Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Every day, we wake up to more devastating news from Iran. Today, there is news of Iran's revolutionary guards attacking targets in neighbouring northern Iraq for a second day in a row. The air strikes targeted bases of Kurdish separatist groups in northern Iraq, according to most recent reports. Also, today, Iran's football team at the World Cup have been told that they could face reprisals if they fail to sing the national anthem in their remaining World Cup group games, after a politician in the country said that they will never allow anyone to insult their national anthem. Despite these chilling warnings, the players stayed silent at their first game, in solidarity with Iranian people protesting following Mahsa Amini's death. A major disruption to internet services has also been reported today in Iran. There have been reports of indiscriminate killings of more protesters, including children. This is all in simply one day's worth of news.

The Australian government must do more. These behaviours by the Iranian regime have continued and continued. Words of condemnation are not enough. Actions must be taken. The Australian Greens remain deeply concerned about the ongoing situation in Iran and are in solidarity with protesters there. We will always protect the right to protest. We will always fight for people's rights to choose their dress, their partner, their religion and their career and what they want to do with their bodies. The Iranian authorities' oppression of the rights of women, of LGBTIQ+ people and other minorities, including the Baha'i, must end.

The Australian Greens support this urgency motion, and we are again calling on the Australian government to impose Magnitsky style sanctions and other targeted sanction measures, including financial asset freezes and the introduction of visa bans for people linked to the Iranian regime—including members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, key security officials, militia personnel and members of the morality police.

In conclusion, what I will observe here is that we have heard from the government an argument that they've done enough already or that there is little more that they could do. The government of this country must engage with this issue, in solidarity, now.