Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great humility that I rise to make a small contribution to the debate on Afghanistan in this place. I say ‘a small contribution’ in the context of the enormous courage and bravery of our serving forces who are representing us as we speak on the ground in Afghanistan. There is no easy fix to the many problems and challenges that country is facing. The landlocked region in the Hindu Kush has experienced centuries of tribal welfare, ethnic fighting and religious tension, which has left the country deeply scarred and ensured the complexity of the problems that it faces today. After nine years the country remains fragile, with the hope of peace and stability and lingering challenge. The desire of all people to live, work and play in a secure environment is a right that all should share and remains the noble cause of this near decade long dispute.

The coalition’s mission has made considerable differences to the lives of the Afghan people, especially to women and children, who now enjoy more freedom and security. The war has harnessed international cooperation in an endeavour to counter extremism and terrorism. Afghanistan is no longer a breeding and training ground for terrorists. This in itself is a great accomplishment. We now need to assist the Afghans to build a future free from terrorism. Nonetheless, the last few months have been tough for our troops as we are in the middle of what the military commanders describe as ‘the fighting season’. We mourn the significant losses of the coalition and, in particular, those 21 brave Australian soldiers who have given their lives to bring peace and stability. I salute them for their courage, conviction and belief in the quest for democratic freedom. To their families, I send my deepest sympathy and respect. I cannot and never will pretend to understand how difficult it would be to lose a loved one in the prime of their life. I can only imagine the life changing consequences and we must never forget the sacrifices they have made. If history has taught us anything, it is that we must strive to provide every level of support possible for the families. As political leaders, we must ensure that the legacy of honour that these soldiers have died for is never forgotten.

This debate gives us an opportunity to renew our commitment to the pursuit of democracy and freedom in Afghanistan. It also provides the Australian parliament an opportunity to tell our allies and international partners that we are there for the duration. This is, of course, the responsible thing to do, and it is not in the Australian DNA to cut and run. Political and military strategists must be the ones who continue to consider the best course of action for the Afghan people to assume responsibility and control of their own country. Whilst our troop numbers of 1,500 are small in comparison to the overall coalition force, our men and women play a significant role to bring stability and peace to the region. The troops are there to protect the population from insurgents and remove their safe havens. They are now fulfilling a vitally important role in training and mentoring the Afghan National Army 4th Brigade, our primary mission in the Oruzgan province. This mission is well on track, with the aim that the army brigade will be ready to lead security operations within two to four years.

Debate interrupted.