Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

I want to deal first with the last question, which was asked by Senator Chandler in relation to the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp of Iran, and its proposed listing as a terrorist organisation. I listened very carefully to Senator Watt's answer. The main obstacle to listing the IRGC, which funds and engages in terrorist acts all around the world, as a terrorist organisation is the current law. As I interjected to Senator Watt, there's an issue with the current law. Let's come together and change the law. Rather than simply making a debating point, which he's entitled to make, as to why the coalition didn't previously change the law when we were in government, it should be recognised that there is a need to change the law now.

Our international partners—our closest allies—are declaring the IRGC a terrorist organisation, because it is a terrorist organisation, and that is exactly what we should be doing. If there's an obstacle in the laws as they apply to entities which could be said to be part of a sovereign state, we should change the law, and we should do that collaboratively, in a bipartisan process, rather than simply making debating points. So I recommend that Senator Watt and others on the other side engage in the process in good faith. It is terribly important.

I'd like to also make a few comments in relation to the questions asked by my colleagues Senator Cash and Senator Paterson. Senator Cash and Senator Paterson are entitled to ask the questions they asked, which go to key issues in the evolving crisis in the Middle East. The first is in relation to the role of Hezbollah, which is sitting on a stockpile, in a demilitarised zone in Lebanon, of 120,000 to 200,000 short-range guided ballistic missiles, short- and intermediate-range unguided ballistic missiles and short- and long-range unguided rockets, and they're firing those rockets and missiles into Israel on a daily basis. We on this side of the chamber want to make sure that this parliament expresses a clear message to Hezbollah and its supporters and actors all over the world that we on this side of the house—and on the other side of the house; I'm sure it is shared—stand with Israel and recognise its inherent right to defend itself against these sorts of attacks. And it is incredibly important that we do so in relation to the ongoing threat from Hezbollah.

That was the purpose of the questions asked in good faith by Senator Cash—and she's right to ask those questions, because it's absolutely horrifying that Iran is sitting on the sidelines encouraging Hezbollah to elevate the dispute and to promote its own political interests and ideological extremism in the region. I also note that that bipartisan resolution that members of the government and members of the opposition all voted for says, 'We support Australia's engagement with countries in the Middle East and beyond at all levels in support of the protection of civilians and the containment of the conflict.' It is so incredibly important that this awful, awful conflict be contained to the maximum extent possible. That is why my friend and colleague Senator Cash asked the questions in relation to Hezbollah.

I want to also comment on the question asked by Senator Paterson in relation to the terrorist listing of Hizb ut-Tahrir, and it was the subject of an article in the Australian in relation to Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities in Australia. Those activities are deeply disturbing. Senator Wong referred to a quote from my good friend Senator George Brandis from 2017. Well, time has moved on from 2017. We're now sitting here in 2024 and, again, we have a responsibility to make the policy decisions that are right for Australia in 2024. In that regard, I note that in mid-January 2024 the United Kingdom declared Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation. That was on 19 January 2024, just a few months ago. So, again, Senator Paterson's question is quite legitimate.