Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Is the minister aware that this week Britain’s new Army chief said that UK forces should leave Iraq soon because they are making the security problem there worse? Our own General Cosgrove now says that it is pretty obvious that the jihadist movement has been energised through the protracted war in Iraq. Is the minister aware that 500 Iraqi civilians are being killed every week, that attacks on US troops have increased by 43 per cent and that the Johns Hopkins University says that around 655,000 civilians have died since the invasion? This morning, Mr Howard said that Australian troops will leave Iraq only when he is satisfied that Iraq is stable. If our presence in Iraq is currently creating violent chaos, what is the coalition of the willing going to do differently to make Iraq stable? What exactly is the plan?

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

There has been much debate on this matter in the other chamber during this week—quite significant debate, and the matter is quite important because there is a difference of opinion between the government and the opposition on this matter. At the time of the Iraq invasion, there was a general understanding about the possibility of possession of weapons of mass destruction that led to the coalition of the willing removing Saddam Hussein and what was thought at that time to be that threat. It is widely acknowledged and accepted that there has been a very difficult period since then in seeking to bring peace, order and good government to the people of Iraq.

Our position on this matter is well known. We believe that the coalition partners have a clear responsibility to the people of Iraq to assist in bringing to them the democratic and peaceful livelihood and society that we believe it is our responsibility to put in place, and that we believe is their right. As Senator Allison would know, we are making a relatively tiny contribution compared to the enormous contribution which the American people are making to that endeavour. They have some 140,000 troops still there. Britain has made a substantial contribution and many other countries are making a contribution to bringing peace, order and good government to the people of Iraq. It is not easy. Only this month we have seen four American soldiers per day killed in the violence that continues, so sadly, in that country.

Our position has been made clear by the Prime Minister. Senator Allison probably heard the Prime Minister on AM this morning making clear what our position is. We do believe that progressively the Iraqi security forces can and will take responsibility for security within Iraq. That has occurred already in two provinces where the Iraqi security forces have taken that responsibility. That will continue to occur progressively. There will be a point at which it will be possible for coalition forces to exit on the basis of Iraqi security forces being able to satisfactorily manage the security situation in that country.

Everybody, obviously, is distressed by the ongoing violence that is occurring in that country. It is our clear view, as enunciated by the Prime Minister and the foreign minister, that absolutely the worst thing we could do at the moment is simply depart from Iraq. It would be a tragic thing to do for the people of Iraq to leave them in that situation. They need us there, and we are prepared to be there to help them at their time of need. I do not think there would be anyone who would say that it was not the correct thing to do to remove one of the great tyrants of the twentieth century from the leadership of that country. There is much more progress being made in terms of returning Iraq to civility, to peace, order and good government, than is ever reported, but good progress is being made. They are gradually restoring all the civil services that go in a normally functioning democracy. So we will continue to participate, albeit in a relatively small fashion, with the coalition of the willing to help the Iraqi people to assist in training the Iraqi security forces to undertake the responsibilities of securing peace, order and good government in their country.

Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his answer. It seems the government is relying more on its belief that progress is being made. Will the minister at last acknowledge that a democratic and a peaceful society will not be brought about by violent means? I ask the minister whether he is aware that the Canadian Committee on National Security and Defence has argued that Canada should increase its foreign aid budget by 100 per cent to provide aid to countries like Afghanistan, saying that the lack of aid to Afghanistan means that Afghans do not know who Canadian troops are—whether they are occupiers or liberators. Couldn’t the same be said for Australian troops in Iraq, Minister? Wouldn’t it be better to spend on aid the millions that our troops’ presence in Iraq is costing? Shouldn’t we fund hospitals and infrastructure rather than risk the lives of our troops and those of more Iraqi civilians?

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

The first part of the question, I think, was in relation to the question of violence and peace, order and good government. Obviously, we believe that violence is not the way to achieve peace, order and good government. We are there to protect the Iraqi people from the violence being inflicted upon them. That is the point of our being there—to protect the Iraqi people from the violence being inflicted upon them. We are there, and we are in Afghanistan, at the direct request of the democratically elected governments of those countries. If that invitation were ever withdrawn, obviously we would leave, but we are there at their request. What they need, most importantly and foremost, is security to assist in protecting the people of those countries from the violence being inflicted upon them.