David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator McKim, I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

That the US and Israeli attack on Iran is contrary to international law, that Australia is in breach of international law both by supporting this war and permitting US bases in Australia to support this war, and that as a middle power Australia must work with like minded countries around the world to uphold international law.

We hear a lot from the Albanese government and from Foreign Minister Wong about international law and breaches of international law when it's countries other than the United States and Israel breaching the law. You can go back barely a week ago and Minister Wong clearly called out Russia's attacks on Ukraine and pointed out that, for four years now, Russia has been in breach of international law in its attacks on Ukraine. She's right when she says that. But, astoundingly, when it comes to the illegal war by Trump and Netanyahu on Iran, we have Minister Wong—the same minister who can call out the illegality of Russia's invasion—say, 'The legal basis of this is for the United States and Israel to explain.' What a duck and cover! What an avoidance strategy that is from the Albanese Labor government! They obviously would never say that about Russia, because that would be an obscenity to say. Are you going to let Russia decide whether or not its attack on Ukraine is in breach of international law? We don't. We say it loudly. We say it clearly. But the Albanese government is so scared of their so-called ally Donald Trump and so scared to offend Benjamin Netanyahu that they won't even engage in it.

All the while, we see the US making it clear that this war is illegal. Not even 24 hours ago, the US Secretary of War said in relation to their illegal war on Iran:

No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don't waste time or lives.

He's saying it clearly. The war is being engaged in illegally. We know it's based on a lie—the so-called threat to the US and the lies about the imminent nuclear threat. It's the most blatant lie, and, unlike with the war in Iraq, there's not even been a vague effort from Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu to try and pretend this is legal.

Then we get told that Australia has no part in it. We know Australia has hundreds of ADF troops stationed with the US right now across different US commands. There's not a single word from the defence minister about instructions being given that they're to be pulled out of the line and that they're not to be used in this US war. We also note—because the Albanese government has been trumpeting it—that there are scores of Australians currently serving in frontline duties on US nuclear submarines, including ones that are engaged in missile strikes in Iran. Why will the government not tell us the truth? Because it is embarrassing and inconvenient for them to point out it's an illegal war and Australia is in it up to its neck.

Then we get the doublespeak on Pine Gap. The constant refrain from the Albanese government, like the coalition and One Nation, is that the Australian public should know nothing; they should be mushrooms when it comes to finding out what happens in Pine Gap. We get this specious line of argument that Australian troops are not directly involved in the war through Pine Gap. But Australian troops and personnel keep Pine Gap running. Pine Gap runs as an integral part of the US's global war-making machine, and Pine Gap is being used right now to target bombs and killing in Iran. Anything the government says to the contrary of that is a plain, bold faced lie. Be honest with the Australian people.

The Albanese government should say they don't care whether the war is illegal or not and don't care if the rules of law and engagement are being breached, because Donald Trump has told them to do it, and they're just going to meekly follow. What a disgrace—what a betrayal of the national interest.