Graham Edwards (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and Veterans' Affairs)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence. I refer to the minister’s previous statements regarding the deployment of Australian troops. In February, the minister said our troops were going to the Oruzgan province in the south of France when they were in fact going to Afghanistan. Yesterday, the minister said they were going to the Syrian border when they were in fact going to the Saudi border. If the minister cannot competently inform the Australian people where our troops are being deployed, why should we have any confidence in his administration of this key portfolio?

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowan for his question. In fact, as I have advised the House, in the new arrangements in Al Muthanna province in southern Iraq, our troops will be based in Tallil. Thirty of our soldiers will be involved in providing further training at the basic training centre in Tallil. Another three will be supporting education at the counterinsurgency unit, which is some 20 kilometres from Baghdad. The training and mentoring that they will be undertaking will be not only for the general support and training of the Iraqi security forces in Al Muthanna but also for border protection and support and training for those who will be undertaking border protection not only on the Saudi border but also on the Syrian border.