Labor and the Coalition鈥檚 bipartisanship was again on display on March 29 when their Senators voted to block a bill to mandate parliament to vote on whether or not to go to war.
Green Senator Jordon Steele-John鈥檚 to amend the Defence Act 1903 was 鈥渘egatived鈥 on March 29 after the second reading debate.
Labor Senator Nita Green used her second reading speech to dispute the 鈥渦nderlying premise鈥 that the decision to go to war 鈥渨as made in secret鈥 or there was 鈥渘o accountability to the parliament鈥.
She expressed her concern about the bill鈥檚 requirement that the minister was obliged to 鈥渃ome back to the parliament every month鈥 and 鈥減rovide information that includes the number of people deployed鈥. This, she said, we would not want our 鈥渆nemies鈥 to know.
Astonishingly, of not being 鈥渁 party that takes these issues seriously enough to be part of the decision-making process鈥.
鈥淭hey are not members of certain committees in this parliament for very good reason, and that鈥檚 because only parties of government, I think it鈥檚 fair to say, take the responsibility of national security seriously in a non-partisan way,鈥 she .
Steele-John said in his that a 鈥渂asic commitment to the principle of democracy鈥 should lead decision-makers to conclude that 鈥渟uch a significant decision should be subject to a vote, as it is in so many other nations鈥.
鈥淏oth parties, over decades, have made use of legal loopholes and flimsy interpretations to wage wars that have led to some of the most severe and devastating humanitarian consequences,鈥 he said, citing Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam.
鈥淓ach one of these wars has one thing in common 鈥 they lacked a clear objective or a strategy, and it was the ordinary people of all nations that suffered.
鈥淭hose responsible for making those decisions were never held accountable nor forced to properly explain or account for their actions.鈥
He said the real security challenges Australia faced were from climate change, public health, access to education and secure housing.
Meanwhile, on March 9 that it would be moving an amendment to the Defence Act 1903 鈥渢o better position the Australian Defence Force as an agile, integrated, warfighting enterprise鈥.
Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite described the amendment as needed to support 鈥渢he full range of military activities and capabilities required to defend Australia and its national interests, while also providing for seamless interoperability with our defence partners鈥.