Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Iranian Australians are pleading with us to follow the lead of the United Kingdom, Canada and the EU and impose sanctions against a regime which has violated the rights of Iranian women. Beyond words of support and condemnation, what action does the government intend to take?

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

I thank the member for Menzies for his question. I have, as well as the foreign minister, expressed my abhorrence at the actions of the Iranian regime in clamping down on the rights of woman—in particular, to wear whatever they want—after the tragic killing of Mahsa Amini. What we've seen is a clampdown on women, in particular, in Iran. As a result of that, I know that much of the diaspora here, like the diaspora around the world, have expressed their abhorrence at this action.

The Labor government will continue to work with our allies, including in multilateral forums such as the United Nations. I expect this may well be a topic that's also raised at the meetings that I'll be attending of global leaders over the coming week. I acknowledge the enormous hurt that Iranian people, but Iranian women in particular, are feeling at this very difficult time, watching this clampdown on human rights in Iran for things that we in this country take for granted. I thank the member for his question and I will certainly ensure that we liaise with him about further action that the government is considering.

We actually don't have a vast number of economic relations between Australia and Iran. One of the things we have done is make sure—and I'm sure that the Leader of the National Party would understand why we have done this—that, in any action that's taken, we're fully cognisant of the implications for Australian businesses of that. But we'll continue to speak out. We'll continue to vote in any forums in which Australia has a presence to ensure that the people of Iran—who are showing great courage in standing up for their human rights—know that Australia, as always and in a bipartisan way, is friends of all those who stand up for their individual rights, and, in this case, in particular, the rights of women.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I call the Leader of the Opposition.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I join the coalition with the comments of the Prime Minister. I want to recognise the work of the member for Menzies and other members in this House as well who have met with members of the community here, and the outpouring of emotion is absolutely understandable. The scenes and the reporting are horrific, and the treatment of women is completely unacceptable.

As the member for Menzies has pointed out at a number of discussions on this issue, there is heartfelt sentiment across the aisle in relation to this issue. The coalition will support any actions the government takes, even if it means an economic consequence for our country. There are markets, otherwise, that we can identify, and we will work with the government to support them in decisions, because a very clear, significant, tangible message needs to be sent that this type of behaviour is abhorrent, unacceptable in any society, and completely against the values of our country.