Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's been just over one week since the US and Israel illegally bombed Iran. Let me tell you, the mission creep and the deception from this Albanese Labor government are frightening. The announcement today from the Albanese Labor government that we are sending military aircraft, surface and air-to-air missiles, and Australian Defence Force personnel to the Middle East is very concerning and yet more evidence that Australia is being dragged into another US forever war. Australians do not want to get dragged into Trump and Netanyahu's illegal war on Iran. To keep civilians safe—and that was the logic we heard from the Prime Minister this morning—we should be urging peace and diplomacy and a rules based order, not sending missiles, military aircraft and Defence Force personnel. Have we learnt nothing from history, from the mistakes of the past?

I remember when the Labor government opposed the invasion of Iraq. Like the Greens and millions of Australians, Labor back then knew it was a con. What have we have learnt from this conflict so far? In the last week there have been five different explanations for the illegal bombing of Iran, from removing a nuclear program that the International Atomic Energy Agency and US security forces said doesn't exist or the fact that Iran was going to attack us, which the Pentagon totally debunked three days ago, through to this and to that. Australians know it's a con. We know it's a lie and so do many other people around the world. That's why they are rightly anxious and concerned that we are committing ourselves, yet again, to another military conflict— (Time expired)