David Jull (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. What stance is the government taking on the proposed United Nations Security Council resolution on the Lebanon?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Fadden for his question. I think all members of the House acknowledge his interest in and experience and professionalism of issues of foreign affairs. Obviously, the government is deeply concerned about the loss of life in the Middle East since the fighting began on 13 July. With that in mind, we welcome the United Nations Security Council’s consideration of a draft resolution which has been drawn up, in particular, by France and the United States and which was brought forward on Sunday. I hope that this will be voted on soon.

This resolution calls for a full cessation of hostilities—that is, for Hezbollah, a terrorist organisation, to stop all attacks and in that circumstance for Israel to stop offensive operations and for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire based on a set of principles, including strict respect by all parties for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries, and full implementation of resolutions requiring the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. As I said, I hope this resolution can be agreed on quickly and pave the way for a cessation of hostilities and for a second resolution which would mandate an international stabilisation force under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. But let me make the Australian government’s position perfectly clear on this. We are not interested in seeing some kind of temporary solution—or bandaid solution—which several months or a year down the track is going to fall apart and when there will simply be a resumption of hostilities and more people will be killed. Now, out of this crisis, there is the opportunity to achieve a sustainable peace built around a quite simple and obvious proposition: that there must be a two-state solution to this problem.

Israel must be guaranteed by all parties its right to exist within secure borders and there must be the establishment of a Palestinian state. It is important that people understand that the problem here is that, while most countries in the world agree with that, there are some countries that do not. Amongst those countries that do not support the two-state solution are Iran and Syria. They are funding, supporting, aiding and abetting terrorist organisations Hezbollah and Hamas. They are supporting those organisations, which equally do not support Israel’s right to exist.

Some people say that Israel should negotiate with Hezbollah and Hamas or Iran and Syria. Those countries and those organisations do not believe Israel has a right to exist. The only thing Israel has to negotiate with those countries and those organisations is its own country. They have nothing else to offer, because those countries and those organisations want to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth, to use the words of President Ahmadinejad of Iran.

We completely reject that. It is not that we are somehow biased or play to domestic constituencies, or anything like that. It is simply that Israel has a right to exist, and so does a Palestinian state have a right to come into existence. That is the only solution here. For those who think that they can solve the problem of the Middle East by trying to destroy Israel, the simple answer is that they will not. All they will do is cause war. That is all they will do. Some people on the other side may mock, as the member for Sydney does, but my view is that all those people will do is cause war. I have made it perfectly clear—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She just laughed at me!

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don’t be so sensitive. Why are you sniggering?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will resume his seat.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like that comment withdrawn. The minister has implied that I do not find this situation serious and that somehow—

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You were sniggering at me; I will not withdraw it.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I’m sorry, Minister—it’s very easy to snigger at you.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He’s an evil little shit!

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Sydney will resume her seat. I suggest to the member for Sydney that she might make a personal explanation at the end of question time. The member for Sydney will resume her seat.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I require it to be withdrawn.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney would be aware that what the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said is not unparliamentary.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Plibersek interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney would be aware that to use the expression to say someone is ‘sniggering’ is not unparliamentary. If the member for Sydney—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I again say to the member for Sydney: she may wish to take a personal explanation at the end of question time.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In this place the convention is this: if a member of parliament has been offended by remarks made by somebody on the other side, the Speaker can require a withdrawal, if it happens to be unparliamentary. But the convention is that, if the person finds it offensive then the courtesies of this place mean that it is withdrawn. I have done it many times myself. That is the first point.

The second point to that point of order is this: the Minister for Foreign Affairs said a great deal more about the member for Sydney than simply characterising her attitude. He went on to describe the member for Sydney—I am sure, if you check the record—as having a particular attitude towards war and encouraging it. Quite frankly, they were utterly offensive remarks. The member for Sydney took objection—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition is now debating the issue and will resume his seat.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister said that it is people like me who support war, and I require that to be withdrawn.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Sydney will resume her seat and I will rule on her point of order. If the Minister for Foreign Affairs used the words that the member for Sydney raised then I would ask him to withdraw them.

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I did not say she supported war. Of course I did not. I think she is objecting to my saying, as she sniggered, that she was mocking me on a serious issue. I would suggest that, on a serious issue, the opposition, instead of sniggering at ministers talking about it, do not do so in the future—and they won’t get themselves into trouble. It is as simple as that.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member for Oxley made three very unparliamentary and extremely offensive remarks about the foreign minister, and I ask that they be withdrawn.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member for Oxley has made offensive remarks, he will withdraw them.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I will withdraw—but they were the truth.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Oxley will withdraw without reservation.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I said I would withdraw and I do withdraw.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Oxley.