Corinne Mulholland (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The responsibility of being in government is to act in the national interest, not to act in one's political interest. That national interest is protecting Australians and keeping them safe.

When we talk about Iran, let's not pretend we are talking about a benign actor. We are talking about a regime that has threated international peace for years, and, in 2024, was responsible for at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, in Sydney and Melbourne. At that time, Australia took the unprecedented step of expelling Iran's ambassador from Australia, suspending our operations at our embassy in Iran and listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a state sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian regime has systematically violated human rights and brutally repressed its own people. It has repeatedly contravened its international obligations.

The Prime Minister held a press conference this morning and he made it very clear that Australia is not deploying troops for offensive operations. Limited Australian assets have been deployed, in a defensive capacity only, to protect Australians and our interests. There are 115,000 Australians in the Middle East, with around 20,000 in the UAE, who need our support. Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail to the gulf to protect and defend Australians. The Senate will recall that the E-7A Wedgetail was deployed to Europe as part of Australia's assistance to Ukraine. We stand with our partners in the gulf and, critically, to protect Australians in the region.

Our first priority will always be the safety of Australians, so it is deeply disappointing to the see the Greens, once again, put their own political interests above the national interest of our nation. This is a moment when Australians rightly expect all political leaders to speak with unity. This is not a moment for the Greens to chase headlines. The Australian government has been working around the clock to support Australians in the region. DFAT has activated its Consular Emergency Centre and is providing 24-hour, around-the-clock consular support. Australians needing support can contact 1300555135 in Australia and +61262613305 from overseas. Registrations have opened, through the crisis portal, for Australians in Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon, in addition to Iran, Israel, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. We continue to advise Australians to not travel to Iran and to leave Iran as soon as possible if it is safe to do so.

We do not want to see further escalation, but we must protect Australian interests. But it is also important that we remember the human dimension of what is happening inside Iran. The presence of the Iranian women's football team in my home state, on the Gold Coast, was a powerful reminder that we fight for equality for the people of Iran on what is happening in Iran right now. Five members of the Iranian women's national football team have sought and have been issued humanitarian visas here in Australia. They had been due to return home soon, but fears were raised for their safety after the team declined to sing the Iranian national anthem before a match and after the widespread reporting on Iranian state television attacking the players for this action. I am proud that the Albanese government acted so decisively. As the Prime Minister said, these women are safe here, and they should feel at home in Australia.

When this Labor government talks about women's rights, it's not just rhetoric; it is action. It is the $4 billion we're investing to tackle gender based violence. It's the introduction of 10 days of paid domestic violence leave. It is stronger workplace protections and a historic investment in women safety. We are closing the gender pay gap, lifting wages in female dominated industries and investing in women's health. This is real progress. This is what leadership looks like.

So, while the Greens want to frame this debate through the lens of politics—