Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Once again, the hypocrisy of both the government and the Labor Party is exposed. They are quite happy to put forward foreign policy motions when it suits both of their agendas but not when it results in exposing an uncomfortable truth. The reality here is that, for one of our closest neighbours, people have described what is going on there as a 'slow-moving genocide at the hands of the Indonesian authorities', and yet we cannot even table a motion in this parliament to highlight the terrible human rights abuses that are occurring in that region right now. Since 1969, the opportunity to determine their own future has been denied to the people of West Papua. For 50 years, they've been shackled to Indonesia and denied the right to self-determination. They can't even raise their own flag without risking imprisonment. How about we show a little bit of respect for our neighbours and call out those abuses that are going on in the region? (Time expired)