Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] All of you who know me know that I'm not shy about the reality that sometimes Australia has to go to war. Sometimes we have to take hard measures to protect our country and put our national security first. I understand that, and I understand that that was the thinking when we first declared war on Afghanistan. But just because I stand by those values doesn't mean I won't ask questions about what happened in the 20 years Australian soldiers spent in Afghanistan. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't look at our political and military leadership and ask them why they made the decisions they did and whether they got the results that they promised they would deliver. That's what my motion, which passed the Senate today, will do.

This is the chance for the Senate to take a good hard look at what Australia was doing in Afghanistan—what we could have done better and what we did well—because, while there's a lot for us to be proud of, it's clear that we didn't get an outcome that any of us wanted in Afghanistan. No-one wanted to see the Taliban come rushing back into Kabul. No-one wanted to see thousands of people flee the country with the withdrawal of coalition troops, and the people who are most disappointed are the people who fought in that war. Those soldiers gave everything to protect a country that's now crumbling to pieces minutes after they've left. They deserve a chance to say their piece, look at what has gone on and tell us what we need to do better in the future.

I'd like to thank everyone—Labor, the government, the Greens and the crossbench—for supporting my motion today. I look forward very much to working with you all to give these soldiers, and millions of Australians and Afghanis, answers to the many questions that are going to come forward.