Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to speak on item 67 on page 10. As Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, I welcome the opportunity to speak on that committee's report, Human rights implications of recent violence in Iran. I'd like to start with some words from an Iranian Australian that I have been asked to read out to the Senate, explaining why it is so important to that community to have the support of our parliament and our government: 'For over 44 years,' this person says, 'Iranians have suffered this criminality through systematic oppression and a continuing degradation of their human rights. Soon after the 1979 revolution, I had my first taste of it as I witnessed the execution of four of my classmates by the IRGC for aligning with the wrong party in the revolution. Today's uprising is not the first attempt of Iranians to free themselves from the oppressive regime of the Islamic republic. Just as today, nations around the world watched on quietly as the paramilitary IRGC successfully defended the dictatorship against unarmed citizens, killing children and adults, men and women. We cannot allow today to become like the previous times.'

The horror of the IRI's actions detailed in these words and experienced by so many is why it is so important to our diaspora community that Australia's government takes decisive action. I'd like to thank all of the witnesses who gave evidence to the committee and the more than 1,000 people and organisations who provided submissions to the inquiry. We have all read the reports and seen the vision of the brutal and violent way the Islamic republic regime responds to critics within its own borders. But what became apparent during the course of the inquiry was that the IRI regime also goes to significant lengths to ensure that its critics around the world are intimidated, threatened and, in some cases, subjected to violence. Just as it is incredibly brave of the people of Iran to be protesting against the regime, knowing that they face violence, arrest and torture, so too is it incredibly courageous of Iranian Australians to turn up to give evidence to a Senate committee when they know that the IRI regime is watching, monitoring and targeting those who do.

While Iran is a long way from Australia, human rights abuses, the oppression of women and girls, state sponsored terrorism and cybercrime are matters that Australia can and should take a strong stance on. If nations like Australia don't use the tools at our disposal to take a stand when another country is responsible for such behaviour, then the message is sent to that regime that they can get away with it. Other authoritarian regimes will also be watching and realising that they too can commit major human rights violations without facing consequences from the international community. The committee's inquiry revealed that a strong response to hold the IRI accountable is not only a question of sending the right message and acting in accordance with our principles but that the Iranian regime has been identified consistently as being a state sponsor of terrorism. Overseas intelligence services have confirmed the Iranian regime's attempts to kill or kidnap residents of those countries. We know from recent questions I asked of the Australian Signals Directorate that operatives affiliated with the IRI are responsible for malicious cyber and ransomware attacks against Australia.

Two key themes constantly emerged during this inquiry. The first was that there is significant fear of the regime here in Australia. Iranian Australians do not feel safe and protected from the IRI and the IRGC, even in this country, and that is a huge concern. The second was that there is an overwhelming feeling of frustration at Australia lagging behind other Western nations in taking action. Many of us in the Senate were raising this concern from the community back in September and October last year. It is very disappointing, having had four months to take action, that the community still feels so let down. It was evident in the final 24 hours before the release of the report that the government recognised it is lagging behind where it should be in terms of taking action. We had the announcement of some additional Iranians sanctioned by the government made overnight on the eve of the report tabling, in what was widely seen by the community and media as an attempt to head off criticism about how far Australia was behind other nations, like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, in applying sanctions. I note that, despite the addition of this second round of sanctions, we are still a long way behind our allies. Most of these nations were applying their second round of sanctions in October last year. Our government just announced its second round of sanctions a handful of hours before our committee report was tabled on 31 January—last week.

Even stranger was the sudden arrival of a late submission from the Attorney-General's Department in relation to listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation on the afternoon of 31 January, again just hours before the committee's report was due to be tabled. This inquiry has been running since 27 October last year. The listing of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation has been the subject of major global discussion throughout that entire period. At the public hearing on 21 December last year committee members asked government agencies a number of times whether a terrorist listing was being considered, but the government refused to engage on this question. In a written answer to a question on notice received in mid-January we were told that the government does not and will not comment on those considerations. But then, 12 hours before the report was due to be tabled, the government suddenly had the advice that it can't be done, which begs the question—one which conveniently Labor's submission didn't answer—of how long the government have had this advice and what have they done to prepare legislative options to correct the situation since becoming aware of it.

On the issue of listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation and many other issues the community wanted and expected more answers from the government than they were willing or able to provide, and that's why the committee has made a number of recommendations calling for greater transparency from the government and for responsible ministers to provide updates on its assessment of the intimidation and foreign interference tactics of the IRI in Australia. The community members who are most concerned and at risk of intimidation tactics by the IRI are feeling left out of the loop when it comes to being informed by the government about its assessment of the threat and what the government is doing to counter it.

I want to acknowledge and thank all senators who supported this inquiry, particularly all members of the committee for their work on the committee inquiry. We saw how important it was to the many community groups who gave evidence to have the opportunity to present to the committee and have their voices heard. I really appreciate the willingness of all committee members to be available to hold those public hearings and to make sure all of our witnesses had that opportunity.

I'd like to acknowledge as well that we received well over 1,000 submissions. We could have filled the programs for our public hearings many times over, but I know that the community understands the importance of the committee acting with urgency to hear the evidence and produce the report and recommendations, because it is an emergency situation and a humanitarian crisis that is occurring.

In that light I conclude by urging the government to act on the recommendations as swiftly as possible. By doing so, Australia can take a leadership role on this important global issue and ensure that Australians are protected from the dangerous regime. I commend the report to the Senate.