Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges with deep concern the ongoing persecution and discrimination faced by the Hazara people and other ethnic religious minorities under the Taliban;

(2) calls for the protection of all minorities in Afghanistan, as well as women and girls, noting no part of Afghanistan or Afghan society has been immune from violence or persecution; and

(3) recognises the valuable contributions of Hazara Australians to the cultural, social and civic life of our nation, and acknowledges that these contributions extend well beyond their own community.

I am proud to move this motion today. It is a motion that recognises and makes clear that the persecution of the Hazara community in Afghanistan is not only deeply concerning; it is abhorrent. In the gallery today are 30 members of the Hazara community from across the country, brought together by the Hazara Legal Network. I thank the network for its tireless advocacy and thank each of you for being here in Canberra today.

Your community is made up of tradespeople, nurses, childcare workers, lawyers and doctors—people who contribute so much to our communities, including in my electorate of Corangamite and in the Deputy Prime Minister's neighbouring electorate of Corio in Victoria. I know that the Deputy Prime Minister has built a strong and enduring relationship with the Hazara community in Geelong. Both he and I have listened to your stories. We are here to support you. Since the Taliban seized control in 2021 it has been a challenge for the Hazara people. We have listened to your stories and we support you. Minorities in Afghanistan have faced targeted violence, particularly women. We know that no part of Afghan society has been immune from violence or persecution. Of course, this is particularly true for ethnic religious minorities, including the Hazara community.

Our government, the Albanese Labor government, will always stand up for women facing persecution and violence. Australia has consistently condemned the Taliban's treatment of minorities, particularly the Hazara community, and of women and girls, including at the Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution put at the United Nations called on Afghanistan to uphold human rights, adhere to international law and take decisive action against terrorism.

The Albanese Labor government is taking strong and coordinated action to hold the Taliban to account for its abuses of the human rights of Afghan people, especially the targeting of minority groups and the sustained and systematic exclusion of women from public life. We know—the Albanese Labor government knows—just how important it is for women to hold public office, to make decisions in government about the matters that affect them. This is not occurring in Afghanistan under the Taliban. It's part of the reason why Australia, alongside Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, is holding Afghanistan to account under international law for violations of the human rights of women and girls as enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

To our Hazara communities and to those here today, my message is simple: your stories matter, your safety matters and you deserve to live in peace, dignity and opportunity. Despite the Taliban's attempts to interfere with humanitarian assistance, our UN partners continue to reach those in need, including Hazara communities. We're working closely with international partners to ensure our support remains principled, effective and grounded in human rights. The department is currently considering what more we can do to strengthen our response and demonstrate our commitment to the people in Afghanistan who face persecution and violence. I can share that public consultations have just concluded on a legislative framework that will allow us to impose targeted sanctions and travel bans in relation to those who are responsible for the oppression of minority groups, women and girls, and the people of Afghanistan.

In closing, this work is about standing up for basic human dignity; standing up for women, who deserve freedom of equality and who deserve to live a life without fear; and standing with the families in the gallery today. We will support you, we will continue to hold the Taliban to account and we will continue to stand up for those who face persecution wherever they are.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Corangamite and I thank her for bringing it to the house. It is important that this parliament speaks with clarity and with conscience about what is happening in Afghanistan and about the prosecution faced by the Hazara people and other minorities under the Taliban. The reality is stark. Since the Taliban's takeover, Hazara communities have faced targeted attacks, discrimination and constant threats of violence. Women and girls have been removed from public life. Religious minorities have been pushed further into danger. No part of Afghan society has been free from the effects of repression. For many Australians, this is not a distant story. In a country as diverse as ours, people feel these events through their families, their friendships and their sense of identity. Multicultural organisations and community leaders I have met speak often about their worry for loved ones overseas and their desire to see Australia continue to stand firmly for human rights. This motion reflects these values and those expectations.

