Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I find it ironic when those opposite come and try to lecture this government about our track record when it comes to dealing with the issue of the Iranian government. Our government, from day one since we were elected, has done nothing other than take action. Those opposite, for the last nine years when they were in government—what did they do? Absolutely nothing. This government has done more to defend the rights of and stand by the very strong, very diverse and very proud diaspora that we have here in Australia of the Iranian community—I know there's a very large community in my home state of Victoria—who have unfortunately gone through some very dark times with their officials here in Canberra and others.

What this government has done is take the necessary action, the reasonable action that any government would take. We have taken strong action against not just the Iranian government but the IRGC. We have put more sanctions on individuals and entities, on the Iranians, than any other government has in our history. Minister Wong made that point today in question time, but those opposite seem to go over history as if it never occurred. We have taken 200 sanctions on Iran and the IRGC. We have taken action at the United Nations. We have taken much more decisive action than those opposite have ever taken.

It is worth reminding people in this place that the government has imposed three packages of sanctions on Iran in response to the abhorrent abuses of human rights and the brutal crackdown on protests following the death of Jina Amini some years ago. We made that point time and time again over the last couple of years. I was the deputy chair of the Senate inquiry that looked at the Iranian government's treatment of its own citizens. The Australian government, since the Labor government was elected back in 2022, has taken decisive action against the Iranian government, against Iranian officials, against people who are involved in the IRGC.

Those opposite say those announcements should have happened sooner, but I think they also forget or neglect to understand that in Australia the government also needs to adhere to the laws of the place. Our fine men and women in ASIO and the Australian Federal Police have said to government, 'Look, we now have enough credible, substantive evidence to suggest that Iran is behind at least two attacks against the Jewish community here in Australia,' allowing the government to take the necessary steps to bring legislation into this place to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, and to possibly even allow the government to take the steps of further sanctions against the Iranian officials.

It is also great to see that the government has taken decisive action against the Iranian ambassador here in Canberra—someone who, I know many senators across the aisle would know, spruiked fear and tried to divide our community and to unsettle the social cohesion that this country is so proud of.

This multicultural nation has such a wonderful, diverse group of people that can actually live in harmony, regardless of where they have come from. They've migrated here and they call Australia home. The Iranian ambassador and a number of other officials have been rightly asked to leave, and to leave promptly. It is also good to know that many of our diplomats in Tehran have also been evacuated and are now in a safe place.

I want to place on the record that this government has taken more action against the Iranian government than any other government in the history of our Commonwealth. I feel like it's really cheap for those opposite to come in here and accuse this government of doing nothing when from day one since we were elected we have taken the necessary action to protect the diaspora here in this country and to say no to the Iranian government. Shame on them for their behaviour towards Australian citizens.