Varun Ghosh (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to order, the Senate will now proceed to statements by senators concerning the current conflict in the Middle East. The total time limit for this debate is one hour, and it's five minutes per speaker.

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

Every day in the Senate for the past sitting week, I have risen to speak on the current conflict in the Middle East and to update on the ongoing hostilities, the situation for Australians in the region and the efforts taken by the government to keep Australians safe in the region and secure at home.

The first priority of the Albanese government is to keep Australians safe. When the initial strikes were conducted by the United States and Israel on Iran, the question we in the government asked ourselves was, 'How do we best protect Australians? How do we best keep Australians safe?' and the judgement the government made was that it was in Australia's interests for Iran not to be able to obtain a nuclear weapon and for Iran to be prevented from continuing to disrupt international peace and security. I've said we are not in a position to determine the legal basis of the decision that the US and Israel have made. What we can do is make a judgement about what is in our national interest and what we support in order to keep Australians safe. We've supported action aimed at preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and from continuing to threaten international peace and security. We have also said that the principles of the Geneva conventions on international humanitarian law continue to apply in this current conflict.

Iran has flouted international law for decades, and the international system has not been able to hold Iran to account and to take appropriate action. We see this now, as Iran attacks 12 countries in its region and continues to threaten international peace and security. This follows decades of Iran sponsoring terrorism in the region. Iran has killed countless people in the region with impunity. Iran has consistently failed to comply with its international obligations in relation to nonproliferation and nuclear safeguards, and we will never forget that Iran chose to conduct antisemitic terrorist attacks here in Australia, on Australian soil.

Colleagues, Iran's reprisal attacks continue at a scale and depth we have not seen before. We have seen multiple countries in the region, which have not been attacking Iran, being attacked by Iran. The UAE alone has been forced to shoot down more than 1,700 Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles and drone attacks. We have seen Gulf countries throughout the region consistently attacked. I have had the opportunity to speak to my counterparts in Gulf countries over the period since the war began, and all are dealing with persistent Iranian attacks in civilian areas and on civilian targets. I'll repeat that—in civilian areas and on civilian targets. These dangerous and destabilising attacks put civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives. As the chamber would have heard me say, we have approximately 115,000 Australians in the region.

The government has made the decision to take defensive action to support our partners' efforts to keep Australians safe, deploying a E-7A Wedgetail to the Gulf and providing advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE to help protect and defend Australians and other citizens. These deployed assets will operate according to Australian law and policy and Australian directives. We will also notify the UN Security Council of relevant actions taken under article 51 of the charter. Our government has been clear: we are not taking offensive action against Iran and we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran.

We are also working around the clock to support Australians to safety. More than 27,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled since 28 February, and there were an estimated 4.4 million airline seats removed from schedules. I'm pleased that, as of this morning, more than 3,200 Australians have returned, on 23 flights, and further services are scheduled in coming days. We've worked around the clock to support Australians in the region, through the 24-hour crisis portal and through deploying crisis response teams to the region, and we have worked with partners to offer bus routes to Australians in Kuwait and Bahrain. I've been advised by airports and airlines that the overwhelming majority of stranded Australian passengers have now left, but there are many more who are still in the Middle East. We would encourage those who do wish to leave to do so now, whilst commercial flights, however limited, remain available.

Finally, one heartwarming moment through this conflict has been the moving way in which Australians have taken the Iranian women's football team into their hearts. Some of players will make Australia their home. This is a beautiful thing. Australia continues to stand with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the coalition—Australians are watching the conflict in the Middle East with deep concern, but Australians also instinctively have a clear-eyed understanding of what is at stake, not just for the region but for the international order and for our own national interests here at home. What we are witnessing is not simply another episode in a long-running regional dispute. It reflects a deeper strategic reality that the world can no longer ignore.

For decades, the Iranian regime has pursued a deliberate strategy of destabilisation across the Middle East. It has funded, armed and directed proxy forces—Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. It has invested heavily in missile programs. It has pursued nuclear capabilities in defiance of the international community. Iran's strategy has been to wage indirect conflict through militant proxies while seeking to shield itself from direct accountability. That is why the current crisis must be understood in its full strategic context. It forms part of a broader contest, increasingly shaping the international system between authoritarian regimes and democratic nations. That matters to Australia. Our security and prosperity depend on a stable international system and on our own secure sea lanes, functioning energy markets and the rule of law between nations.

