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

I thank Senator Lambie for bringing this motion urgently before the Senate. If you want to know why it's urgent, it's urgent because in the next 24 hours—and we've spoken to lawyers involved—the Commonwealth government may well file an application in the Federal Court to try and defeat a class action brought by members of the Australian Defence Force and say, effectively, that sex discrimination laws don't apply in the Australian Defence Force and women won't have that protection inside the Australian Defence Force. This is after all we heard during the veterans royal commission about how so much of the ADF is unsafe for women. Women who have put their hand up to serve this country deserve the protection of our laws, they deserve the protection of our parliament and they should deserve the protection of this government.

Senator Lambie stood up and said, 'Where's the defence minister in response to this?' The Minister for Defence said, 'Yes, everything has changed in the ADF; we are fighting discrimination and women have a right to be safe.' Where's the defence minister when the Commonwealth lawyers are about to file a defence saying, 'Actually, none of the laws protecting women from discrimination apply if you're in the Defence Force—it's fair game in the Defence Force'? Where is the defence minister? I'll be clear: one of the reasons the Greens are supporting this motion is to send a peaceful, non-violent shot across their bows to say, 'Don't do this,' and to say to the Commonwealth lawyers, 'Don't you dare say that discrimination laws don't apply in the ADF and can't protect women in the ADF.'

Why is this urgent? This is urgent because if this is filed by the Commonwealth,= then the entire veterans community and all of those serving in the Defence Force will know that nothing the Chief of the Defence Force, the former chief of Defence Force, the Minister for Defence and the government said about being honest about responding to the recommendations from the veterans royal commission and being honest about making women safe meant a pinch of beans. I don't want that to happen. The Greens don't want that to happen. I think there are so many people in the veterans community who don't want that to happen, and there's a way for it not to happen: Defence Minister Marles can call the lawyers and say, 'Don't do it.'