Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Acting Deputy President Chandler, I'm so pleased you're in the chair as I make my contribution on this debate. I really want to emphasise the extraordinary role that Senator Chandler has played in terms of the prosecution of this debate and your advocacy after leading the Senate inquiry which prepared the references committee report calling for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be declared a terrorist organisation and registered as such. It was an outstanding piece of work. And then your continual advocacy over a number of years has provided hope, comfort and reassurance to our Iranian diaspora, and they deeply, deeply appreciate it. It's something which I do hope you take with you long after you've left this place in terms of the positive impact you've had on the lives of some of our most vulnerable Australians.

The IRGC should be declared a terrorist organisation because it is a terrorist organisation. I've said those words multiple times in this chamber over a number of years but also in conference rooms where I've met members of the Iranian diaspora and members of our Kurdish community and talked about these issues. I had one such meeting in November last year, three weeks before the Adass Israel synagogue was burnt to the ground. After I had that meeting, which was public and in which I called for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be declared a terrorist organisation, I received a letter from the Iranian ambassador. I received a letter from the ambassador on 4 December 2024. The Iranian ambassador wanted to meet me for 'a fair and balanced and informative discussion on different subjects'. That was on 4 December. On 6 December, the Adass Israel synagogue was burnt to the ground. I didn't meet the Iranian ambassador, who is now persona non grata. I didn't meet with him. I didn't need to meet with him, because I'd met with wonderful members of our Iranian diaspora community, and they told me about the horrors which they'd fled from that were occurring in Iran, especially after the murder of Jina Amini, that wonderful, wonderful young lady, in Iran in 2022.

Senator Whiteaker wanted to portray us on this side as trying to cause division on this issue. Senator Whiteaker wasn't here when we were having these debates during the last parliament, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. But I want to quote from the record on a resolution that was moved by Senator Chandler on 8 October 2024. About two months before the Adass Israel synagogue was burnt to the ground, Senator Chandler called for listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and declaring the current Iranian ambassador to Australia persona non grata. We were calling for this months—years—before it occurred. So it's our duty to raise this issue in front of the Australian people and ask: why didn't it occur? Canada declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation. The United States declared it as such. Lithuania declared it as such. We put it on the record and said: 'If there are issues with the law, talk to us. Discuss it with us. Let's change the law.' Those entreaties were ignored.

Worse than that, in that debate, this is what Senator Ayres said about Senator Chandler—and Senator Ayres should reflect on this and perhaps consider whether or not he should now make an apology:

The fact that she continues in this vein is contemptible. For somebody who seeks future leadership roles in foreign affairs and geostrategic affairs to continue with this line of argument while they have been briefed is utterly irresponsible.

That's what Senator Ayres said about Senator Chandler. What do those remarks look like now after the event? I say this: Senator Chandler has shown every single attribute of a great leader in terms of foreign affairs and issues of geostrategic significance. She has shown outstanding leadership. She has shown the leadership that the people of Australia deserve. Senator Chandler has shown the leadership the Iranian diaspora so greatly appreciates.