I want to be direct about the Iranian regime. The barbaric and brutal regime in Tehran is authoritarian, antisemitic and abhorrent. Since 1979, it has oppressed, imprisoned and murdered countless numbers of its own citizens. It has been responsible for acts of foreign interference here in Australia, including inciting antisemitism and organising at least two acts of terror here on our shores. No freedom-loving person will be shedding tears over the death of the ayatollah. The confirmation of the death of the supreme leader Ali Khamanei was welcome news not just for the people of Iran but for the world. His death is a great setback for tyranny and a leap forward for the cause of freedom. For the first time in almost five decades, the Iranian people have a real chance to secure the freedom they have long desired and that we here in Australia are lucky enough to experience day by day. We pray for the Iranian people at this time—that they be given the courage and the safety to build a better future. The opportunity, of course, has been made possible by the decisiveness and moral fortitude of the United States and of Israel and the combined military strength and bravery of their defence forces. The coalition salutes them.

Israel, like every nation, has the right to defend itself against those who seek its destruction. No democratic nation can be expected to tolerate persistent threats to its citizens or to its existence, and the coalition stands firmly in support of Israel's right to defend itself. But, sadly, there have been some failures by the Albanese government, least of all in terms of the 115,000 Australians in the Middle East—many of them anxious and desperate to return home—and, in a crisis like this, every minute counts. Sadly, this government's response has been marked by confusion, delay and poor communication. On top of that, Labor must explain to the Senate and to the Australian people why Australians travelling to the Middle East were not properly advised of the dangers at the same time as our own officials were evacuated out of the region.

Of course, the consequences of this conflict are also being felt directly by Australians here at the bowser and in their businesses. Again, when confronted with this reality, the Australian government makes excuses. Their response has been to blame the customers. They are in complete denial, they are not on top of the domestic reality, and they do not understand the supply shortages, and, sadly, Australians are paying the price. But, ultimately, Australia stands for democracy and freedom. We stand for the rule of law. This is a critical moment for democracies and countries committed to the cause of freedom.

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

():  I rise to contribute to this discussion and debate today on behalf of the millions of Australians who are extremely concerned about the war that this government has dragged our country into.

Let's have a think about some facts. What do we know? We know that this illegal war, of the United States and Israel, has already seen bombing of schools and the killing of innocent civilians. We know that it is chaotic. We know that this war is killing the most vulnerable. We know that wars create refugees. We know that the death toll is already well over 1,300. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced, with the destruction of homes, schools and hospitals. We know that the war has already spread beyond the borders of Iran into other parts of the Middle East, and we know that Australia is now at war. Australia has sent a warplane with missiles and dozens of personnel. It doesn't matter how the Albanese government tries to spin this, to sugar-coat this. Australia is now at war, dragged there by Donald Trump.

Let me be clear. The Iranian regime is brutal. It has inflicted harm and suffering on its own people for decades, and I do not mourn the horror that has come on their tyrant leaders. But I do mourn for the innocent civilians, the people of Iran, who have the right not just to be free from their brutal regime but free from bombs, further chaos and violence. Australians do not want us in this war. And we shouldn't be.

In 2003 Anthony Albanese, before he was prime minister, criticised Australia joining the war in Iraq, an illegal war that breached international rules and was seeing terror, horror and violence rain down on innocent civilians. The Prime Minister, at that time, was clear that there was something perverse about arguing that the cause of democracy is advanced through weapons of mass destruction. Now Anthony Albanese is the country's prime minister, and he is doing exactly the same thing. So the question I have is was the Prime Minister fudging it in 2003, or is he fudging it now?

War is serious. This is about life and death, democracy, the rule of law and the world we want to live in. If Australia is going to follow Donald Trump into this bloody, chaotic, dangerous conflict—as this Labor government is now making us do—then the least the Prime Minister and the government could do is be honest with the Australian people about what is going on. Yes, we are at war. And we shouldn't be. Australians don't want to be. If you're going to take our troops, if you're going to send warplanes, if you're going to give words of condolence to those who are suffering and if you're going to slam the door shut on refugees, at least have the guts to tell the Australian people the truth. And the truth is Donald Trump has asked us to jump, and the Prime Minister has asked, 'How high?'

