Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the bipartisan support of the opposition. As the opposition leader has himself acknowledged, this is a matter above politics. Australia has prepared and deployed a military force and provided humanitarian assistance at the request of the United States and Iraqi governments. This is part of a broader partnership of more than 40 nations. In his key address to the United Nations last Friday, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, thanked Australia for our commitment. He said:

We are particularly appreciative of the extent of Australia's commitment from obviously so far away—it is very meaningful and important.

Last Monday, an international conference on peace and security in Iraq was held in Paris, where around 30 nations, including a number of Middle Eastern nations, acknowledged ISIL as a threat not only to Iraq but also to the entire international community— (Time expired)