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

(Western Australia—) (): As I said, there is a government-to-government relationship and there is an international force, ISAF, that is engaged in Afghanistan under a United Nations mandate. We are operating within those parameters. Individual commanders have views about equipment, force levels et cetera that are obviously relevant, but they are not the sole consideration. We are, as I said, increasingly positive about the capability provided. We are providing assistance to make sure those local forces are properly equipped. It is not a question of us making individual decisions about individual pieces of equipment, certainly not at a political level. The capability of the Afghan troops under the brigadier general has improved and they are increasingly taking responsibility, but decisions about equipment will continue to be made at the national level. (Time expired)