Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate calls on the Government to hold an independent inquiry into any Australian involvement in the conduct of the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad from 2003, including knowledge of such involvement by the then Prime Minister or other ministers.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia takes very seriously the issue of the treatment of detainees and has made clear its commitment to ensuring that detainees are treated humanely and with dignity and respect and in accordance with all of the Australian obligations under domestic and international law. The issue of detainee management in Iraq arose under the previous government and was a matter handled by the previous government. Ministers of this government have no personal knowledge of those matters, including the specific role and function of Major O'Kane.

The issue of detainee management in Iraq was the subject of the 2004-05 Senate budget and additional estimates hearings of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Defence throughout 2004 and 2005. Australian policy towards the treatment of detainees in relation to the war in Iraq was also examined by the inquiry in 2005 by the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee into the duties of Australian personnel in Iraq. Noting the extensive inquiries that have already been conducted into this matter, the government does not propose to initiate or conduct another inquiry into these issues. The government, therefore, on that basis, does not support this motion.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The submission by Senator Ludwig is quite extraordinary and it is a failure of responsibility by this government. The events at Abu Ghraib drew worldwide condemnation because they were in breach of international laws and because they happened under the presidency of George W Bush, who had invaded Iraq to uphold international law.

The minister is right: there were some very limited inquiries back in 2005—which he knows was six years ago—which did not involve, for example, a proper inquiry using the knowledge of Major O'Kane, let alone American participants in Abu Ghraib. We also know that the requests from the Leader of the Democrats in Congress, Nancy Pelosi, for Major O'Kane—as the Australian involved in these events—were turned down. So there has been a denial by Australian governments to have this matter properly canvassed. Now there is a whole bank of new information coming from the Sydney Public Advocacy Centre, and that information makes the situation all the more important to inquire into. I am amazed that this government does not support this proper move for an independent inquiry, with judicial function, into this matter to open it up and put it to rest. Question put:

That the motion (Senator B Brown's) be agreed to.

The Senate divided. [15:53]

(The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Parry)

Question negatived.