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The conflict in the Middle East has entered a dangerous and deeply concerning phase. Iran's reprisal attacks continue to escalate in both scale and reach. And now we see 12 countries in the region being targeted by missile and drone strikes. This is not abstract geopolitics. This is a direct threat to civilian life, to regional stability and to Australian citizens abroad. The United Arab Emirates alone has shot down more than 1,500 rockets and drones in recent days. Among those at risk are thousands of Australians who live and work in the Gulf. There are around 115,000 Australians currently in the Middle East, including approximately 24,000 in the UAE. Their safety is the first priority of the Albanese government.

In response to requests from our Gulf partners, the government has decided to deploy an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft with Australian Defence Force personnel to the region for an initial four-week period. Having recently supported Ukraine with advance radar and reconnaissance capability, the Wedgetail will help secure Gulf airspace, strengthen early warning systems and protect civilians from incoming threats.

Australia is not taking offensive action against Iran, and we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran. I'll repeat that for those who are unclear or who want to put a whole bunch of misinformation about Australia's role in this conflict: we are not taking offensive action against Iran and we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran. As is our longstanding practice, deployed ADF assets will operate in accordance with Australian law, policy and directives, and the government will notify the United Nations Security Council of relevant actions taken under article 51 of the UN Charter.

Our diplomatic and consular efforts are moving with equal urgency, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade activating its crisis centre and deploying response teams to the region. More than 2,600 Australians have returned home, though challenges persist as commercial flights are disrupted and airspace closures continue to evolve. We continue to advise Australians to not travel to the region and those already there to leave as soon as it's safe to do so.

In that same context we cannot overlook the women and children who remain stranded in parts of Syria as a result of travelling into a region consumed by conflict. Their circumstances stand as a sobering reminder of how quickly individuals can become trapped in perilous environments when wars escalate or extremist ideologies take hold. It is a tragedy that anyone should find themselves caught between remnants of such violence and instability. The government continues to approach these matters with discipline and resolve, guided by compassion where it is warranted but uncompromising in its commitment to Australia's safety and national security.

Our response in this parliament must be marked by three qualities: courage to stand with partners in defence of civilians, international peace and security; kindness to support Australians and others whose lives have been upended by this conflict; and stoicism to act calmly and deliberately, refusing to be driven by fear or partisan pointscoring at a moment of genuine peril. Australia's role is not to inflame this conflict but to help contain it, to protect Australian lives and to uphold our commitment to the safety and dignity of all people. That is and will remain the first duty of this government.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ever since the revolution in 1979 the Islamic Republic of Iran and the ayatollahs who run it have been at war. They have been at war with their own people, they have been at war with their neighbours in the region and they have been at war with Western democracies. In the 47 years since there have been many breaches of international law and convention by the Iranian regime, and the international community and international institutions like the United Nations have failed to hold them to account for their behaviour. It is long past overdue that the international community take decisive action to address these breaches of international law and these destabilising actions of the Iranian regime. That's why the coalition is unambiguous in its support for the actions taken by our friends and allies the United States and Israel against the Iranian regime.

Iran have struck Australia. They have sponsored terror acts on our own soil against our own citizens. They've interfered with our democracy. They have intimidated the Iranian Australian diaspora and sought to weaponise antisemitism to divide our country and terrorise the Jewish community.

Iran has sought and continues to seek nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of international law and conventions and resolutions of the United Nations. It is the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism. It sponsors terror proxies and directs their activities, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and others. It does so both overtly and covertly against its rivals in the region, and it has done so for most of its 47 years.

It has obviously repressed its own people in the most brutal and devastating fashion. Tens of thousands alone in the last few months were murdered for peacefully protesting against the regime. In recent years the repression against women in Iran for failing to live up to the religious dictates of the regime has been particularly brutal, most devastatingly demonstrated by the murder of Mahsa Amini and most courageously demonstrated by the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement that was stood up by the Iranian people in response to that.

Even now, Iran continues to indiscriminately attack its neighbours who are not parties to the conflict. At the most recent media reporting, 12 non-participant regional neighbours of Iran have been struck by Iranian missiles and drones.

