Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today marks the 68th anniversary of Australian involvement in global peacekeeping. Indeed, Australia's peacekeeping involvement commenced in Indonesia on 14 September 1947, with four Australian military officers—just four—being the world's first peacekeepers deployed to the United Nations Good Offices Commission in Dutch East Indies, now known as Indonesia.

Since that first UN deployment, Australia has contributed more than 75,000 personnel to more than 73 operations in 64 different countries non-stop for more than 60 years. What a contribution! Up to the present day there have been personnel in operations in the Middle East area, the MEAO operations, Africa, Timor-Leste and the Solomon islands, amongst others. Earlier today the Assistant Minister for Defence, Stuart Robert—who himself is actually a veteran peacekeeper who was deployed to Bougainville in 1998—spoke on behalf of the Prime Minister at the Australian Peacekeepers Commemorative Service at the Australian site on Anzac Parade, across the lake here in Canberra. He noted that 'Australia has a proud history in global peacekeeping' and we continue:

… to provide important contributions to peace operations around the world, but our support for peacekeeping extends beyond just the boots on the ground … through our bilateral relationships and multilateral engagements …