Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Wong. The Australian public does not want to be dragged and into Trump and Netanyahu's illegal forever war—a war that has already seen thousands of civilians injured and killed, the world spiralling into economic chaos and even greater insecurity for the people of Iran and the region. Yet the Labor government has confirmed that we are now sending missiles and troops to the gulf, directly putting Australians in the line of fire. Is the deployment of these missiles, aircraft or personnel at the direct or indirect request of Donald Trump's administration? How, exactly, was this decision made?

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

Senator, I would invite you—I know that the Greens political party has a narrative about this. Unfortunately, the facts don't fit the narrative. I would really encourage you to look at what the Prime Minister and the defence minister and myself announced this morning.

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

Like the nuclear program, or that Iran was going to attack us first?

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

Senator Whish-Wilson, I'm not—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Maybe you should do better listening.

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

Order!

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

The first point I would make is that Iran is attacking countries who have not been part of striking Iran. I would make that point first. The United Arab Emirates and many of the other Gulf countries have not been taking part in the strikes on Iran, and they continue to do so. We also have Australians in the region. You speak of Australian lives. I've made clear we have 115,000 Australians in the region. A large cohort of those are in the United Arab Emirates, where there were 24,000 at the commencement of the conflict.

The capability we have announced today is defensive. It is to help Gulf countries protect themselves and their citizens, including Australian citizens who are there, from attack by Iran. We have made clear that we are prepared to take defensive action. These assets will operate according to Australian law, policy and directives. I again say what I have said previously: we are not taking offensive action against Iran and we will not be deploying Australian troops—

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on relevance. The question was, 'How did this decision to deploy our troops and assets get made?' The minister has not come to that part of the question at all.

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

There was also a preamble to the question, and the minister is being directly relevant to the question.

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

This is a government decision made through the appropriate government processes.

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

Senator Waters, first supplementary?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia keeps bowing to Trump's and Netanyahu's demands. In just over a week, the Labor government has gone from politically supporting this illegal war to refuelling US spy planes and now handing over missiles and troops. How can the government assert that these weapons will be used solely for defensive purposes when they will clearly free up US and Israeli weapons to make further offensive strikes in this illegal war?

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

This is a defensive capability which is in response to requests we have received from Gulf countries. I understand you want a black-and-white binary question on this war, and you're entitled to not support it; I appreciate that. But I think it is wrong to try and look at this as if this is a different decision to that which has been announced. What has been announced is a defensive capability responding to requests to protect Gulf countries from strikes against their citizens, including civilian infrastructure like airports, in locations where there are Australians. You might want to demonise that but it is wrong to suggest that this is not a capability about defending civilians. (Time expired)

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

Senator Waters, second supplementary?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Having now deployed Australians into the war zone, we've learned that the government is simultaneously shutting the door to all Iranians who have been approved to travel to Australia for things like weddings, funerals, business meetings or holidays. What justification does the government have for resourcing this war but then shutting the door on Iranian people suffering from that war?

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

I think you have seen, particularly in recent days, our view about the people of Iran and the brutality of the Iranian regime. I assume you're referring to the bill in Mr Burke's portfolio, and I'm sure Senator Watt can respond as to the rationale for that.

Senator, I answer a lot of questions. I'm very happy for Senator Watt to answer questions about the detail of this. I again say, in relation to the primary question, that the facts don't fit the narrative that the Greens have, and that's the truth.