While Australia is not a direct party to this conflict, we should be unambiguous in our support for the actions of the United States and Israel against Iran, and it is entirely appropriate that the Australian government has now provided defensive ADF capabilities to assist our friends and partners in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, to deal with these attacks from Iran. We do so for three reasons. The first is that gulf states like the UAE are friends, and when friends ask you for help you should provide that help. The UAE has provided a base for Australian operations in the Middle East, at Al Minhad, for decades. When they ask us for help we should do so. The second reason is that it is in our interests. It's in our interest that the waterways in the gulf, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, are reopened to international shipping traffic so that oil can resume its flow and prices can come down, which will have benefits for the Australian economy and the global economy. Finally, it's because we will learn very important lessons from this deployment.

Ukraine has demonstrated and Iran reminds us that we are in an age of missiles and drones. Antidrone and antimissile warfare is an area in which the ADF has much to learn. It is, as we've been warned by Sir Angus Houston and others, not inconceivable that we have conflict in our own region in the near future, and we have a lot of work to do to learn how to combat this modern form of warfare. The deployment of an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to the region to help interdict these missiles and drones against non-participant gulf states is an important and valuable learning opportunity.

Australia must always stand up for its values. We must always stand up for our friends. This one is not a difficult one. The Iranian regime is no friend of the Iranian people; it's no friend of Australia. If this is the end of it, we will be the better for it.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government has taken this country to war. They deny this fact, but legal experts have clearly said that the military assets and personnel Albanese has sent to the Middle East mean we're at war. This government is now an active perpetrator in the tragedy unfolding before our eyes in the Middle East and Persia. Albanese did not hesitate to join this aggressive, illegal war being waged by the US and Israel where families, children and innocent civilians are paying the price.

Once again the US, Israel and the Albanese government are showing that they have no regard for international law, basic human rights or the lives of innocent people. The fact that strikes were intentionally initiated during Ramadan is a further violation. This military aggression is pushing the region toward a point of no return, likely destabilising it for many years to come.

Within the first hours of these strikes, hundreds of schoolchildren were reportedly killed when their school was bombed. Now an entire population is living under constant fear as they dodge bombs and rocket fire. History will remember that this escalation did not begin with an intention to defend civilians from the regime. That is just an excuse used to mask the imperialist intentions of the attackers. It began with decisions made in war rooms and government offices, far away from the homes that now burn. The people of Iran and of the many Arab nations in the region are now being subjected to the brutal violence and colonial logic of the US, Israel and this very Labor government.

This violence and logic is something First Peoples of this land know well. Dispossession, the destruction of country and culture, and the uprooting of kin are painful realities for us. When we watch other peoples struggle for their land, identity and self-determination under overwhelming military power, we do not see a distant geopolitical dispute; we see echoes of the history that shaped this country. We share that pain. Today, the Middle East stands on the edge of something impossibly frightening: a widening war that could consume nations and generations. There is still a choice before humanity. Either we continue down this road of aggression and violence or we finally recognise that every bomb dropped today is a seed for tomorrow's suffering. The victims deserve truth, and they deserve peace.

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

The story of Iran is not the story of its regime; it is the story of a proud civilisation whose people have endured repression, intimidation and violence for far too long. For years, we have watched Iranian citizens—students, workers, women and young people—risk everything to demand dignity, democracy and the rule of law. Thousands have paid for that courage with imprisonment, thousands more with their lives, and yet their voices have not been silenced.

Here in Australia, members of the Iranian diaspora, many of whom fled persecution themselves, continue to speak for those who cannot safely speak at home. They remind us that the Iranian people are not defined by the Islamic regime that rules them; they are defined by their resilience and their aspirations for freedom. Australia should always be clear about where we stand because we stand with the Iranian people. We stand with those who demand a democracy, and we stand with those who believe that the future of Iran should be determined by the free will of its citizens, not by repression and fear. But, sadly, not everyone participating in this debate seems particularly interested in the Iranian people.

Instead, this week and last, we have seen a very familiar performance by the Australian Greens. Once again, the Greens have rushed to twist this very complex international crisis into yet another argument against AUKUS, against the United States and against the state of Israel. Every global crisis becomes another excuse to attack Australia's alliances, allies and friends. Every conflict becomes another opportunity to rehearse the Greens's ideological hostility towards the United States and Israel, and every piece of misinformation is deployed in service of a conclusion that they have already reached before the facts are even known.

For the Australian Greens, every crisis overseas is just an excuse to attack Australia at home, and what is striking is not just what the Greens say; it is what they leave out. They speak loudly about the actions of democratic nations, but they remain remarkably quiet about the conduct of the Islamic regime in Iran itself—a regime that has jailed protesters, suppresses women's rights and violently represses its own people. They are quick to criticise Australia's friends and allies but strangely reluctant to confront the authoritarian regime that the Iranian people themselves have been protesting against.

