Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks very much, Acting Deputy President. This weekend, US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu launched a new illegal bombing campaign against Iran, unilateral bombing in breach of international law—bombing of schools, which has killed already over 100 schoolgirls. And do you know who the first in the world to support Trump and Netanyahu's illegal attacks was? It was this Labor government. The Australian government's support for Trump and Netanyahu's latest illegal war is a clear breach of international law and the prohibition on wars of aggression.

This war will not bring safety to brave Iranian people who are fighting for liberation from a brutal regime. It is always civilians—women and children—who suffer most in war. What does killing more than 100 schoolchildren or the fresh strikes on a hospital reported this morning have to do with peace? Our hearts ache for those girls and those families. This war will see homes and cities razed to the ground and countless innocent lives lost. The Iranian people deserve to be free from persecution and domination, particularly Iranian girls and women, who've faced decades of oppression and who have bravely fought back as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. But the Iranian people deserve to be free from persecution and domination both from the current regime and from foreign powers. The US and Israel are not acting out of concern for human rights in Iran. They cannot be trusted to do what's in the best interests of Iran or anyone's human rights anywhere. History shows, and the world knows, that US military attacks and Donald Trump's kidnappings and assassinations do not produce peace and do not produce justice.

While US bombs and missiles rain down on Iran, there is every likelihood that they're being targeted with the direct or indirect assistance of joint US-Australian military facilities at Pine Gap and North West Cape. The Greens condemn these illegal, abhorrent and unilateral attacks. Australians do not want to be dragged into yet another US/Israeli war. Australians deserve an independent foreign policy where we are not just Trump's lapdog, giving billions for nuclear submarines that we'll likely never receive—an independent foreign policy, not support for another illegal war. US led foreign wars in the Middle East have never helped the people of the countries that they attacked, and they have always seen devastating bloodshed.

This Labor government has completely discarded its principles. How much has changed since 2003, when then Labor leader Simon Crean declared the Iraq war to be illegal, unnecessary and unjust, or when he told a Brisbane rally against the Iraq war, 'Let's send the strongest message possible today, the message that says no to unilateral attacks by the US', or since 2014 when Bill Shorten told parliament:

More than a decade ago, Simon Crean stood at this dispatch box as Labor leader to support our troops, but oppose a war. History has vindicated his judgement.

Well, I think history will look very poorly on this Labor government and its continued support for Trump and Netanyahu's war mongering. The Labor government must immediately rule out further Australian support for Trump and Netanyahu's illegal war. Labor must confirm to the Australian people that no intelligence from Pine Gap or other US bases in Australia was used in these strikes and it must rule out allowing these bases to be used in this illegal war going forward. It is unacceptable to refuse to answer questions from the media or public about Australia's role, and our fourth estate should press them to give a response.

The Greens have consistently and clearly condemned the Iranian regime's violent response to recent protests and its long history of oppression, and we have strongly backed the Woman Life Freedom movement. We know that the people of Iran who have been victims of the regime will be the same very people right now being killed, injured and driven into further poverty and fear by US bombing. The Greens will always advocate for peace and for upholding international law and we will always oppose war. War is never the answer. You cannot bomb your way to peace.