Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, I read Mr Tinley’s remarks on the front page of the Australian on the weekend. We note his remarks. As the Prime Minister said at the time that we announced our engagement, there are of course differences of opinion within the Australian community about whether or not we should have joined the coalition in seeking to remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq. No doubt those differences of opinion within the community would have extended to the defence forces themselves, but the defence forces are loyal to the government of the country. If Mr Tinley had that view when he was in the SAS—I do not know; he says now that that is his view—as I say, he is entitled to that view. The government accepts that he is free to express his opinion. That is one of the great things about this country: we respect his right to express his opinions on this matter, and we do not dismiss them lightly. Nevertheless, the government remains strongly committed to its views on this matter and remains strongly committed to—