I have also heard directly from members of Australia's Iranian diaspora, particularly from my home state of Victoria, through emails, phone calls and even online. Many of them are angry. They are angry because they see politicians in this country—in this Senate—particularly the Australian Greens, speaking as if the central issue in this story is Australia's alliances rather than the regime in Tehran that has oppressed their people for decades. These are Australians who have fled that regime. They know its brutality. Many still have family living under its rule. When people who have fled authoritarian rule tell us that we are getting the moral balance wrong, we should probably listen. But, while the Iranian people risk their lives for freedom, the Greens seem determined to use their struggle as a prop in a completely different argument—an argument against Australia's alliances and our security.

It is worth noting something else about the current state of the Greens' politics. Since the government recognised Palestinian statehood, the Greens have lost their campaign that once defined their politics. What we are now seeing is a party desperately searching for the next issue that allows them to attack federal Labor. The problem for the Greens is simple: when your politics depend on a permanent outrage, the moment one campaign ends, you have to go looking for the next one. But Australia's national security should never be reduced to a prop in someone else's ideological campaign, because our alliances are not about subservience. They are about sovereignty and shared values.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just over seven months ago, protesters took to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At the front of that protest phalanx, a photo of the now deceased Iranian dictator was held aloft. That moment was revolting and revealing—a recognition that the worshippers of dictators and despots walk among us. In discussing the current conflict in the Middle East, one thing is needed above all else: moral clarity—a moral clarity that dispels any idolisation of the Iranian regime. For 47 years, Iranians have lived in fear under the ayatollahs. The Iranian regime has oppressed its people. It relegated women to second-class citizenship. It criminalised homosexuality, making it punishable by death. It tortured and hanged from cranes anyone who spoke out against the regime.

For 47 years, the ayatollahs have been a menacing and malevolent presence in the world. The Iranian regime has sought to wipe the State of Israel off the map. It has supported terrorism through its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, including their own role in the barbaric attacks on Israel on October 7. It has provided weapons to Russia to aid in Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it has long desired nuclear weapons, it has used its ballistic missiles to attack other countries, and it has supported terrorist attacks on our own soil and spread antisemitism. The Iranian regime is one of the most evil regimes to have existed. It's an enemy of its people. It's an enemy of freedom. It's an enemy of civilisation. Anyone with moral clarity would welcome the fall of this odious regime. Anyone with moral clarity would hope that the Iranian people can achieve the freedom they desire. Anyone with moral clarity would thank the United States and Israel for giving the Iranian people this opportunity.

But, in the context of this war, the Labor Party is afflicted by moral confusion. The Minister for Foreign Affairs repeats her usual calls for dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation. I wonder how the Iranian people feel about dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation while the regime that has tormented them for 47 years remains intact. I wonder what Israelis feel about dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation as they huddle in bomb shelters. In agreeing to provide air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates, the Minister for Defence said, with a straight face, that these missiles were 'defensive weapons'. This is the same minister who was at pains to point out that Australian businesses only build the parts of our F-35s that are 'nonlethal'. Behind this slippery and spineless language from Labor is a supine government that lacks the moral courage to commit to our allies. Why? Because Labor is making foreign policy decisions to indulge in a domestic audience yet again. This government's foreign policy isn't driven by virtue; it's driven by votes.

If the Labor Party is morally confused about standing with our allies in the Middle East, then the Greens are morally inverted. The Greens call this war a crime but turn a blind eye to the crimes of the ayatollahs and Hamas. The Greens condemned the bombing of a girls school yet said nothing about the torture, rape, mutilation and murder of Jewish women on October 7. The Greens criticised the US and Israel but offer absolutely no criticism of the real tyrants and terrorists. In times that demand moral clarity and standing on the side of civilisation, a morally confused Labor Party sits on the sidelines and a morally inverted Greens party sides with our enemies.

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

I listened carefully to Foreign Minister Wong's justification for Labor's support for this illegal war by the United States and Israel. It was a masterclass in doublespeak and hypocrisy. Foreign Minister Wong commenced by saying that the first priority of the Australian government is to keep Australians safe. Well, isn't it remarkable that Labor has not once mentioned the tens of thousands of Australians in Lebanon right now who are seeing a barrage of Israeli bombs and missiles destroying neighbourhoods, killing hundreds and driving 700,000 Lebanese into homelessness? There has not been one word from Labor about those Australians. Apparently, those Australians aren't an obligation of Labor to keep safe.

