Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Hansard source

There are many aspects of the contribution made by Senator Hanson-Young that are simply inaccurate and incorrect, and I welcome the opportunity to correct those statements in this response now. Let's start with the government's position around accountability and transparency in relation to deployment of armed forces. As I've already indicated in response to a question from Senator Shoebridge, we consider that that power appropriately remains with the executive, and there are a range of good reasons for that, and it is entirely consistent with the constitutional arrangements which are set out in section 61 of the Constitution.

As I said in my earlier answer, that is entirely compatible with the role of the parliament in scrutinising any such decision. The government has agreed that a ministerial statement in both houses of parliament is an important way to improve transparency in relation to any such decision, and that has been set out in the Memorandum on Government Conventions Relating to Overseas Armed Conflict Decision Making. So, Senator Hanson-Young, what is proposed by our government, our policy, is in fact not just to brief a committee but to make a public statement in the parliament that sets out the reasons and allows the parliament to engage with what would be a very important question for the Australian public and for Australian parliamentarians.

In relation to the committee's role, the committee's functions are set out really clearly in the legislation. They are also set out in the memorandum of understanding. They include: examining and being apprised of war or warlike operations, including ongoing conflicts, and monitoring the involvement of Australian defence agencies in significant non-conflict operations domestically and internationally. So we do have a difference of opinion, Senator, between our parties. The Greens political party has one view, and you're very welcome to express it this morning, about decisions on overseas armed conflict. We have a different view. We've engaged seriously with the work that was done by the joint standing committee on this question. We have published our response. Indeed, as I've indicated, we've published the memorandum, which sets out the conventions that our government will adopt should we take decisions around overseas armed conflict.

This is all laid out very transparently. So allusions that are designed to scare—about secrecy—and references to a lack of transparency couldn't be more wrong. The government has set out deliberately—and, frankly, independently of any contribution made by the Greens—our approach to this question. It's a question we take seriously. It's one we have proactively engaged with in government. If you wish to examine the public statements that have been made by the Deputy Prime Minister and others about this, they are all on the record.