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

I thank the member for Menzies for his question and for his representation of the interests of many of his constituents who have relatives who are impacted by the events that we're seeing in the Middle East. I can confirm right now there are over 200 Australians in the air on flight EK414 from Dubai making their way to Sydney. This is good news after the disruption that has occurred. I spoke last night with my friend His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the President of the United Arab Emirates. On that call, I conveyed Australia's support for and solidarity with the UAE and other regional partners amid the escalation in the Middle East conflict, countries that have not been a party to any attacks on Iran but who have been subjected to the random attacks that Iran is subjecting people right across the gulf to. I reiterated Australia's clear position that there is no justification for Iran's attacks on civilian areas in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other areas of the UAE and of the gulf states. We have called for Iran to cease these indiscriminate attacks immediately. I had the opportunity to thank His Highness for the generous support that the UAE is providing to Australians who have had their plans disrupted due to the conflict, including providing accommodation and food.

We understand this is a very distressing and challenging time for Australians who have been caught up in these events. Many of them would have been in transit through those routes that are so familiar to Australians and found themselves in a conflict zone. Their loved ones here in Australia continue to be disturbed by what they see on the TV every night. The safety of Australians in the region is our government's first priority, and we'll continue to do all that we can to provide Australians with information and support.

I was able to discuss with His Highness the importance of the resumption of these commercial flights when it's safe to do so. There are around 115,000 Australians in the region. The resumption of commercial flights continues to be the best avenue to ensure the safest and quickest way for Australians to return. Australian passengers facing flight delays or other issues should check with both their insurer and the airline about their options for cancelled flights. Of course, DFAT is playing a role as well in keeping people informed. It has activated its crisis centre, which is providing consular support to Australians in the region. We're also deploying further resources to the region to assist.

Our thoughts are with all those caught up in this conflict. We continue to engage. I've had personal conversations, as I'm sure many others in this chamber have, with people who are visiting the region and are concerned. We say: continue to listen to advice and stay safe. We want to see every Australian able to come home safely.

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