John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have consistently argued that the defence of the nation, its people and our interests is a paramount responsibility of all governments. It is true that under our system of government the decision to deploy members of the Australian Defence Force, whether it be for combat operations, for peacekeeping or for disaster relief, is made by the executive government. I last spoke in the Senate about the rationale for this longstanding constitutional practice about three years ago, on 7 July 2011. I would commend that fulsome speech to the Senate.

I do accept that any decision to deploy the ADF is a great responsibility for the executive government. It is as onerous and as serious as political leadership in this country can be. But, while I do not support a change to require the Australian government to seek parliamentary approval to take military action or deploy the ADF, I would strongly encourage the government to be as open and as transparent as possible about this current deployment of Australian Defence personnel.

In another life, as defence minister, I made clear my intention to provide to the parliament regular reports on Australia's role in Afghanistan and our progress in that conflict. Those statements were very substantial in their nature. They were a frank and objective assessment about our involvement in the International Security Assistance Force. I placed as much information on the public record as I could, and that included a significant number of major ministerial statements.

I would strongly commend this approach to the government. I would suggest that the defence minister, Senator Johnston, make a ministerial statement on this matter as soon as he is able to do so, and then I would suggest that the government facilitate full debate in this chamber around that statement. I do not believe that we should suspend standing orders this morning to demand that such a debate, in the terms that have been referred to all senators, should take place this morning. But I do believe that it is reasonable to ask the government, through the minister, to make a statement to the Senate as soon as practicable.

I also believe it is reasonable for the Senate to request the government to facilitate a full debate on these matters in this chamber at the earliest opportunity. That is the approach that I would commend to the Senate. It is responsible, it is serious and it is open. And, as all senators know, it is consistent with past practice in this chamber and it is consistent with good practice in this chamber. I would say that it puts good practice above partisanship and above politics, and that is exactly what we should do in this circumstance. I would say that that would be the parliament at its best and I would say that that would be the Senate at its best, and that is the approach I would commend to all parties.