Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for her answer and certainly acknowledge the aid provided by our government to Sudan, but I ask the minister to get more information about why the government will not commit ADF personnel not to Sudan generally—I understand that it is slightly different in southern Sudan—but to Darfur specifically? Why will Australia not provide peacekeeping troops as part of that UN mission that we have welcomed so strongly? Given our proud reputation in contributing to peacekeeping missions—something like 73 deployments to 64 countries since the first mission—how does the minister explain our decline in contributions? In fewer than 10 years, from 1999 to this year, we have gone from seventh in the world to 67th. Can the minister explain that decline in contributions?