Gabriel Ng (Menzies, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. How have the Australian government expressed our support for the Iranian people and taken action against the Iranian regime?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his advocacy on behalf of the Iranian community in Australia. The Australian government and the Australian people stand in solidarity with the brave people of Iran who are demonstrating for their basic human rights against an oppressive regime. There is absolutely no legitimacy in the Iranian government killing thousands of its own citizens in order for the regime to maintain power. Indeed, this is an outrage, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

The Iranian people, particularly Iranian women, have been having their voice heard for many years now, and our government has taken strong action against Iran. We have more than 200 sanctions in place against individuals and entities, including those within the regime and members of the Iranian revolutionary guard corps. We were at the forefront of seeing Iran removed from a UN committee which was focused on discrimination against women, and, because of Iranian interference in our own country, we have expelled the Iranian ambassador. We will continue to work with the international community to put pressure on the Iranian regime in respect of its treatment of its own people and the way in which it engages with the world.

That said, there is a significant Iranian community in Australia, and there are Australians who are in Iran. Since 2020, it has been the advice of the Australian government not to travel to Iran. For those Australians who are in Iran right now, our advice is that, if it is safe to do so, leave and leave quickly. This is a volatile situation, and it can change very quickly. Our embassy in Iran suspended its operations back in August of last year, so there is little, if any, consular assistance which can be provided right now to Australians who are within Iran, which makes it very important for people to monitor Smartraveller and keep abreast of its updates—which we will endeavour to put up as soon as possible—as well as availing themselves of the 24-hour emergency consular phone line on +61262613305.

For far too long, Iran has been a malevolent influence in the Middle East and around the world. We look with awe at those Iranians who, right now, are risking their lives to protest against the Iranian government, and today our nation salutes the people of Iran as they bear the torch of freedom.

Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Can I associate the coalition with the remarks of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Iranian regime is a criminal regime that commits human rights abuses against its own people, as we have been seeing, and they export terror and violence abroad, as we have suffered in our own country. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the government in the condemnation of the Iranian regime, in the support for those people seeking to change the regime and with the Persian community in this country.

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

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Sitting suspended from 15:29 to 08:00

The House of Representatives transcript was published up to 15:29 . The remainder of the transcript will be published progressively as it is completed.