Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The conflict in the Middle East continues, with Iran's reprisal attacks now targeting 12 countries. This continues to cause economic and travel disruption for many nations and people all around the world. Could the minister, please, provide an update to the Senate on the conflict and how the Albanese government is responding to the conflict?

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

Thank you, Senator Ciccone, for the question. The Albanese government's No. 1 priority is, and will always be, to keep Australians safe at home and abroad. This has been a difficult time for Australians in the Middle East. Iran has attacked 12 countries, and we have seen overnight that these attacks are escalating. In recent days, Dubai airport itself has been under fire from Iranian missiles and drones and, since 28 February, more than 27,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled.

I am pleased that, as of this morning, some 2,600 Australians have returned on 18 commercial flights, and further services are scheduled in coming days. We know commercial airlines remain the fastest way to help Australians leave the Middle East at scale. I am also advised by airports and airlines that the overwhelming majority of Australian passengers stranded while transiting through the Middle East have now left. However, there are many more Australians still in the region. With the airport closed in Kuwait, we have arranged bus transportation to Riyadh. Two of those buses arrived this morning, allowing Australians to continue their journey from there on commercial lights. Similarly for Australians in Bahrain, DFAT officials are working with our partners on arranging bus transport to Riyadh in coming days.

We know getting on buses and planes is a very difficult decision for Australians living in the region, but I would again make the statement that the Prime Minister and I made this morning: we encourage those who wish to leave to do so now, while commercial flights, however limited, remain available. The DFAT crisis centre remains activated. The registration portal is open for Australians in Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon and the UAE. We continue to advise: do not travel to most destinations in the Middle East.

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

Senator Ciccone, first supplementary?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, as you say, the government's No. 1 priority is to keep Australians safe. Could you please provide an update on the Albanese government's ongoing efforts to protect Australians in the region?

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

This growing wave of dangerous and destabilising attacks from Iran puts civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives. In response to requests, Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail to the Gulf, to help protect and defend Australians and other civilians, for an initial four weeks and provide advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE. The E-7A Wedgetail can provide long-range reconnaissance capability to help secure air space, as it recently did as part of our assistance to Ukraine.

The Senate will also be aware that the government does not usually disclose specific information regarding Australian personnel on defence operations, for operational and security reasons. However, on 6 March the NSC met and the Prime Minister determined it was in the public interest to disclose that three Australian personnel were present on the US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka on 5 March. We are clear today that Australia is not taking offensive action against Iran and we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran.

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

Senator Ciccone, second supplementary?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the Prime Minister and you, Minister Wong, have said since the beginning of this conflict, disruptions could go on for some time. What is the government doing to support Australia's interest during this conflict?

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

Thank you, Senator Ciccone. You know that our focus has been to do all we can to keep Australians safe and secure at this time—deploying consular teams, providing options to get Australians to safety and ensuring we have fuel reserves. I again return to what I was asked in the first question of question time, which is to say: it is disappointing that the opposition has sought to play partisan politics with so many aspects of this crisis. I note they have belatedly now backed in the government. We saw Senator Paterson pretty flat-footed when he demanded on Thursday that Australia should send aircraft to the Middle East, on the same day that I had announced that Australia had already deployed military assets as part of our contingency.

No. Look at the time of your tweet. You just got it wrong, mate. The shadow foreign minister has either deliberately misled the public about travel advice or has exposed that he does not understand how it works, and the shadow's shadow, Senator Sharma, suggested repatriating Australians via Cyprus, which has been under drone attack.