Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania, Australian Greens
4:43 pm
I ask that general business notice of motion No. 841 standing in my name for today, relating to the conflict in Yemen, be taken as a formal motion.
Sue Lines Deputy-President
Is there any objection to the motion being taken as formal?
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
Yes.
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania, Australian Greens
In lieu of suspending standing orders, which I'm prepared to do, I seek leave to make a two-minute statement.
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania, Australian Greens
Madam Deputy President—I direct this at you because it's the right etiquette—today the Senate has been very happy to give formality to several motions on what you would classify as complex foreign policy matters, such as motion No. 832, relating to Korea—if those two men getting together in a room in Singapore isn't complex, I don't know what is!—and motion No. 840, relating to Jerusalem. The Senate is happy to give formality to something suits the philosophy or the propaganda of people in this chamber but not to something that is not complex: a motion calling for peace and for United Nations intervention to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which everyone internationally recognises is a very serious risk, especially given what's happened in the civil war in Yemen in the last four years. The United Nations themselves have said this is potentially going to be the biggest humanitarian disaster in the last century.
In the last 48 hours, we have had reports of the Saudi-led coalition bombing the airport and Hodeidah port in Yemen, which, the motion says very clearly, is the lifeblood of 20 million people who are at risk. This motion simply calls for peace and United Nations intervention. While I am attempting to move this motion in the Senate, the UN envoy is actually there at the moment doing exactly what this Greens motion calls for. How is that a complex matter? Is it because the Saudis and the Emiratis, part of the coalition, are two of the nations that we want to sell arms to? Is it because we now have a defence policy that wants to loan $4 billion of taxpayer money to the defence industry to sell these people weapons? Is that why it's sensitive? Is that why's it complex? (Time expired)
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
4:46 pm
I seek leave to make a short statement.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
I table my statement.