Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] It is a terrifying time to be a woman in Afghanistan. The Taliban's history of oppression, violence and threats against women makes it hard to believe the new government's reassurances that it will respect women's rights to study, work and participate in government. There are clear and immediate risks for the freedom, education, employment, safety, political engagement and bodily autonomy of Afghan women and gender-diverse people. The situation is chaotic, and I commend all those in government, electorate offices, community groups and civil society groups who have been working tirelessly since Kabul fell to help those on the ground and their families here. Afghan women who can are standing up, and Australia has a moral obligation to support them.

The Australian government must offer permanent protection to at least 20,000 Afghans in addition to Australia's current humanitarian intake, and we must give immediate protection to Afghan citizens currently on temporary protection visas here in Australia. The Australian government must allow women to apply for women-at-risk protection visas from within Afghanistan rather than requiring them to risk their lives crossing the border just to apply. We must also facilitate their evacuation. More must be done to protect the millions of people, including women, in Afghanistan. Australia must provide immediate and increased aid to support women, girls and gender-diverse people, delivered through partnerships with civil society and aid organisations working on the ground. This is essential to ensure that aid is targeted to those most in need. Consistent with Australia's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, Australia must call on the international community to ensure that Afghanistan's women leaders are included in these peace talks and represented in the Afghanistan National Assembly and public office. This is a crisis, decades in the making, that Australia has contributed to. We now have an obligation to do everything we can to secure the safety and freedoms of people in Afghanistan.

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

[by video link] Twenty years ago the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation, being harboured in Afghanistan, was putting the finishing touches on its 9/11 hijacking massacre operations. On that fateful day, 2,977 people, from nearly 100 different countries, of whom 10 were Australians, died. More than 6,000 were injured, with many scarred for life. This barbaric shedding of innocent civilian blood was as brutal as it was brazen. Any self-respecting nation could not allow such a travesty to pass without a strong, definite response.

To root out this network of terrorists, military action was, regrettably, required. With the removal of the Taliban regime came the dismantling of the al-Qaeda network. The removal of al-Qaeda's safe haven within Afghanistan and the destruction and dismemberment of this horrific terrorist organisation were much needed. A question to which we will never know the answer is: how many other attacks and resultant thousands of deaths and injuries would have occurred but for the blocking out of this truly horrid organisation by military action?

As we reflect on the 10 Australians cruelly killed on 11 September, we can be thankful that we had Australians willing to serve and sacrifice—41 of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect us and other freedom-loving peoples from similar attacks. Those who served in Afghanistan should be the beneficiaries of our universal admiration for blocking out al-Qaeda; we are all the beneficiaries. For those who gave so much in the cause for freedom and are battling to come to grips with the events in Afghanistan: remember that Open Arms veterans and families counselling is available 24 hours a day on 1800011046. (Time expired)