Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Senator Minchin in his capacity as the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer the minister to the announcement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, last week that he will start withdrawing British troops from Iraq later this year, and Denmark’s decision to withdraw its 430 ground troops in August. I also refer the minister to Vice President Cheney’s acknowledgement at the weekend that he did not think that the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq would harm our alliance with the United States. Didn’t also the Iraqi deputy foreign minister say last week that the Iraqi government would have no problem with a timetable for the withdrawal of Australian troops? Don’t these developments totally destroy each pillar of the government’s rationale for not planning a timetable for withdrawing Australian combat troops from Iraq? Will the government now accept the need for Australia to develop a strategy for exit from Iraq?

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

As the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate well knows, the government categorically rejects any proposition based on the notion that our ultimate withdrawal from Iraq should be based on the calendar and not on conditions. Our position is clear. Our position in Iraq and any ultimate withdrawal of our troops should be based on the conditions in that country permitting such a withdrawal and not on some arbitrary timetable as indicated by the opposition.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When will that be?

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

I make the point that the opposition, as is now clear from its position on those issues, walks on both sides of the street. It says to the left of its party and to the left of Australia: ‘We have got to rush to get out of Iraq. It’s a terrible war. Yes, we thought there were weapons of mass destruction there. We agreed with President Bush and Mr Howard on that. But now let us get out of there as fast as possible.’ On the other hand, it then says to those who do support and value the US alliance—

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Five years!

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Sherry!

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

who are concerned about the position in Iraq and do not want to see that country descend into further chaos: ‘Of course we are going to leave all the combat troops there. We are going to make sure that the embassies are guarded et cetera.’ If you read the entrails and try to work out which side of the street Labor is actually walking on this issue, you find that there is not much of a withdrawal proposed by Labor apparently. Yet at the same time it says, ‘We must get out of Iraq.’ It is impossible to try to navigate your way through what on earth the Labor position is on this matter. It is a matter of enormous importance not only to Australia but also to our alliance with United States and to the global war on terror.

Our position is absolutely clear. We are committed to maintaining our forces in Iraq as long as they are required to ensure peace and stability in that country. We are not going to leave the Iraqi people in their time of need. We are not going to leave our most important ally at the time of their need. We do note what Mr Cheney said in his remarks. As the Prime Minister said, we note that Mr Cheney is a diplomat and did not want to interfere in Australian domestic politics. But we have absolutely no doubt that a precipitate withdrawal by Australia, which on one day of the week Mr Rudd apparently supports, would do damage to that alliance. It would be very damaging to our relationship with our most important ally, the United States.

As to the position of Great Britain, as the opposition well knows, this is a reduction in troops from some 7,000-plus to 5,000-plus. The UK will continue to have nearly 10 times the number of combat troops in Iraq that we have. They are reducing their numbers in the province for which they have been responsible for the very reason that they have been successful in restoring some peace and stability to the province in which they have been operating. The Labor Party well knows that the most difficult security situation in Iraq is in Baghdad. That is why the US appropriately and properly is increasing its commitment to ensure peace and stability in Baghdad. The British troop obligation has been in Basra, where conditions warrant the reduction in numbers. I note that, at the same time, the UK is planning a significant increase in its commitment to Afghanistan to assist the allies in the war on terror. So our position is absolutely clear. We stay until the job is done. We are not going to have a precipitate withdrawal, which is apparently today the Labor Party’s policy.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I am not too sure in the minister’s answer whether he was accusing Britain and Denmark of a precipitate withdrawal but I certainly note that the cut-and-run terminology seems to be abandoned. Minister, given that all the rationales that you have used in the past and all the pillars of your defence for our continued position in Iraq have collapsed, why won’t you develop a strategy for the exit of our troops from Iraq? What can you say to the Australian public about when our involvement will end? Why don’t you wake up to the reality that the other allies are seeking to withdraw from Iraq? Surely we ought to be considering an exit strategy now?

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

There are some 23-odd countries remaining in the alliance in Iraq, and we along with them are not going to abandon the Iraqi people to the fate of the terrorists. We are not going to hand victory to the terrorists. We are simply not going to abandon the Iraqi people in their time of need. The Iraqi government have made clear how important our role is and how valuable the Australian troops are to them. That is why we are increasing our commitment for troop trainers, because the Australian troops are first-class and doing a fabulous job in Iraq. It is about time the opposition supported them.