We heard Foreign Minister Wong say:

We've supported action aimed at preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Well, not one credible expert has said that Iran was anywhere near getting nuclear weapons, and Labor's great mate Donald Trump said only weeks ago that he'd obliterated Iran's nuclear weapons program. Why the silence from Labor, the coalition and One Nation—the three war parties—on Israel's nearly 200 illegal nuclear weapons? Why won't Labor sign the treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons? It's hypocrisy that we get from Labor. I heard Minister Wong say:

Our government has been clear: we are not taking offensive action against Iran.

Again, Australians see through this deception. Labor is dragging us into this war based on deception and lies.

Just look at the AWACS aircraft that we're sending into the war zone—a rare asset in a war zone that is overwhelmingly an air war zone. When Australia sends the AWACS aircraft in, it frees up other US military assets to be used in their illegal war against Iran. Yes, the AWACS aircraft picks up incoming missiles. It can direct outgoing weaponry and missiles. It picks up where the missiles originated from, and it will be sending that targeting information to the United States as part of their illegal war. You also see Australian troops embedded in US nuclear submarines that are sinking Iranian vessels on the high seas—and hundreds more throughout the US military, Pine Gap and North West Cape. Labor, AUKUS and the war parties have dragged us right into the centre of this illegal war, and no-one buys anything different.

We then had Foreign Minister Wong say one heartwarming moment in this conflict was the moving way Australians have taken the Iranian football team into their hearts. Yes, Australians do have warm and open hearts and, yes, Australians want to see our government protect Iranians—Iranian women and others. But, on the very same day that Labor reached out to protect a handful of brave Iranian football players, they shut the door to 7,200 other Iranians that have passports to come to Australia for business and tourism. Why did they shut the door to those 7,200 Iranians with another piece of ugly legislation? Because they didn't want any other Iranians to have the opportunity that the Iranian women's football team had. They've given asylum to five, and they shut the doors to thousands more. Labor back this illegal war. They back this obscene war which is creating the refugees, which is driving people to seek asylum, and in the same breath they shut the gate. The hypocrisy is obscene.

Labor say—Senator Wong says—Australia continues to stand with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression. Do you know what Labor are supporting? Labor are supporting a US missile strike on an Iranian girls school that killed over a hundred schoolgirls in the first few hours of this. Labor say nothing about Donald Trump's lies about it—Donald Trump's latest lie that the Iranians stole a US Tomahawk missile and fired it at the school themselves. They say nothing about Donald Trump's lies, nothing about the schoolkids and nothing about the reign of fear that is all across Iran. The Greens have condemned the Iranian regime and the violence of the Iranian regime, but we condemn the illegal violence of Israel and the US too.

Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The current conflict in the Middle East has brought into sharp focus a truth that many free nations have too often been reluctant to state with sufficient clarity. The regime in Tehran is not a misunderstood regional actor. It is a dictatorship. It is authoritarian, antisemitic and deeply repressive. For decades, it has brutalised its own people, armed terrorist proxies, spread instability across the region and directed hostility not only towards Israel and the United States but towards the values of liberal democracy itself. It has backed Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; pursued military strength beyond its borders; and supported Russia's war machine in the Ukraine. It has also been linked to hostile activity and interference well beyond the Middle East, including two acts of terror right here in Australia.

When Australians consider this conflict, we should begin with moral seriousness. The Iranian people are not the regime; they are its first victims. Brave men and women in Iran have lived under censorship, intimidation, imprisonment, death and violence. This conflict has demonstrated that the global order is forever changed and that the constant appeasement, tolerance and befriending of terrorists is finally over. That is why one of the most powerful images of this conflict has not come from the battlefield; it has come from young Iranian women right here on our own soil. During the Women's Asian Cup in Australia, members of the Iranian women's football team refused to sing the regime's anthem, and they were denounced as wartime traitors on Iranian state television. Some have now sought refuge and protection in Australia because to return home would be certain death. That fact alone tells us everything we need to know about the nature of the regime they were fleeing. The images of one of the players being pulled by a teammate to get onto a bus to go to the airport I found personally heartbreaking and a stark reminder of what she is to return to.

