David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the proposed Australian military deployment to the Middle East as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice, standing in the name of Senator Waters, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving a motion to provide for the consideration of the matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the proposed Australian military deployment to the Middle East.

The motion that the Greens are bringing to this house—no doubt, it will be opposed by the three war parties: Labor, the coalition and One Nation—is:

That the Senate:

(a) notes that the Australian public rejects Labor's push to be part of another US-led forever war in the Middle East, which has already seen thousands of civilians injured and killed and the world spiralling into economic chaos and even greater insecurity; and

(b) calls on the Government to immediately end support for the US and Israeli war with Iran, withdraw all Australian troops from the US military, prohibit the US from using Australian-based military assets, and not send any Australian troops to the region to participate in this illegal war.

I know that there will be resistance to this. The government say that they desperately think that they should get onto the 'Transitional amendments No. 4 Defence veterans bill' or that some other thing is more urgent than this motion, but I can tell you now that the Australian public are watching in horror as Labor drags them into another US forever war. Labor is doing it with the support from the other two war parties in here—the coalition and One Nation. Between you, you've never seen a US war you didn't want to back in. You've never seen a demand from Donald Trump that you haven't wanted to bend over to grant—whenever he asks! If it's 2 am in the morning—whenever he asks!

We have, today, in just one week, seen how this war has escalated—the economic chaos and the killings. This war started in the first 24 hours with a US strike on a school that killed over 100 Iranian schoolgirls and their teachers. It was a devastating strike. We see Donald Trump spinning and lying and trying to pretend that it wasn't him—the disinformation campaign. A war that started with the US killing of schoolgirls has now expanded across the region. Millions of civilians, desperate about whether they will survive the next 24 hours—and the people of Iran, who were already fearful of their regime, are now fearful of the regime and the US and Israeli bombs and missiles that are also killing them.

What does our government do? Labor was the first government on the planet to rush out and support Donald Trump's illegal wars, and then Labor said it wouldn't send troops. What do we get today? After some messaging on the weekend, today we get the Prime Minister coming out and saying that not only will Australian troops be embedded throughout the US military, in nuclear submarines and others, but today we're sending military personnel into the region and an AEW&C RAAF plane. Missiles are being redirected, Australian troops are being put on the ground. Let's be clear what this is about. It's not about defending anyone. It's not about keeping the people of Iran safe. It's not about keeping the people of the United Arab Emirates safe. It's not about safety or defence. Every military asset we send into the region is designed to free up another US military asset to be used to kill people in Iran. That's what's happening here.

The Prime Minister came out today and said that he made these decisions. Let's be clear on where these decisions are made. They're made in Washington and they're operationalised in Canberra. As I understand it, the missiles being redirected from Australia wasn't even Australia's choice; it was United States telling the US weapons manufacturers that they had to redirect it, and the Australian government are pretending it was their decision. Every time we see this: Labor, the coalition and One Nation—the three war parties—asking Donald Trump what they can do next.

This war is spiralling into evermore economic chaos. Energy prices are rising. Economic markets are in chaos. Why did this happen? This happened because the world was silent again when the United States decided that international law and common rules of decency don't apply to them.

What was worse than silence from the Australian government was that they actively backed in this war. They now own the violence, the killing and the disruption that comes from it. Why on Earth are we sending Australian troops into the Middle East at this point? We get told that it's about defence. We get told that it's to protect the United Arab Emirates. Let us be clear this is not in Australia's national interest. Australia does not have an alliance with the United Arab Emirates. We don't have key trade arrangements with the United Arab Emirates. The only reason we're sending troops there is Washington has told us to—to free up US military assets to continue the US and Israel's illegal war against Iran. The doublespeak and hypocrisy that are coming from this government are obscene. I'm proud to be in the Greens, the only party standing up against the war parties in this chamber.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I say on behalf of the government that we completely reject your suggestions that we are a war party, Senator Shoebridge. We're a party of peace. There's no government that wants to see a more peaceful outcome in the Middle East than the Labor government under Anthony Albanese.

Senator Shoebridge, I was very respectful during the whole time you spoke. I didn't interrupt at all. I would request the same civility when I am speaking on this issue on behalf of the government. Can I suggest, Senator Shoebridge, that you go back and have a look at the 1930s and what happens when appeasers succeed and you don't reject regimes like the regime in Iran right now. On a day when five very brave young Iranian women stood up to their government and decided to seek asylum in Australia—

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And you're slamming the door on the rest of them.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I listened to Senator Shoebridge in silence, and I would seek the same respect.

Iran's reprisal attacks continue to escalate. Already, the scale and the depth are not what we have seen before. Twelve countries in the region have now been targeted. The UAE—which recently, Senator Shoebridge, contrary to what you said in your contribution, signed a free trade agreement with Australia—have been forced to shoot down 1,500 rockets and drones. It's a growing wave of dangerous and destabilising attacks from Iran that puts civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives. There's something like 24,000 Australian citizens who live in the United Arab Emirates.

In response to a request from our friends in the UAE, Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail to the gulf to help protect and defend Australians and other civilians. Australians will remember that these E-7A Wedgetails were recently deployed in Europe as part of our assistance to the Ukraine. As it did there, the Wedgetail will provide long-range reconnaissance capabilities, which will secure the airspace above the gulf. These are entirely defensive actions, Senator Shoebridge. A number of ADF personnel will be deployed for an initial four weeks in support of the collective self-defence of the gulf nations. Additionally, in response to a request, the Albanese government intends to provide advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE so they can defend themselves and shoot down these rockets and drones that are being aimed at them by the Iranian government.

The Albanese government has been clear that we are not taking offensive action against Iran, and been clear that we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran. On that basis, I move:

That the question be now put.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Minister Farrell be agreed to.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now is that the motion moved by Senator Shoebridge to suspend standing orders be agreed to.