outset, indicate that the Iraqi people, whatever trials and tribulations they now suffer, are no longer ruled by one of the most tyrannical, authoritarian and genocidal dictators the world has ever seen. The foreign minister in his interview on the Sunday program yesterday outlined the government’s position with respect to the domestic situation in Iraq. The government is keen to ensure that the Prime Minister of Iraq does his utmost to hasten the process of internal reconciliation. We are concerned to ensure that much more haste and application are devoted to the task of ensuring reconciliation of the various forces within Iraq.

We understand full well the divisions within Iraq domestically. It saddens all of us that Iraqi is fighting and killing Iraqi, aided and abetted by al-Qaeda and other outside forces. But that is not a recipe for abandoning the Iraqi people. Whatever trials and tribulations they suffer, the worst possible thing any government in the Western world could do now would be to say: ‘It’s all too hard. See you later. We’re packing up and moving out.’ That is the last thing that the Iraqi people would want. The Iraqi people want the West and the coalition of the willing, including Australia, to be there to assist them in the process of ensuring that they can establish a stable, secure, peaceful and democratic Iraq. That is what they want, and that is what we want for the Iraqi people. It is not easy. It is tough. But the worst thing that we could possibly do is abandon the Iraqi people at their time of need.