Graham Edwards (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and Veterans' Affairs)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the overnight testimony of the new United States Secretary for Defense, Robert Gates, that the coalition is not winning the Iraq war. Prime Minister, what is your strategy for winning that war?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware of the overnight testimony by Mr Gates. I do understand from later news reports, particularly Reuters, that he subsequently somewhat qualified—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He did! But I am very happy to very directly answer the question asked by the member. The objective of this government and the objective of other members of the coalition must be to create a situation in that country such that the Iraqi people, having bravely voted on three occasions to embrace democracy, are able to look after themselves. That is the objective, and that will not be achieved by following the policy of the Australian Labor Party. Our objective is an Iraq that is able to defend herself—

Graham Edwards (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and Veterans' Affairs)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With great respect to the Prime Minister, I asked about the strategy not the objective.

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

The Prime Minister is answering the question. The Prime Minister is in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The strategy leading to the objective, whatever description the member for Cowan wants to give it, of this government—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The Prime Minister will be heard.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is to create a situation whereby the people of Iraq, having bravely voted in the most appalling circumstances—including the most appalling intimidation—to embrace democracy, can live, protected by their own military and their own police force. That is the aim. That is the government’s policy. I repeat: it will not be achieved by the precipitate withdrawal of coalition forces, which is the policy of the Australian Labor Party.

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! The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Oxley has been warned. He continues to interject. He will remove himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Oxley then left the chamber.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The effect of the policy advocated by the Australian Labor Party is that the coalition would withdraw before the Iraqis are able to protect the democracy they have voted to embrace in the most—

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister was asked: what is the strategy? I ask you to draw him back to the question.

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

The member for Wills will resume his seat. The Prime Minister was asked a question, the substance of which is included in his answer. The Prime Minister is very much in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the coalition withdraws from Iraq in the way the Labor Party wants it to, then Iraq will be condemned to endless additional violence. Not only will it be regarded as an enormous victory for terrorism in Iraq but it will destabilise the politics of the Middle East. It will further set back the prospects of a settlement of the Palestinian issue, which is the core of many moderate Islamic concerns not only in the Middle East but around the world. That is the policy of the Australian Labor Party.

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

Order! The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The honourable Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, when will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his strategy on Iraq and not talk about someone else’s?

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. That is not a point of order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do take responsibility for the decisions of this government on Iraq. I have never run away from my responsibilities. I have always accepted total responsibility. What the Leader of the Opposition and the Labor Party do not like is to be reminded of the inevitable consequences of their strategy and their policy. They may not like it but, if Labor’s policy were followed, we would condemn the coalition to a significant strategic defeat in Iraq—

Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. An unhealthy practice has developed in this House of asking whether there are any alternative policies—

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

The member for Fraser will come to his point of order.

Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am, Mr Speaker. This gives ministers the chance to comment on opposition policy. This question had no such element—

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

The member for Fraser is not raising a point of order, and he will resume his seat. He is debating an issue.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked a question on government policy in Iraq.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Price interjecting

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

Order! The Chief Opposition Whip is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our policy is not to withdraw coalition forces in circumstances of defeat—that is the policy of the Australian Labor Party. I want to remind everybody who sits opposite that if the United States withdraws from Iraq, which they are effectively advocating, in circumstances of defeat, not only will that do enormous damage to American prestige in the Middle East and around the world, with great adverse consequences for Australia, but also it will create a great deal of additional instability—

Michael Hatton (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hatton interjecting

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

Order! The member for Blaxland is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in Iraq and in many other countries in the Middle East. It will set back the cause of trying to settle the long-running Palestinian issue which, as everybody who has studied this matter knows, is at the heart of many of the discontents in the Middle East. I am against a policy that gives a victory to the terrorists. I am against a policy that creates further instability in the Middle East and I am against a policy that leads to damage being done to the prestige of our most important ally, the United States. I take full responsibility for being opposed to those policies and I take full responsibility for the policy advocated and implemented by the government I lead.