Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

A few days ago, I spoke about the ongoing military intervention in Iran by the Israeli and American forces, and I'm proud to speak on this critical issue again. These brave men and women are helping freedom-loving Iranians realise their aspirations for democracy and liberty. I am hopeful and I pray for their absolute victory.

There are those in this place who would talk down on these attempts at freedom. There are those that admonish those seeking to free their fellow men and women from servitude, from imprisonment and from subjugation. They speak in naivety that, somehow, the brave Persian populace of Iran will be freed by the force of goodwill alone. I am not one of them. The coalition is not one of them. The coalition will protect Australia's way of life and will defend freedom and democracy when it must. Difficult decisions must be made, and the Persian Iranian people are realising their freedom. Unfortunate but necessary force is being used to remove evil tyrants from their places of power. This liberty has been hardwon, and many more hardfought victories must happen before this freedom can be realised. But I am optimistic, as are many Persian Australians right now, that now is the time for the reckoning of the Iranian regime and the liberation of Persia and Iran. The Greens political party and the Labor Left faction would have Iranian people still in chains with only good thoughts to save them. That is not moral clarity. That is not in the interests of Persian Australians, and that is not in the interest of people who fight and love democracy.

The Iranian regime has consistently threatened Israel with destruction by nuclear weapons and has held an unwavering goal of acquiring these weapons. The UN nuclear watchdog has warned of Iran's hidden nuclear weapons program. The Islamic republic has also murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens for protesting just in recent weeks and condemned thousands more to execution. Let me just illustrate this and how brutal this regime is for you. When a woman is convicted with a death sentence, she is raped by an appointee of the Islamic courts of Iran so that she cannot enter heaven, according to their religion. That is the regime that we are up against.

I want to honour the Iranian soccer team. Those women have made some pretty big and brave decisions this week. The scenes have been extraordinary, and I know how difficult those decisions are, given the potential impact on their family at home. They've had to say goodbye to their brothers and sisters, their parents and their nanna and grandad. It's a very big decision, and I recognise the bravery that it took.

It is abhorrent that there are senators in this place who would say that the Iranian government should not be removed from power. To that end, I welcome the deployment of the brave men and women of the Royal Australian Air Force to the United Arab Emirates to expedite the destruction of the Iranian regime. The deployment of the Australian Defence Force to combat is the gravest decision that a prime minister can make, and that decision was made by Prime Minister Albanese yesterday, with bipartisan support from the parties of government.

Make no mistake: the E-7A Wedgetail, currently collecting intelligence in the Persian Gulf, is in harm's way. While the government states that this is a defence operation, that aircraft and aircrew are now targets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It will be collecting intelligence on Iranian missiles, radars, communications and aircraft. The signals intelligence of the Defence Force is envied throughout the world, and I am proud of the contribution of our expert war fighters in delivering security in the Middle East.