Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Back for that acknowledgement of support in relation to the work of the ADF. As I mentioned earlier, just a fortnight ago I did have the opportunity to meet with a number of defence ministers from the counter-Daesh coalition in France. I want to thank the US Secretary of Defence, Dr Ashton Carter, and the French defence minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, for hosting the meeting. We agreed that stabilisation and governance efforts in Iraq would need to be a strategic priority moving forward. We need to ensure that our partners on the ground have what they need not only to win the fight but ultimately to hold, rebuild and govern their own territory. Daesh represents a continuing dangerous threat. We have to be vigilant in our efforts to defeat this abhorrent organisation, and the support that the coalition provides to Iraq is a key contribution to that goal, as is Australia's participation in that process.