Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition will be supporting the suspension motion moved by Senator Hanson on behalf of One Nation. When you look at the suspension motion, to debate the motion Senator Hanson has moved, it raises some very, very serious issues, particularly in relation to the transparency of the Albanese government. Several questions were posed yesterday both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate concerning media reports that a cohort of persons who had left Australia to join ISIS, the Islamic State fighters, were coming back to Australia. That is concerning within itself, given they left some time ago and, not only that but in particular, given these are people who made a conscious decision—this is a fact—to wilfully abandon Australia to join the ISIS death cult. Let's be clear about what the ISIS death cult were: they were a group of people who committed genocide against Shias, against Christians and against the Yazidi communities. They murdered a large number of civilians. They used rape as a weapon of war against women and girls.

The government yesterday, in both this place—Senator Wong, on behalf of the Prime Minister—and the House of Representatives—the Prime Minister himself—said there was nothing to see here. Yet, overnight, we now have reports that the acting chief of New South Wales police says that the state force is working with federal counterparts to finalise operations relating to the return of Islamic State brides and their children to Australia. So hold on—yesterday, in both the other place and in this place, there was nothing to see here in relation to what are incredibly concerning reports, but then, overnight, the acting chief of New South Wales police confirms, 'Yes, our state police force are working with our federal counterparts to finalise operations'—not to commence operations, not to consider operations but to finalise operations—'relating to the return of Islamic State brides and their children to Australia.' They have said they are working through the plan with the Commonwealth. So there are now serious questions to be answered by this government in relation to their knowledge of this matter and, more than that, what they are doing to ensure the national security of Australians.

Let us be clear. The return of people who made a conscious decision to leave the greatest country in the world—it is ironic, isn't it? Or maybe it's symbolic that yesterday was National Flag Day, and we were discussing this issue. There are people who are prepared to leave this country—which gives them everything, all the freedoms—to go back to a state and join a death cult that murders people, uses rape as a weapon of war and commits genocide.

Let us be very clear. This is not a question of compassion. The coalition sees this for exactly what every single Australian sees it as. This is a matter of national security. It doesn't matter what weasel words this government uses. These people have now been gone for a very long period of time. They are radicalised. They left Australia, quite frankly, because they do not like what we have here—the freedoms that each one of us stands up for and defends each day.

The government cannot guarantee that these individuals will not pose a threat to our way of life which, let's face it, they turned their backs on and which they hate. It's not about if they return now. This is where the government has got a lot of questions to answer. It is when. These people were exposed to radical ideologies. They lived in the heart of a terrorist caliphate. Now we are asked to believe that they can simply walk back into Australia: 'Hey, how are you going? Great to see you. Sorry I murdered a few women and children overseas. Sorry I used rape as an act of war.'

Senator Hanson, we will be supporting the suspension because the government has serious national security questions to answer.