This motion also calls for the protection of all minorities as well as women and girls. That call is not symbolic. It aligns with Australia's longstanding commitment to international law and to the safeguarding of human rights. The Albanese Labor government has consistently condemned the Taliban's abuse at the United Nations Human Rights Council and at the General Assembly. Australia co-sponsored the UN resolution on the situation in Afghanistan, urging the protection of human rights, adherence to international law and decisive action against terrorism. Australia, together with Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, has also initiated proceedings under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to hold Afghanistan to account for the systematic discrimination against women and girls. This is a strong and principled step, and it is consistent with who we are as a country. Australia's support does not depend on the country or the context. It reflects a belief that human dignity must be defended wherever it is threatened.

Values matter, but so does action. Since 2021, Australia has provided more than $260 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, delivering food, shelter, health services and essential protection programs especially for women, children and minority groups. Following the devastating earthquakes in Afghanistan in August, the Albanese government committed an additional $1 million in urgent relief. Our assistance goes to the Afghan people, not to the Taliban regime. DFAT continues to monitor the situation closely, working with partners to ensure that our support remains principled, targeted and effective.

The final part of this motion recognises the contribution of Hazara Australians to our country. That acknowledgement is important. Hazara Australians enrich our culture and social life. They contribute to our workforce, our schools, our businesses and our communities. Their resilience and determination reflects something fundamental about the Australian story.

People given safety and opportunity build stronger communities for everyone. I see that in Melbourne every day. People who've come here seeking stability give back through hard work, community involvement and a commitment to build a better future. In Melbourne we see the strength of multicultural communities that care deeply about fairness, compassion and justice. These values are at the heart of this motion, and they are the values that guide my work as the member for Melbourne. I am proud to serve one of the most diverse electorates in the country, proud to stand up for dignity and equality, and proud to support motions like this that call on Australia to remain steadfast in defending human rights.

Acknowledging persecution is not enough, but it is necessary. Calling for protection is not enough, but it is right. Australia must continue to show leadership, uphold international law and stand with communities who face discrimination and violence. We do this because it is the fair thing to do, because it reflects the values of Australians and because every person deserves the chance to live with safety, dignity and hope. I commend this motion to the House.

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm proud to stand up and support the spirit of this motion because, as with many motions that are before this Chamber, it's important to be able to say we were here and stood up for what was right. We have the Hazara community within Australia, new Australians who have contributed an enormous amount to our country and, more importantly, continue to contribute to the success of our nation. These people come to this nation—sometimes not intentionally but through humanitarian programs—make a home for themselves and then go on to become full participants in the Australian way of life. They bring their full selves—including their heritage, their recognition and their history—to enrich our nation, but that does not mean they leave behind the legacy of their homeland and the challenges of Afghanistan.

We should never forget the scale of the challenges that are left at home in Afghanistan. We all remember some of those graphic and moving images as the last American air force planes left the tarmacs of Afghanistan only a few years ago. People were desperate in their efforts to leave as the Taliban made their way into the nation's capital. As so often had been the case in the past as the Taliban advanced, people knew of the terrible human rights tragedies that could unfold as a consequence of attacks on minorities, women, homosexuals and other people who didn't fit in with the fanatical world view of the Taliban. The tragedies continue to be lived every day by so many people and include declining education standards, denial of access to education and basic health services, and reduced capacity to have a normal life or a career. This is a denial of people's basic sense of agency and purpose, and a denial of their capacity to be able to exercise their basic rights as human beings.

When it comes down to it, the Liberal ideal of human rights is anchored in the equal dignity and worth of all people. It's something we should never be afraid to stand up for, because sitting behind the equal dignity and worth of all people is the very basis on which people are treated equally as part of a free society. But the brutal reality, as we all know, is that that is not the lived condition of so many people currently in Afghanistan. It's a denial of not just their agency but their full contribution to the rest of their society, including their culture, which everybody is losing as a consequence. With that goes not only declining culture but also economic progress, and—we've seen this—it makes a society less able to adapt and respond to terrible conditions.

The previous speaker, the member for Melbourne, talked about the tragic realities of what happened with the earthquakes last August. When those terrible events occur, the full consequences of denied economic development come to the fore: countries aren't in a position where they are able to respond, to support their people or to provide the aid or relief that is so important in times of tragedy. Of course, we're very proud as a nation to be able to lend a hand in those difficult times, but we also want to be able to support countries to support themselves. It makes it very difficult when you have a government operating on a fanatical basis, putting their ideology ahead of their people, their human rights and their best interests.

