Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I just wanted to point out to Senator O'Sullivan the irony in this motion: that 70 years ago Australians fought side by side with Americans through the campaign in the Pacific—and we have had a defence relationship ever since. The reason we were fighting alongside American soldiers, as we have in other overseas campaigns, was for democracy, for freedom of speech and for the right to protest. That is why we went to war against regimes that would have supressed the right to freedom of speech. It is ironic that today we have a motion that is attempting to wedge the Greens on whether we support our Defence personnel—and we do support our Defence personnel—while at the same time as they are trying to bash protesters, who have a democratic right to protest for peace. That is why we went to war. (Time expired)