Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition welcomes the statement of the Minister for Foreign Affairs committing the government to the cause of ridding the world of landmines and unexploded remnants of war. Whenever the issue of landmines is raised, heartbreaking images of injured children immediately come to mind—children with limbs amputated and with other horrific injuries. Landmines do not discriminate between young people or older people and they have killed or maimed many adults among the thousands of casualties that still occur each year. However, it is hard not to be particularly devastated by the injuries to young children. It is disturbing to note that many antipersonnel mines are not designed to kill but to maim and cause horrific injuries. One can only wonder at the motivation for developing and deploying such weapons in full knowledge they can lie for many years as a hidden danger to innocent civilians.

Another enduring image of the campaign against landmines was the January 1997 visit to Angola by the late Princess Diana. It now seems unbelievable, but her visit as an International Red Cross volunteer and her comments at the time sparked outrage in many parts of the world. And what caused the controversy? Princess Diana was calling for a ban on landmines. Given that the Ottawa treaty, known as the Mine Ban Convention, was signed in December I997, Diana has been widely credited as playing a pivotal role in the campaign against landmines, influencing governments to sign the treaty. The then British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, acknowledged her work during his second reading speech on the Landmines Bill 1998 in the House of Commons:

All Honourable Members will be aware from their postbags of the immense contribution made by Diana, Princess of Wales to bringing home to many of our constituents the human costs of landmines. The best way in which to record our appreciation of her work, and the work of NGOs that have campaigned against landmines, is to pass the Bill, and to pave the way towards a global ban on landmines.

I can clearly recall those images of Diana comforting injured children who had lost limbs to these terrible weapons and these images are seared in the minds of many around the world.

Under the previous coalition government, Australia took a leading role in furthering international action against mines. This started with the coalition government’s implementation of the Mine Ban Convention in 1998. Australia was in fact one of the original signatories to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. This was accompanied by $100 million over 10 years to support action on mines. The Mine Ban Convention was given effect in 1998 when the parliament passed appropriate laws, as required by article 9 of the convention. As part of our commitment to the convention, the Australian Defence Force destroyed Australia’s stockpile of antipersonnel landmines in the late 1990s, which was several years before the necessary deadline.

In July 2005, the coalition government committed a further $75 million over five years to support further action on mines. The coalition government supported the development of a mine action strategy to ensure the effectiveness of the additional funding. The coalition government also created in 1998 the position titled Australia’s Special Representative on Demining, which was part of the portfolio responsibilities of the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. A current member of the coalition, my friend and colleague the member for Dunkley, once served in the role as Australia’s Special Representative on Mine Action and oversaw Australia’s commitments in nations such as Laos, Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq and Mozambique amongst many others. Australia’s Special Representative on Mine Action played an important role in ensuring the effective delivery of the government’s commitment to the various elements of mine action and to support more effective coordination of international donations. We continued to take a leading role on international mine action and implementation of the convention and in May 2006, then Foreign Minister Downer released an AusAID publication titled Australian aid: Mine action. Minister Downer reiterated the government’s commitment to eventually ridding the world of antipersonnel landmines and explosive remnants of war, which can remain a danger to people for many years after war has ceased.

While it is vital that strong pressure continues with respect to those countries that continue to stockpile and make these despicable weapons, some of the most valuable work that Australia has funded has been in clearing landmines and educating vulnerable people about the dangers that may lurk in their local environment. Valuable work has also been undertaken in rebuilding shattered lives and providing such things as prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and associated health care. This must be an ongoing commitment because many people require support throughout their lives.

Millions of square metres of land have been cleared of mines, but many millions more remain—a danger to human life and limb—and we must not rest until the world is finally rid of this terrible menace. The coalition continues to endorse the work of the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, including its efforts to ensure previous funding commitments are maintained and extended where appropriate. For example, Australian government support in 2006-07 for mine action included $3 million for Iraq, $7.4 million for Cambodia, $2.6 million for Afghanistan, $2.9 million for Laos and $500,000 for Vietnam.

We strongly support the Labor government’s efforts in seeking a prompt ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This will expand international efforts to reduce the harmful impacts of explosives on civilians. It will also help promote the development of those countries worst affected, many of which are in our region. The coalition also welcomes the announcement today by the Labor government to extend Australia’s five-year mine action funding for a further five years and to increase it from $75 million to $100 million.

We also commend the work of the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which urges for a continuation of the innovative and successful coalition government funding commitments to mine action. This is an initiative we support strongly. The Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines will also continue to have our support for its work in education and advocacy.

This is not only a human rights issue but also a security and international development issue. Australia was part of the military forces which laid mines in Vietnam to protect military bases and we have a moral duty to continue our work to remove these devices from the entire region.

I support the attendance of the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Convention in Colombia in two weeks time. All Australians look forward to the government’s release of its mine action strategy at that summit. We encourage the minister to keep the House informed as to his strategy for Australian support for the removal of these devices and survivor assistance. The government can be assured it has the coalition’s bipartisan support on all efforts to eliminate these evil devices and to help rehabilitate those already suffering from their deadly force.

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