Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Australia's mission remains un­changed. The government's strong view is that it is in our national interest to be in Afghanistan with the United States and 46 other members of the international community acting under a United Nations mandate. Australia has a responsibility to fight international terrorism and ensure stability in Afghanistan. Australian forces are there to ensure Afghanistan does not again become an operating base from which terrorists recruit, train and launch attacks against us and our allies, as it was under the Taliban dictatorship. Australian forces are there at the request of the government of Afghanistan and operate as part of the United Nations mandated International Security Assistance Force. Training and mentoring the Afghan national security forces will help create the conditions for an irreversible transition of security responsibility. As the Prime Minister has said, Australia will continue to support Afghanistan in some form through this decade at least. (Time expired)