John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

Operation Moshtarak, currently underway in central Helmand, is the practical implementation of General McChrystal’s new strategy, which places paramount importance on protecting the population, reversing the Taliban’s momentum, and creating the space to develop Afghan security and governance capacity. The coalition is working to separate insurgents from the population, support Afghan government plans to improve governance and develop central Helmand so that essential services can be reliably delivered at the local level. Once Afghan and ISAF troops gain control of the region, the Afghan government will move in quickly to establish civil authority and government support. Shuras, or community meetings, are being held to ensure local needs and concerns are understood and accommodated.

A team of Afghan officials, community workers and service providers, along with their equipment—which has been referred to by ISAF, in fact, as government-in-a-box—are ready to commence assistance in the Marjah area as the military phase concludes. This will allow the rapid provision of badly needed reconstruction and development efforts to this area. And I can say to the Senate and to Senator Bishop, who I know has a close interest in this, that this is where our success ultimately lies—that is, with the people of central Helmand feeling the benefit of security, better governance, justice and economic opportunities.