Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

They are delulu if they are going to come here over an issue in which there was bipartisan support for the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador for at least 12 hours before there was criticism of the government's action. My government have taken decisive action. I am not responsible for what every Australian citizen does. What I'm responsible for is what our government does, and the former government was responsible for sending Minister Ronaldson to the previous event. We stand unequivocally in condemning the Iranian regime. What international affairs requires is for governments of purpose, with that sense of purpose, to engage diplomatically with our friends. We had yesterday people such as President Prabowo and a whole range of people attending there.

My position is very, very clear. It is: we did not send any government representative because it wouldn't have been appropriate. None of my team would have sat in that position; it's as simple as that. There was no representative. What individuals do, very separate from the government, is a matter for them. I note that it certainly is not something that I would have even thought of doing, and no-one in my government would have thought of doing; it's as simple as that. But the idea that, on an issue such as opposition to the Iranian regime, you look for difference where there is none—it actually undermines Australia's position in international politics, as did the response from last Wednesday morning, which was to try and look for distinction and look for political difference for what was the first time that any government has expelled an ambassador since the Japanese ambassador was expelled during World War II.

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