Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I have a question for you, Mr Speaker. I ask whether you could secure, or use your good offices to secure, a statement from the Minister for Defence in this place about picking up the materiels, as requested of him by the opposition defence spokesman. Are you aware, Mr Speaker, that when it was announced we were going to Al Muthanna province, it was made quite clear that, if our troops were in trouble, they would have access to British divisional assets in Basra, like artillery, helicopters and tanks. The question that was asked, as you would be aware, Mr Speaker—what was sought from the Minister for Defence—was not a request for actual intelligence but the detail of an assessment on risk and, given that the British and the Italians were withdrawing and there was a materiel possibility—and if there is a materiel possibility, this is a more dangerous situation—what sorts of divisional assets they now have access to in relation to helicopter and artillery support and, if necessary, medical evacuation capability. It is pretty unusual for a substantial commitment to be made in a conflict situation without an accompanying parliamentary statement.

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