David Feeney (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I can confirm that that is the Department of Defence's position and that it was put accurately. It is consistent with the explanations I gave earlier in the evening to your questions. So I think insofar as that is concerned we are all on the same page. As to your point about operations, I would say only two things. The first perhaps is a little speculative but it is this: in order for this convention to have secured the international support that it has—and obviously that international support enlivens it as an instrument for effecting real reform around the world—it needed to be a convention that was practicable. As you yourself have pointed out on many occasions tonight, there are a great number of significant nations of which the United States is one and China, Russia, Iran and Brazil are others who are not signatories to this convention. That is obviously a matter of regret and will be a matter for continuing campaigning.

But I guess to follow that reasoning and to make my second point, the interoperability provision, which is ultimately what you are complaining about, is a requirement of the Australian government because, as well as supporting this convention and keeping faith with it and its terms, we are also resolved to maintain our military alliance with the United States and to develop arrangements which mean that that alliance is not prejudiced. There are obviously questions of detail, and you have gone to them tonight, and they are important questions of detail. But the fundamental reality is this: we were not going to support this convention and dismantle the US alliance. I fear that the logical conclusion of your reasoning is that we should apply this convention in a way that destroys that alliance. That is perhaps something you can speak to; but, for our part, this is a convention that we have supported and that we will advocate for, and we are making sure that our alliance arrangements with the United States conform with it.