Australians noticed something else. In a free country, one of the first acts of some of these women escaping the grip of that regime was to cast aside the compulsory symbols of their oppression. That was a profound statement about agency, dignity and freedom. When women are finally safe, they do not reach instinctively for a hijab; they reach for liberty. Those in this country who are forever eager to excuse, sanitise or relativise the oppression of women under Islamist authoritarianism should reflect on that. Those who speak fluently about women's rights at home but grow strangely hesitant when confronted with the misogyny of the Iranian regime should reflect on that too. And those who reduce compulsory veiling to a matter of neutral personal expression without acknowledging the force and fear that stand behind it in places like Iran should listen more carefully to the women who have risked everything to escape it.

Australia's duty in this crisis is to the safety of Australians, and there are around 115,000 Australians in the broader Middle East. Labor's delay, confusion and mixed messaging are not minor administrative failures; they carry real consequences for frightened people and their families, and the families should have been notified earlier. Australia should stand by partners who stand by us, and Israel has a right to defend itself. We should support defensive actions in the Middle East that stabilise, secure airspace and secure maritime routes. This is in our national interest. The deployment of Australian capabilities to assist in that task reflects a simple principle that we will stand with our democratic allies, but we need to learn how we can combat modern warfare—missiles and drones—and we need to make sure that we arm our defence forces with the modern tools of war.

Evil regimes should be named plainly, and democratic nations like ours should not lose their nerve. The cause of freedom is only advanced by defending our values, the rule of law and Western democracy. As Australians, we should never forget that the fights for the freedoms we have were also hard fought.

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is unfolding in the Middle East is complex, dangerous and deeply uncertain. But amid that complexity one thing should remain clear: the lives of innocent civilians must always come first. In the lead-up to the crisis, we saw a brutal crackdown by the Iranian regime on protesters demanding basic freedoms. Thousands took to the streets, and many were killed. Communications blackouts followed, leaving families around the world desperately trying to understand what was happening to their loved ones.

For Iranian Australians, including many here in Canberra, the uncertainty has been agonising. It was in this context that many in the Australian Iranian community reached out with a sense of relief about the death of the former ayatollah Ali Khamenei after US and Israeli strikes. We need to be clear this was the death of a terrible leader who was responsible for the deaths of huge numbers of innocent civilians—tens of thousands of Iranians. At the same time, many Australians hold concerns about the legality of the military action by the US and Israel and about Australia's response, deep uncertainty about what comes next, fears of escalation and concerns for family and friends across the region. My sense is that many Australians want to see civilians protected but are concerned that our country will be drawn into another long-running offensive war in the region.

It's important for me to understand the views of the community I represent here in the ACT, so I'm running a short community survey to ensure I can best represent the views of Canberrans on this difficult issue. So far the responses show real concerns about Australia being drawn into an ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Many Australians both acknowledge the complexity of global geopolitics at the moment—the heightened tension—and are concerned about the perceived lack of sovereignty and the subservience to the US, particularly at a time when we have a president like President Trump in charge in the United States of America. One constituent told me, 'We should not support the US in its aggressive campaign.' Many have echoed this thinking, with another saying, 'Australia needs to ensure we are not drawn into actively supporting US aggression.' Others urge further collaboration and working within international rules based order—'Australia should act through the United Nations.' For a country like Australia, a middle power, international law and the rules based order matter. They are the foundations of the stability that has underpinned decades of relative peace.

In this context, I am concerned about reports that Australia is edging further into this war. This morning, the government refused to say if the wedgetail plane that has been sent to the region can protect itself or will require protection. At moments like this, democratic oversight really matters. Members of the crossbench, who are a significant and growing part of this parliament, are excluded from the key defence and national security committees. That means parliamentary scrutiny of these decisions is limited at precisely the moment that it matters most. Australians expect our parliament to do this, starting with crossbench representation on committees like the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence. Above all, we must never lose sight of the devastating human cost of war. Reports, including those of the deaths of young female students after a school was struck by attacks from the United States and Israel, are particularly troubling, and they do deserve scrutiny. They deserve the attention of our leaders.

My thoughts are with those in Iran, with Australians who have family and friends across the region and with those currently stranded in gulf states, and my thoughts are also with the Australian service men and women deployed to the region. We may not agree with the deployment, but we thank you for your service. Every one of us in this chamber hopes you return home safely.