There's a tragic reality sitting behind the lived condition of so many people in Afghanistan right now. That's why this motion is so important, as are many of the motions brought before this parliament. It's an opportunity for us to come together, to stand up and to speak up. What we should want for every person, no matter where they are born on this earth, is that they are treated with equal dignity and respect based simply on their rights as a human being.

For the Hazara who made it to Australia and who are caring for people and family members back in Afghanistan, we extend warmth to you and love to those who are not with you. More importantly, if you're in a position to assist or support them, we understand how important this issue is to you. As part of a country that does believe in the equal dignity and worth of all people, we understand how important it is for us to stand by you, to stand up for them, and to stand up for the type of country we want to be and for the type of world we want for everybody. The basic principles of human rights are about the lived-out Liberal vision that we want for all people. That's the basis on which we support this motion.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the outset, I want to commend the fine words of the member for Corangamite in bringing this motion to the parliament. I've heard the member for Melbourne make several very personal contributions, and each time she speaks it's well worth listening to. Likewise, the member for Goldstein just now.

I want to acknowledge the member for Rankin's presence in the chamber. Normally the member for Rankin and I—as we are now—are on opposite sides. He probably generally disagrees with whatever I'm saying, but I'm sure he's going to agree with me tonight. I want to acknowledge that he's here as a local member, not as the Treasurer. He's here because he cares. He's here with his people, with people who have come to his electorate to seek a better life. So I say to him: thank you for being here for this important motion. And I thank each and every person here for coming here to the parliament tonight to listen to this motion.

Wagga Wagga, like many other communities in Australia, has a Hazara community. That is so important. The Hazara people have left their homeland, Afghanistan. They've faced ethnic and religious persecution for too many years, over many decades. I appreciate that many of their loved ones are still in the country of their birth, their homeland, and with their families as well, but they have been separated, and my heart goes out to them.

There are over 50,000 Hazara people in Australia, many of whom fled Afghanistan during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Australia lost 47 of our bravest and finest during their service in Afghanistan. It was a war that went on for way too long—from 2001 to 2021. It was the longest conflict that this country has been engaged in. I heard so often about the educational opportunities, the better life, that it opened up for women in Afghanistan—and you knew that that was a war worth fighting. Sadly, we see the Taliban back in charge. You sometimes wonder whether those outcomes, particularly for girls and women, are still there. But it did open up a pathway for them to study, to employment opportunities and to equality that was not there before.

I mentioned Wagga Wagga. Many of the Hazaras have gone to study at Charles Sturt University. Our local Hazara community strongly believes in the value of education. Hazara people are often targeted at schools in Afghanistan, preventing them from obtaining that education—particularly women, who don't get the same opportunities. This is so vital. Hazara women in Afghanistan are particularly at risk of violence and discrimination, as the Taliban have retained control of that country, and that is just so sad.

I mention—because all politics is local—Wagga mother Hakimeh Rahimi, who fled Afghanistan in 1995. Back when her story was published by the local newspaper in 2021, she'd been in Australia for eight years. She called Wagga Wagga home. She came to Wagga Wagga—which is a very giving, very multicultural place—because she saw hope and opportunity there that she could not see elsewhere. She was welcomed with open arms by the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, by Belinda Crain, who runs that very august organisation, but also by the Wagga Wagga community as a whole—because we understand, we value, we acknowledge and we recognise you are peace-loving people like us. You want the best. You want the best for your families. You want the best for your education. You want the best for your future. They are all things that I know that we share in this room and in this parliament.

It doesn't matter from what side of politics you are; you are welcome in Australia. This is your home. It's as much your home as it is mine, and I was born here—way too many years ago! But to the many of you who have come to this nation to make it your home: thank you. Thank you for choosing our country. Please know that, if there are matters of importance, you have your local members, whether it's Jim or whether it's me—and I think I can use that term. Please avail yourselves of every opportunity that is available to you in Australia. I say again: I know you've been through a lot; thank you for choosing this country as your home. Thank you very much.

Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.