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

The Greens would like to begin this contribution by acknowledging the members of the Australian Iranian community who provided testimony and accounts of the current reality in Iran. For me, as an active member of that inquiry, it was some of the most powerful evidence that we have taken as a committee, and it was absolutely instrumental in forming the clear and decisive view that emerged amongst us as members that there needed to be decisive, swift action by the Australian government in solidarity with the people of Iran. The community have lobbied parliamentarians since the moment of 'Jina' Mahsa Amini's murder at the hands of the Iranian authorities, and they should be proud that all parliamentarians across parties are aware of Iran's human rights abuses and the impact of the regime upon the community. They have worked with a tireless ferocity to ensure that their government acts tangibly to support those pushing for democracy and to safeguard members of the community from those representatives of the regime here in Australia.

At this point I really need to acknowledge the pain and emotional labour that those that gave evidence to the committee bore to share their stories and evidence and the effort and energy of families, often seized by a soul-deep terror, an all-consuming fear of what is happening to their family members in Iran—and yet they have continued to campaign. They have continued to push. They have continued to turn up out the front of this building to speak the names of their family members even as those family members were awaiting the death penalty. Even as the clock was counting down, they were out front of this building, in the corridors, advocating, pushing. They are an example to all of us in this place. We in the Australian Greens remain in the most profound solidarity with you. You will never need for a moment to attempt to persuade or cajole us into action. We are there with you. We will organise with you for women, for life and for freedom in Iran and for the protection of your human rights here in Australia.

In the additional comments to this report to which the government is responding today, the Greens supported all recommendations of the report and called on the government to act on them urgently, and yet it has taken months for the government to issue this formal response. We welcome the sanctions announced today and we welcome, finally, the response of the government to this report. Throughout the time the inquiry was held, the Australian government was forced by community pressure to implement targeted sanctions on the Iranian regime, an action the community had been calling for since the moment of 'Jina' Mahsa Amini's murder.

Now, sadly and deeply frustratingly, these enactions were late. This was critically observed by the final report of the committee. The Department of Foreign Affairs, the minister and the government did not act swiftly enough. I know, from the many conversations that I have had with the Iranian Australian community, about this repeated line from the minister and the government that they have taken more action on Iran than any previous government. We heard it in the minister's speech. 'We've taken these measures when the previous mob did nothing.' Well, when your bar of success is nothing for nine years, I don't think you're in a very strong position to celebrate your action now.

Let's place this in context. 'Jina' Mahsa Amini was murdered on 16 September 2022. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada's intention to sanction Iranian officials after 10 days. In 10 days, Canada took this action. In comparison, Australia's targeted sanctions were not applied until 10 December, close to three months later. It may well be that the department and the minister intend in future to act more speedily in response to such developing international human rights concerns. I very much hope that that is the plan, but it does no good to anyone to pretend that the reaction time was appropriate or acceptable, when it was and is not.

Once applied, initially the sanctions were limited in scope and did not go as far as was needed in the attempt to deter the regime. Further, the European parliament called on its council to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. The United States and Canada have made this designation. Yet we see today from the government a continued refusal to do so. In the face of this compelling international precedent, the best the department can offer is: 'It is not of our view—it is not of the Attorney-General's view—that this would be an appropriate course of action.' That is not a good-enough excuse to ignore such compelling international precedent.

Iranians continue to rise up against the regime, to push for democracy and the protection of the rights of women and girls. The Australian Greens would like to highlight the role of women in boldly and courageously raising their voices against a regime so desperate to silence them. They have been the drivers of activism and lobbying and protest, despite the Iranian regime enacting egregious measures to minimise and control the impact that they were having and, indeed, to undertake violent and the most horrific forms of state sanctioned tyranny against its citizens. The system of law and order which Iran implements is one of the most authoritarian, violent and violating systems of law and order in the world, and the absolute razor edge of this regime is felt by women and girls, particularly those from Kurdish communities.

I will also take this opportunity to comment on the Iran's abhorrent involvement in hostage-taking as a practice of diplomacy. The act of hostage-taking must be disincentivised so as to prevent more people from being put at risk. Placing targeted sanctions on individuals pursuing this activity in Iran would send a strong message of Australia's future intention to protect our citizens from being arbitrarily detained, wherever they may be in the world. We would also like to take this opportunity to express once again our support for the request of Kylie Moore-Gilbert and others who have been wrongfully detained overseas that DFAT establish a special envoy for arbitrarily detained Australians. There must be a focus upon this issue from the department.

We need to learn from the Iranian Australian community. We need to hear their calls for action. We need to be open and honest about the failures of this government in acting quickly enough, and we need to make reparations for that failure by continuing to escalate the tangible actions that this government takes against the Iranian regime. We need to finally do that which the Iranian Australian community has been asking this government to do. List the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. It is within the power to do so and must be done—women, life, freedom.

Question agreed to.