Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I again indicate Labor will not be supporting this motion for the suspension of standing orders. I begin by expressing my support and Labor's support for ADF personnel currently involved in operations in Iraq and those that are pre-deployed in the United Arab Emirates. As they always do, they are undertaking their task with dedication and great professionalism. I also want to give my support to the families of the personnel deployed; their role should not be forgotten during these times.

It is the role of parliament to debate issues of concern, particularly when it comes to whether Australia deploys its Defence forces. Labor fully supports the role of parliament as a place of debate, but that should not be confused with requiring parliamentary approval. The role of the parliament in approving military action is fraught with danger, but this is what the Greens are proposing. As the Senate has debated before, Labor believes that the government must retain maximum flexibility to respond to threats to Australia's national security quickly and efficiently. A requirement for parliamentary approval would create situations where ADF personnel are deployed to a war-like environment without appropriate legal authority or important legal protections. It could also necessarily increase the risk to the deployment. Labor has always supported the need to debate such issues; that is the role of the parliament.

We are pleased that the government facilitated a debate on Iraq earlier this month and we fully expect the government to provide further opportunities to debate this deployment in the coming weeks and months. That is appropriate and ensures an important level of transparency to any ADF deployment. Regular statements to parliament by the government is something Labor initiated, and it is something that this government should continue. Let me conclude by saying that it is Labor's view that executive government remains the most appropriate body to exercise civilian control of the Australian Defence Force. It is appropriate for the parliament to debate government decisions that involve the deployment of ADF personnel, but that should be done in a considered way. We do not support this suspension.