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

My question is to the Minister for Defence and it is about Afghanistan. I quote from Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States, who told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday:

I consider the threat from lack of governance to be equal to the threat from the Taliban.

I ask the minister: is it true that EU monitors are saying that one in three votes is under question and that variously the authorities in Afghanistan are checking 1.5 million votes? What is to be done with this highly fraudulent election process in Afghanistan, and what action is this government contemplating taking in view of the fact that it is hardly credible now that a result could go to President Karzai?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for his question. I have said before in the chamber that the government is very concerned about the allegations of fraud in the conduct of the Afghan elections. It is important to remember that these were the first Afghan-run elections in 30 years. They took place in difficult circumstances. I suspect it is fair to say that they were never going to be a clean run or perfect, but I would suggest it is important that the constitutionally mandated processes for dealing with the electoral complaints are followed.

For its part, Australia has welcomed the decision by the Electoral Complaints Commission to order an audit and recounting of votes at a number of polling stations where fraud is suspected. The commission has indicated that the recount would cover more than 10 per cent of the polling stations. I can say, as I suspect Senator Brown is aware, the commission has already invalidated some of the results. I would stress, as I have before, that these processes need to run their course. A final outcome may not be known until later this month. I can say that Australia supports the call made by the United Nations for these processes to be respected, and people have been requested to be patient while awaiting the final results. It is proper that the Australian government and the international community do that, as well as the Afghans themselves. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask the minister: is it true that the Prime Minister of Canada has, in the last two days, reiterated Canada’s determination to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 2011? Can the Australian government say what the exit timetable is for Australia’s defence forces?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can say to Senator Brown that I have not seen a formal comment from the Prime Minister of Canada in relation to the exit time of Canadian forces. I can certainly say to Senator Brown that I am aware of previous statements that have been made by the Canadian Prime Minister and the Canadian government in relation to the exit of Canadian forces which certainly conform with the date he has outlined in his supplementary question. In relation to Australia, I would say to Senator Brown that the fundamental interests of Australia, and I believe the international community, remain to prevent Afghanistan from being a training ground for terrorists and to support the international community and our alliance partner, the US. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. In view of the increasing pressure on President Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan, can the minister say whether there have been any approaches, direct or indirect, from the US or anywhere else, to increase Australia’s troop commitment to Afghanistan? Can the minister give the Senate an assurance that there will not be an increase in the deployment of troops to Afghanistan or that the government is considering increasing civil aid to Afghanistan rather than maintaining our troop presence in that country?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, it is very difficult to give you a substantive answer to all those very important questions that you have asked. I would ask you to examine some of the public statements I have made, including a very substantive statement on Afghanistan in relation to this matter. It is not true to suggest that the government of the United States of America has specifically requested that the Australian government increase its troop commitment to Afghanistan. I think I have made that very clear to the parliament in the past. I think it is important that I stress that Afghanistan has been a training ground for terrorists, including those who have perpetrated attacks on Australia. (Time expired)