Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am really proud to speak to this bill today. I am going to go into a bit of detail about how this has been a very long time coming, about some of this history of this bill and about the reasons why the Australian Greens believe that it is such an important piece of legislation. We on the cross benches do not put a huge number of private senator's bills before this parliament, but this is certainly the most important one that I have carriage of.

Today, we are debating the question of whether we as legislators and representatives of our electorates across this country are competent and able to make the decision about whether or not to deploy Australian troops to theatres of war. This is not about exercises; this is not about routine training. This is about who makes the final decision. Is it this parliament on behalf of the Australian public and on behalf of the families who will lose loved ones when we send Australians into harm's way? Who should make that decision? Should it be this parliament—this chamber and the other place—or should it be the executive? I am very pleased that we are debating this bill today.

The Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Approval of Overseas Service) Bill 2010 [No. 2] has been known colloquially for several decades as the 'war powers bill'. It is about ensuring that a thorough debate is held in our parliament and that formal parliamentary endorsement is given before Australian governments take one of the most grave and serious responsibilities that a government can take: sending men and women to face danger, injury and—as we know—all too often death and to inflict danger, injury and death on others in wars overseas. In recent years, wars have been waged by our country without the support and approval, the deliberation and the consensus of this parliament. That is a mistake that this bill seeks to address.

I expect that as the debate proceeds we will hear from both of the old parties. Maybe I will be accused of being well intentioned. Maybe I will be accused of being a little naive.