Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Now, more than a decade after the Australian government followed the United States and United Kingdom in the coalition of the willing into the 2003 Iraq war without consultation with the Australian parliament and without a statement of Australia's national interest, resulting in the deaths of almost 5,000 coalition troops and over 100,000 civilians, can the minister point to the lessons that the Prime Minister has learnt from that decision that he will now apply in the current situation, with the United States again reportedly considering seeking Australian participation in a coalition of the willing for military action in Iraq and Syria?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think every Australian—indeed, every civilised human being on the planet—would have been absolutely horrified by the vision that has been broadcast worldwide in relation to the activities that have been taking place in Iraq and Syria of recent times.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What caused it in the first place?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Whish-Wilson has interjected, asking, 'What has caused that in the first place?' I am glad that that is on the Hansard, but I will not dignify it with a response. That the Australian Greens would seek to make politics out of such an ugly situation where we have seen pictures on social media of an Australian and his young child holding a severed head is regrettable. I think every person who believes in civilisation and in genuine peace and freedom would be highly alert to this evil force that is in play in Syria and Iraq not being allowed to get a greater foothold. Indeed, the lessons of history are that, when you see such an untold evil such as is occurring in Iraq and Syria, if you do not seek to stop it in its tracks you will have greater problems in the future, with greater loss of life. As to what— (Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given the minister's answer, can he say whether he is aware of the Australian Defence chief Mark Binskin's assessment that ISIL will sooner or later have to be 'defeated on the battlefield'? If so, is that the Prime Minister's view and does that mean that the Prime Minister remains open to deploying Australian military service men and women to Iraq and Syria?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not for me to try to second-guess the views of the CDF, but I suppose an alternative would be to send Senator Milne over there to say, 'Please stop,' and see how that works. However, the reality in the world is that, from time to time, military action may be required. Whether it is or is not in these circumstances, I am not going to seek to pre-empt. The relevant authorities and the relevant responsible people will make that decision, if it needs to be made, in due course after taking every single possible factor into account. Can I simply say that under our constitution the Governor-General is in charge of our defence forces. (Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the minister has shown that the government is clearly open to deploying troops, will the government now commit to bringing any proposal to deploy troops to fight ISIS to the Australian parliament for debate and decision?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, one, I will not have Senator Milne putting words into my mouth, and nothing in my answer said that we were clearly open to that proposition; two, the way that the Australian government has worked in relation to these matters since Federation is that these are matters for the executive and are the prerogative of the executive. In matters of conflict it would not necessarily be the smartest thing to have a fortnight or three weeks of debate, if you were to go down that track, in hypothetical circumstances, and tell the enemy: 'Guess what? We're going to have a discussion here as to whether we're going to put a tank here or an aeroplane there, and the Senate is going to amend how many trucks we're going to have.' I think we will leave that up to the military strategists and those that genuinely put their lives on the line for our safety, our peace and our security.