THE HON BILL SHORTEN MP

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
MELBOURNE
SUNDAY, 31 AUGUST 2014
SUBJECT/S: Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq, Senate, Tony
Abbott's Unfair Budet!
BILL SHORTEN, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Australian Labor
supports the Government's announcement of the RAAF providing two
planes to assist resupply beleaguered Kurdish fghters who are the front
line against the Islamic tate terrorist organisation!
"ecisions li#e this are not made easily $ Australian men and women are
going in harm's way! %his is for the best of reasons& humanitarian relief to
prevent genocide against beleaguered minorities in northern Ira'!
(hat we see today is a remar#able act of international cooperation! (hat
we see today are the air forces of several countries resupplying with light
weapons Kurdish )eshmerga troops* who are the front line against the
Islamic tate incursions in northern Ira'! %he two aeroplanes that the
RAAF are supplying will e'uip their tas#s in a ha+ardous environment with
great distinction!
Labor supports fully the actions of the Federal Government in this matter! I
might also ,ust say that this is happening because of one reason& there are
vulnerable people who need help and they need it now! -appy to ta#e
'uestions!
REPORTER: .Inaudible!/
SHORTEN: %he Government did provide some advance notice of this
before today! In the course of the wee#* at the end of last wee#* the
Government has also* and importantly "efence o0cials* been providing
timely briefngs to the 1pposition!
REPORTER: Are you concerned that any weapons dropped could end up
in the wrong hands2
SHORTEN: %his is always the 'uestion $ I believe though that the global
coalition wor#ing on this matter is conscious that on the balance of ris#s*
the greater ris# is to allow the I to succeed in their war in northern Ira'!
%he )eshmerga are what stands in that part of the world between a whole
lot of civilians getting terribly hurt and in,ured and that not happening!
(hat I would also note is that the Government of Ira' importantly have
clearly* even though they have previously had their disagreements with
the Kurds in northern Ira'* they have clearly accepted that this more
important to provide resupply to these Kurdish )eshmerga troops than
not! I understand that the Government of Ira' has signed o3 $ and again
you have got a humanitarian mission* you have got a global cooperation
with a number of nations* you have the Government of Ira' $ has signed
o3 on it and you have got Kurdish troops who are doing important wor# in
terms of preventing a humanitarian catastrophe!
REPORTER: "id the Government 4ag any additional resources it might
want to send2 I #now there was some tal# of sending foreign aircraft last
wee#* that wasn5t raised with you2
SHORTEN: I5ll respect the confdentiality of briefng! It is up to
Government when they choose to reveal any resupply! Labor supports the
resupply decision!
REPORTER: (ould you support sending fghter aircraft .inaudible/2
SHORTEN: I am not going to ahead of myself! (hat we see here is the
importance of having an Ira'i Government with the widest possible base!
6y that I mean the hia ma,ority wor#ing with unni and Kurdish
minorities and indeed 7hristians! %hat is important* that wor# is underway!
(e see humanitarian relief being a fundamental frst order of importance*
that wor# is underway!
Labor supports the reasoning of our defence e8perts that providing two
aeroplanes to help an air bridge of supplies going to the Kurdish
)eshmerga is timely prevention of far more drastic conse'uences down
the trac#!
REPORTER: 7ould Australia5s increased involvement in Ira' lead to a
bac#lash at home2
SHORTEN: I thin# all reasonable Australians would believe fundamentally
in the value of humanitarian relief of the prevention of genocide* and this
is also providing support as part of a global e3ort* it is not ,ust Australia
acting one$o3! Importantly* the Government of Ira' is on board for these
decisions as well!
REPORTER: -ow is this a humanitarian mission2
SHORTEN: It becomes humanitarian if thousands of civilians get #illed!
REPORTER: I5ll ,ust as# you on another issue* why is Labor supporting in
the enate the in'uiry that 7live )almer is trying to get up into the
9ewman Government2
SHORTEN: %here has been no fnal decision made on that matter!
1bviously the enate is a house of review! %he enate historically* be it
when it has been Liberal or Labor or any other party* conducted reviews
and loo#ed at important political matters of the day!
REPORTER: 6ut one level of government in'uiring into another is 'uite
rare* isn't it2 It sets a precedent2
SHORTEN: 9o* once again* no fnal decision has been made! 6ut it is not
un#nown for the enate to carry out its appropriate functions of the house
of review! %hat is what our constitutional fathers put the enate there to
do and I believe that wor# needs to carry on!
REPORTER: o :r Ludwig is* enator Ludwig is I thin# 4agging support
for :r )almer5s motion! Are you somewhat bac# from that position* you5re
not 'uite out there as far as him* you5re saying it5s still a matter for
debate within the party* or within the leadership team2
SHORTEN: 9o* not at all! 9o fnal decision has been made! 6ut certainly
the idea that the enate would act as a house of review and set up a
committee to loo# at important matters is not ground$brea#ing or earth$
shattering! 1ne more 'uestion than# you!
REPORTER: Rallies are ta#ing place around the country today against the
Abbott Government* is there any reason why you5re not ta#ing part2
SHORTEN: )eople have got a right to protest! %his is a very unfair
6udget! (hat I do every day is hold the Government to account!
1pposition to the Abbott Government ta#es many di3erent forms* but
today I thin# it is important that I spea# up in terms of national security!
And I thin# Australians e8pect* for all of the argument we have about this
unfair 6udget* when it comes to matters of national security* I believe
Australians want to hear the two ma,or parties wor#ing together and that
is what we are doing today* most clearly! I guarantee ne8t wee# in
)arliament we will hold this unfair 6udget to account as we have done
ever since the unfair 6udget was brought down!
%han#s everyone! -ave a lovely afternoon!
E"#S