Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. We know, through a list of documents released under freedom of information, that the government was preparing to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in January 2023. Why has it taken 2½ years for the Albanese government to finally announce that it will list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I think Senator Chandler would know, the Prime Minister announced yesterday—with the director-general of ASIO, me and the home affairs minister—that, as a result of painstaking work by our security agencies and law enforcement agencies, we have identified that at least two of the antisemitic attacks in Australia in recent times, the Adass Israel synagogue and Lewis' Continental Kitchen, were orchestrated by the IRGC. Our judgement as a consequence of that was that we had to take the unprecedented action of expelling the ambassador and that, in response to this, which did cross the line, we would list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation—which, as you know, requires legislative amendment.

I would make the point, Senator Chandler, that, first, even before we took this action yesterday, our government has taken stronger action against Iran than any previous Australian government. I would make the point that the government of which Senator Cash and others were a part did nothing in relation to further sanctions. We have placed some 200 sanctions on both Iranian and IRGC entities and individuals. I would also make the point that we were part of the push to remove Iran from the UN body in relation to the elimination of discrimination against women. They took that position whilst the coalition were in government, so I look forward to bipartisan support for this legislation. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, first supplementary?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The former home affairs minister Clare O'Neil publicly attributed a foreign interference attempt to the Islamic Republic of Iran regime in February 2023. That same month, the coalition offered bipartisan support to legislate, if necessary, to allow the government to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Why didn't the Albanese government take us up on that offer at that time when the threat of the IRI regime was already well understood?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The IRGC has been a disruptive and malign actor for a very long time in many countries, including when Senator Cash and others were in government. I would make the point that no actions were taken under the previous government for such a listing, despite, as I heard this morning, Mr Hastie recommending so. So I would just make, again, the same point. We took, prior to this action, stronger action against Iran than any previous Australian government. But what we have seen is something really unprecedented, which is a foreign actor orchestrating violence in Australia on Australian soil, against Australians. That is why we took the action we've taken.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, second supplementary?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, the Iranian diaspora has been calling for the IRGC terrorist listing to reflect the real and tangible threat that it poses not just in Iran but here in Australia as well. Minister, why did it take violence on Australian soil for the government to act on those calls from our local Iranian community?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to my earlier answer, which is that we have actually taken stronger action than any government that the coalition was part of over the last nine years. The IRGC was already sanctioned as a whole in 2010, I think, by a former Labor government. You have heard me in this place, including in response to your questions, be very clear about our view on foreign interference. What we have seen is really unprecedented. We have seen a foreign entity seeking to orchestrate violence in our country on our soil against Australian citizens and Australian premises. This calls for the unprecedented action we have taken, which is the first expulsion, in the postwar era, of an ambassador.