Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (10:36): While I was sitting here listening to that debate, I was actually receiving some messages from counterparts in the region. That is the real work around a conflict that is real, that is costing lives and that is occurring as we speak. I again say to Senator Cash, if the Liberal Party had genuinely wanted a debate on this, they could have spoken to us. It is true that, between Saturday night, when this occurred, and the Senate sitting, we've been occupied by some other matters. I haven't been focused— Senator Paterson interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Ghosh ): Senator Paterson! Senator WONG: We received this information on Saturday night. I was briefed. I engaged with my counterpart the foreign minister of Israel. We were up very early because, obviously, briefings occur. We had a National Security Committee of the cabinet. We set up the consular crisis centre. We made announcements. You would have seen, I hope, some of the press conferences around that to ensure Australians were informed, and, obviously, the Prime Minister and senior ministers again met last night. So, if the opposition had wanted a serious discussion about a war that is going on, they could have done us the courtesy of saying so. Senator O'Sullivan interjecting— Senator WONG: Because, Senator, the government was focused on two things. The first priority is to keep Australians safe. We have 115,000 Australians in the region, and, with respect, my priority is those Australians; it is not the opposition. If the opposition had said to us, 'We want—' An opposition senator interjecting— Senator WONG: Senator, I'm so sorry—I know, you're a senator, and I respect the role. But we have 115,000 Australians in a region which is currently seeing casualties across the region. We have seen Dubai airport hit. It is a very challenging situation, and I want to start by making clear to the Senate our first priority is to keep Australians safe, and we are working around the clock to do that. Now I have some general comments about what we have seen. People would have seen the Prime Minister's and my statements Saturday night with the Deputy Prime Minister, then in the media yesterday and also this morning. I want to make clear that Australia stands with the brave people of Iran. They are struggling against oppression. The Iranian regime has been a destabilising force, including through its ballistic missile program, its nuclear program, its support for armed proxies and its brutal acts of violence and intimidation. Australia has consistently called for the Iranian regime to uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Iran's citizens. We know that the regime has instead initiated a brutal crackdown that killed thousands of its citizens. We have said that we support the action taken by the US and Israel to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security. We have also made clear that Australia did not participate in these strikes, but obviously we are in contact with our international partners. We have said we don't want to see further regional escalation. We know the consequences of that, and we are seeing some of that now. We urge the protection of civilian life, and, going forward, there will need to be a resumption of dialogue and diplomacy. And we join with our other partners in calling for all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law. I also want to make some comments about the indiscriminate attacks that the Iranian regime is currently making against party countries, not only Israel—and we mourn the loss of life on all sides—but countries who are not a party to this conflict, like the United Arab Emirates, with whom we have a very close relationship, and the countries of the region who are being affected even though they are not parties to the conflict. In relation to Australians overseas, we are working around the clock, as I said. It will be a challenging period—a very challenging period. I've made clear that Australians requiring urgent consular assistance can contact the emergency centre on 1300555135 in Australia or 61262613305 from outside Australia. I made clear publicly that there are about 115,000 Australians in the region. They are my priority, not Senator Cash's motion. And people would be aware of the traffic through the region. I think it is about 11,000 people a day coming in and out of Australia utilising Etihad, Emirates or Qatar. That gives the Senate chamber some indication of the scale of the disruption. We have opened the registration portal for all Australians in Israel and Iran. That was a decision on Sunday. This morning I directed that we open that registration portal, given what had happened overnight, for the UAE and Qatar as well. At the moment, communication is patchy and the situation is very distressing. We will continue to provide what information we can, as quickly as we can. Our focus at the moment is to provide that information and to continue to work with the airlines to try to ensure that we have availability on commercial flights as they become available. We hope we will see that in the near future. I would also make this point to the Australian Greens: this issue didn't start with the strikes over the weekend. Iran has oppressed the human rights of its citizens for four decades. Very little is said by your party about that. Senator Hanson-Young interjecting— Senator Waters interjecting— Senator Shoebridge interjecting— Senator WONG: You are supposedly an antinuclear party, united in trying to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But I haven't seen the Greens say anything about the games Iran has played, including preventing the International Atomic Energy Agency from conducting independent inspections. That's because it doesn't fit your narrative. It's very selectively loud. Senator Shoebridge: You are lying, like always. Senator Ayres: Acting Deputy President, I'd ask you to—I mean, the interjections are revealing, both from over here, complaining about their staff allocation, and from over here. He ought to withdraw that imputation. Honourable senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Ghosh ): Thank you, senators. Interjections are disorderly. If there is disagreement with what is said, then that can be had in the course of the debate. I understand, Senator Shoebridge, you made a remark that I won't repeat, but I would ask that you withdraw it. Senator Shoebridge: I withdraw. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Shoebridge. I give an indication to the chamber that Senator Wong, as every other senator, is entitled to be heard in silence, and that respect should be shown. Senator WONG: Iran has directed antisemitic and hateful attacks on Australian soil. I understand—we understand, as a government—there are a range of views about this conflict in the Australian community. There are those, like Senator Cash, who have a particular view. There are those, like Senator Shoebridge, who have a particular view. There are those, like the Iranian Australian community, many of whom are very supportive of the action that has been taken—not all. We don't pretend that this isn't a complex and long-running issue, nor does this government ignore the facts. Iran has brought death and destruction under its regime for decades. Those are facts. We do not mourn the passing of Ayatollah Khamenei. I would like to go through what this government has done in respect of Iran since we came to government. I think it is important to note that we have taken stronger action than any previous Australian government. We've expelled the ambassador. We suspended operations at our embassy in Tehran. We've listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a state sponsor of terrorism. We've sanctioned more than 200 Iranian linked individuals, more than 100 of whom are linked to the IRGC. I make the point that those opposite really want this debate. They want the politics of this debate. But, in nine long years in government, there was not one new sanction on Iran. There was not one word of complaint when Iran was elected to the Commission on the Status of Women, a committee they're a member of. Now, this party teams up with the Greens to have a political stunt to show how tough they are on Iran. Finally, I will close with an amendment. As I said, I saw Senator Cash's motion, not because she sent it to me but because it was circulated. I think I received it while I was sitting in the cabinet. Our amendment is only in relation to paragraphs (a) and (b) and to add two additional paragraphs. I move the amendment as circulated: Omit paragraphs (a) and (b), insert: a) Supports efforts by the United States and Israel to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security; b) Stands in solidarity with the Iranian Australian community, and recognise their relief of Iranian Australians following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, a brutal dictator who has oppressed the Iranian people for decades; c) Condemns the Iranian regime for its decades of attacks and destabilisation of its neighbours, through its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and support for armed proxies; d) Calls for dialogue and the pursuit of diplomatic pathways to restore peace and security; It is an opportunity for there to be a sensible motion before the chamber. Again, I would say that, as a matter of courtesy to the chamber, if the chamber had wanted an organised debate on Iran, the government would have facilitated it. But you chose not to do that. Senators Cash and Shoebridge chose to delay the Closing the gap report to date, which was scheduled, in a suspension of standing orders because they both have a similar agenda, which is to try and elevate the politics of this issue. We're not focused on the politics of this issue. We're focused on the 115,000 Australians who are in the region and on continuing to put our view as to a future for the region in which all peoples of the region know peace and stability.