Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to Egypt and Israel, which took place from 31 October to 6 November 2008. I seek leave to move a motion in relation to the report.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

The delegation also made a brief visit to the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. On the delegation, I was accompanied by the member for Canberra, Ms Annette Ellis MP, who was the delegation leader; the member for Maranoa, the Hon. Bruce Scott MP; Senator the Hon. Richard Colbeck from Tasmania; Senator Gavin Marshall from Victoria; and the member for Fisher, the Hon. Peter Slipper MP. Of course, one must not forget Ms Lyn Witheridge from the Department of the House of Representatives. I thank them all for their active and constructive contributions. All members engaged in discussions, visits and inspections with enthusiasm and in a spirit of bipartisanship. Australia has significant involvement in the Middle East as a trading partner and also through the continuing efforts of our Australian Defence Force. It is important that Australia’s parliamentarians maintain an interest and continue to develop relationships in the region.

The visit provided us with a valuable opportunity to gain a better understanding of the Middle East peace process. We also explored opportunities for expanding relationships, particularly in the areas of trade and investment. We all learnt more about Australia’s wheat and live meat exports to that region as well. It was very pleasing to meet with members of the ADF serving in key peacekeeping roles. We have men and women in the region serving as part of the multinational force and as observers and also as part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation. All Australians can be justifiably proud of their commitment and service. There is a significant level of goodwill generated from our contributions to these operations.

We also valued the opportunity to pay tribute to Australia’s war dead in both countries. While in Egypt, we visited El Alamein, and in Israel we visited Beersheba. On behalf of the delegation, I would like to commend the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for its care of the graves of Australians and others buried in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. In addition to honouring the sacrifices of those who served and died, the cemeteries are a continual reminder of the need to strive for peaceful outcomes to disputes between nations. While I am talking about El Alamein and Beersheba, I would like to say that a very moving part of the journey occurred at El Alamein while we were watching the going down of the sun. I can tell you, Madam Acting Deputy President, it was a very moving time for all of us—certainly for me—when we looked around and reflected for that minute or so on the Aussie boys who had fought and died on that foreign soil. We do commend them.

During the visit, the delegation was encouraged by statements of optimism made about the peace process; however, it was at the tail end of the fragile truce. We were on tour at a desalination plant in Ashkelon in Israel, and when got back on the bus our guide told us that a Hamas rocket had fallen nearby. I said, ‘How nearby?’ and he said, ‘Very nearby.’ So let us keep our fingers crossed. We were extremely concerned about the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement in December 2008 and the resulting conflict between Israel and Hamas. The delegation and, I have no doubt, all Australians support continuing diplomatic efforts to halt the violence and to find a path towards a lasting and stable solution. But, sadly, that is entirely in the hands of Hamas. While they continue to send rockets into Israel, it is very hard to put your hand on your heart and think that we will achieve this peace process.

In 2008, $45 million of development assistance was provided to the Palestinian people by the Australian government, doubling the amount of the previous year. I note the recent announcements of a further allocation of $10 million towards humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip. Just last week, there was an additional $20 million to meet the recovery and reconstruction needs of the Palestinian people.

The delegation received a briefing from UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and visited the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. I had visions of a refugee camp with tents, putrid conditions and stagnant water, but, to my mind, this camp was not anything near that. There were brick and tile constructions, which were very clean. A significant level of Australian assistance is provided through that agency. It aims to improve governance and reform health care and food security for refugees.

We also had the pleasure of visiting a project supported by Australia’s Direct Aid Program in Cairo. The Australian embassy in Egypt provides funding to support the Kids Bake Vocational Training Centre in one of the squatter communities in Old Cairo. I know my esteemed colleague on the other side of the chamber Senator Colbeck would say that it opens your eyes when you get into the squatter areas of Old Cairo. The kids bake training centre provides valuable skills training for young girls with a view to assisting them to find employment and a future livelihood. We sampled their wares and they did a fantastic job. It was uplifting to see these young girls, living in such squalid conditions, all smiling—the looks on their faces because they had learnt something. They baked some bread for us and every member of the delegation sampled it. The girls looked absolutely sweet in their uniforms. It really opens your heart to see them. We think we have hard times now and again—a pie at the football might be cold. We really need to get out and experience the conditions that some people around the world live in. Whatever little we can add to get a smile on people’s faces is rewarding. I commend the Australian embassy in Cairo for its support of the kids bake program.

Delegation members join me in expressing sincere appreciation to the governments and the parliamentary, business and other representatives we met. We were grateful for the welcome and the hospitality extended to us and for the time made available for meetings and the useful and interesting exchange of information and views. We also express appreciation to those who assisted with the arrangements for the visit, in particular the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra and overseas—they were exemplary. The second and third secretaries in the Australian embassies in Egypt and in Israel do a magnificent job in trying conditions. It makes it harder for them when, after spending a few hours on an aeroplane, they have to look after our wants and needs, but they did a fantastic job. I am sure other members of the delegation would join me in congratulating them.

To Ambassador Shwabsky in Cairo and to Ambassador Larsen in Egypt go our sincere thanks for their hospitality and for the program they put together to give us the opportunity to meet a lot of members of parliament and businesspeople in Egypt and in Israel, and it was also rewarding to bump into a lot of expats who are flying the Australian flag in those countries. I was talking to a gentleman at the Australian embassy in Egypt and found that he lives two streets away from me in Cardinia in Western Australia. We exchanged phone numbers. We could not work out who owed whom a beer, but we are going to have it when he gets back to Australia. I thank the Senate for their time.