Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Minchin. Is the government aware of the growing opposition in Australia to our continued involvement in the occupation of Iraq? After the Lieberman debacle in Connecticut, how is the Prime Minister planning to put a decent distance between himself and President Bush? Is the Prime Minister going to respond to the majority feeling of Iraqis that the foreign occupation ought to end?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government determines its foreign policy on its own terms and in what it believes is Australia’s overall national interest. Your question is clearly and obviously premised on this nonsensical notion that the Greens and others perpetrate that we just do what Mr Bush wants us to do. That is your view. It is a stupid view, it is a wrong view and it is insulting to this government. This government acts in what it believes to be Australia’s national interests. We have from the outset believed that it was the right thing to do to remove the butcher of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. We have no regrets at all about our involvement in the removal of that butcher who massacred thousands of his own people, who had a war with Iran and who invaded his neighbouring country Kuwait. He was a disgrace to the international community, and the coalition of the willing did absolutely the right thing.

Yes, it is a pity that the UN would not itself enforce its own resolutions in relation to Iraq. It required the coalition of the willing to do that job. It was an important job to do. Having done that, we have taken very seriously our responsibility to assist that country develop a democracy. It is a real struggle for that country. It is people like you, Senator Brown, who should be getting behind the democrats in Iraq to help them build their democracy. That is why we are there: to help them build a democracy in their country so they can decide who governs them and not have it imposed by totalitarian dictators. I thought Senator Brown might support such a position. That is our position; we are proud of our participation in ensuring, with other coalition partners like the United States, Britain, Japan, the Netherlands and others, that the people of Iraq have a chance to build a prosperous democracy. We will stay there to see that job done.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask the Minister representing the Prime Minister: is it not true that hundreds of bodies are being dumped each week in Baghdad either with drills through the skull or decapitated, depending on which of the butchers of Baghdad is at work? Is it not a fact that the butchery currently occurring in Iraq is greater than at any time since this Prime Minister came to power, including the period of Saddam Hussein?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The violence that exists in Iraq is exactly the reason why the coalition of the willing, including Australia, should not cut and run, and we will not cut and run.