Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I commend Senator Lambie for her submission to the International Criminal Court. I support her on behalf of diggers and members of the SAS Regiment. If any Australian is going to be put in jail for war crimes, the first ones to be jailed should be the generals and politicians that led us into illegal wars based on lies. Where is the command accountability for the allegations? Where is the accountability for the war criminal John Howard, who led us into an illegal war based on a lie about weapons of mass destruction?

Tony Blair in Britain, George W Bush in America and John Howard in Australia said that there were weapons of mass destruction, justifying our invasion of Iraq. Just a short while later, they admitted there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Not one politician, to my knowledge, has held any of those three accountable—not one. They put our diggers, our young men and women, in harm's way and asked them to do state sanctioned killing. Where's the Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell? He's ready and willing to throw the diggers, the men who were on the ground and in contact with the enemy, under the bus. Here is, in action, the theatre of war. The accountability comes from the top. That is the Yamashita standard. It is enshrined in international law. Our parliament is saying, 'To hell with that.' General Angus Campbell cleared himself. After Angus Campbell investigated himself, he found he had committed no wrongdoing and that command accountability didn't extend to him. War is different from any industrial enterprise.

But let me tell you about my belief, my position, as a mine manager of several underground coalmines. If a junior person were hurt on night shift while I was on holiday in Fiji—not that I've been on holiday in Fiji—I've always considered it to be my responsibility that that young person were injured. A 17-year-old new-starter on night shift would be my responsibility, even if I weren't at the site, because I would be responsible for the systems and the culture that caused that injury. Whether it's a slight injury or a serious injury, I am responsible. That same thing applies to the Australian defence forces. It applies to this building. Let me tell you another story. I can recall Alexander Downer—Senator Lambie mentioned him—on his last day in parliament. He appeared on The 7.30 Report that night, and he told us the story of John Howard coming back from America after the Twin Towers collapsed. He said that John Howard walked into cabinet and said, 'We're off to Iraq.' Is that the way that things are done around here? I commend Senator Lambie for what she has done. I remind everyone here of a statement she used just recently: 'Those most responsible are often not accountable.' We need accountability. If you want accountability amongst the diggers—