I would also like to say that I think this is a time to be reaching out to veterans in the community and checking in on them. This will be an incredibly difficult time for many in that community. They have seen this happen before, and they know the potential consequences.

Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A few days ago, I spoke about the ongoing military intervention in Iran by the Israeli and American forces, and I'm proud to speak on this critical issue again. These brave men and women are helping freedom-loving Iranians realise their aspirations for democracy and liberty. I am hopeful and I pray for their absolute victory.

There are those in this place who would talk down on these attempts at freedom. There are those that admonish those seeking to free their fellow men and women from servitude, from imprisonment and from subjugation. They speak in naivety that, somehow, the brave Persian populace of Iran will be freed by the force of goodwill alone. I am not one of them. The coalition is not one of them. The coalition will protect Australia's way of life and will defend freedom and democracy when it must. Difficult decisions must be made, and the Persian Iranian people are realising their freedom. Unfortunate but necessary force is being used to remove evil tyrants from their places of power. This liberty has been hardwon, and many more hardfought victories must happen before this freedom can be realised. But I am optimistic, as are many Persian Australians right now, that now is the time for the reckoning of the Iranian regime and the liberation of Persia and Iran. The Greens political party and the Labor Left faction would have Iranian people still in chains with only good thoughts to save them. That is not moral clarity. That is not in the interests of Persian Australians, and that is not in the interest of people who fight and love democracy.

The Iranian regime has consistently threatened Israel with destruction by nuclear weapons and has held an unwavering goal of acquiring these weapons. The UN nuclear watchdog has warned of Iran's hidden nuclear weapons program. The Islamic republic has also murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens for protesting just in recent weeks and condemned thousands more to execution. Let me just illustrate this and how brutal this regime is for you. When a woman is convicted with a death sentence, she is raped by an appointee of the Islamic courts of Iran so that she cannot enter heaven, according to their religion. That is the regime that we are up against.

I want to honour the Iranian soccer team. Those women have made some pretty big and brave decisions this week. The scenes have been extraordinary, and I know how difficult those decisions are, given the potential impact on their family at home. They've had to say goodbye to their brothers and sisters, their parents and their nanna and grandad. It's a very big decision, and I recognise the bravery that it took.

It is abhorrent that there are senators in this place who would say that the Iranian government should not be removed from power. To that end, I welcome the deployment of the brave men and women of the Royal Australian Air Force to the United Arab Emirates to expedite the destruction of the Iranian regime. The deployment of the Australian Defence Force to combat is the gravest decision that a prime minister can make, and that decision was made by Prime Minister Albanese yesterday, with bipartisan support from the parties of government.

Make no mistake: the E-7A Wedgetail, currently collecting intelligence in the Persian Gulf, is in harm's way. While the government states that this is a defence operation, that aircraft and aircrew are now targets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It will be collecting intelligence on Iranian missiles, radars, communications and aircraft. The signals intelligence of the Defence Force is envied throughout the world, and I am proud of the contribution of our expert war fighters in delivering security in the Middle East.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia and Australian troops should not be involved in this illegal war in Iran. This is a war that has been started by a genocidal maniac who, against international law, has overseen the genocide of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza for the last two years, through bombs and starvation, targeting hospitals, schools and civilians. It's a war that has also been started by a deluded, fascist president in the United States—a president who has sent teams of ICE agents out onto the streets to kidnap his own citizens and illegally detain them, a president who has been found to be a sexual predator, a president who has illegally kidnapped the leader of another nation, a president who is illegally denying food and fuel to the people of Cuba. These are the people that our government, our Labor government, has been quick to support.

Let's talk about moral clarity. The Greens have been unwavering in our position that the Iranian regime is a wicked one. The Greens have been unwavering in our position that the women of Iran and the other people who have been targeted by that regime should be freed from that oppression, but it is not up to Western nations to take the law into their own hands and to illegally start bombing civilians. Where that leads is that the next government that doesn't like what our government is doing has open slather to go and do the same thing.

After the Second World War, we introduced laws of war and international rules for a reason: to respect the human rights of everyone involved, to protect civilians. What we have seen is the complete trashing of international law by Netanyahu and Trump and the Australian government and the parties of war in this place—Labor, the coalition and One Nation—cheering them along. Australians are not happy about it, and the Greens will consistently stand for peace.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time for the debate has expired.