Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would not want the motion to lapse for want of a seconder, knowing that one was present. It is an important motion and I want to commend the member for Fremantle for raising this matter. I was fascinated with her comments. The only part she missed out was the fact that I, in an earlier life, had the opportunity to institute the program for resettlement of Sudanese refugees, but I am not sensitive about those matters. I only wish to observe that I was delighted to hear of the success of one of those people who came to Australia for resettlement through the front door. It is a particularly important program.

It was very interesting that in one of the recent debates on Q&A there was a lady who put herself in the shoes of a refugee and went to Kakuma in particular where so many Southern Sudanese have been housed for so long. She saw a lot of the suffering that they endured and appreciated very much the fact that these were some of the people who do not have the funds to engage a people smuggler, are not free enough to travel and would remain there were it not for the fact that we did have a generous refugee resettlement program. I was delighted to hear of those comments and the acknowledgement in the motion. However, if I may, I want to focus on the broader points in this debate, because I think it is appropriate to acknowledge the fact that a new nation has emerged as a result of a referendum for the independence of Southern Sudan. There is now a unique opportunity for us to play a part in building the future of a new nation.

Like the member for Fremantle, I am concerned that there have been continuing pressures and hostilities in some of the areas that have often been the subject of contest because of resources. One hopes that situation will not in any way deteriorate. I think it is important that Australia uses its aid to assist Southern Sudan in particular. There is a unique opportunity for us to be doing just that. Having recently visited Africa, I have made some comments about aid programs, and it germane to perhaps consider them in the context of this resolution.

I think Australia has some areas of expertise in which it can help in a unique way that others cannot. I have identified some of those programs in other parts of Africa. Australia's expertise in dry-land farming means that Australia can bring organisations like CSIRO to do research and assist in the development of those sorts of skills for feeding Africa's very large populations. It is a unique capacity and it is not something that others can do. I think there is insufficient emphasis on identifying those areas in which we can leverage our support. I had the opportunity of visiting a very marvellous Australian, Ms Hamlin, in Ethiopia. The leverage that you can have with an outstanding Australia who has made a commitment to Africa in the way in which she has is another matter on which you can build.

Some time ago I suggested to the government that there was another area in which Australia was uniquely positioned to help. I raised it with the former member for Fraser Bob McMullen, who was then dealing with aid issues. I have heard nothing further from the Australian government in relation to it. However, I had the opportunity of meeting a very unique Southern Sudanese gentleman by the name of Henry Dang Dang. I met him at a conference organised by an organisation that was once known as Moral Re-Armament, which was of great interest to members for Fremantle. It is now called Initiatives of Change. That organisation brings people together who are going to be involved particularly in the process of reconciliation and nation building. Henry Dang Dang was one such person.

In the context of the elements of isolation that some people in Sudan feel because of the prosecution of the President for war crimes, there are issues which engage the United Nations about which both Sudan and Southern Sudan are unwilling to engage with the international community through the United Nations. Australia has had an enormous experience in dealing with demining, and dealing with issues in relation to rehabilitating populations who have been injured as a result of hostilities. It has done that in places such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. Henry Dang Dang, who was in charge of the issue of dealing with the rehabilitation of those wounded through hostilities and who was dealing with the issue of restoring capacity, reusing arable lands through demining, recognised that Australia could play a very unique role by bringing its expertise to bear where the international community was not able to be involved.

I raised this with the government almost two years ago. We have been increasing very significantly our aid in relation to Africa. But there is an opportunity here with a new nation that we can develop a unique relationship with in the future that to date has not been picked up by the government. It disappoints me greatly. Henry Dang Dang was even willing to come to Australia to talk to our aid officials about the way in which they could engage in developing this initiative.

Perhaps the minister and those who have responsibility for the aid program have been working behind the scenes on these issues and have not come back to me to tell me. It may be that that is the case. I would hope it is, but I suspect silence probably suggests that nothing has been done and that the opportunity is being fast lost. Here is a person who is of some influence in a new government saying to us, 'You are uniquely placed to be able to bring that tremendous experience that you have had in helping rebuild a nation that has been ravaged by war.' The reality is they cannot restore the capacity to be able to feed their own people unless they are able to demine those areas which have been so impacted by hostilities in the past.

There is going to be a significant disarmament of people who have been engaged in hostilities occurring. There is an opportunity to be able to help in that process. Of course, there are those who have been tragically afflicted by fighting who need to be assisted and aided.

I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the member for Fremantle on raising this issue. This is a unique opportunity for Australia and I hope all of us can say to the government now, as this nation builds its future, that Australia can link with them in a very special way. It is not just through the people that we have resettled who may be able to go back and play useful roles in rebuilding the nation; but by building up our linkages on those matters in which they have asked us to be engaged.

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