Page 29 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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I am firmly of the view that both the Palestinian people and the Israelis must seek a solution which provides both of them with sufficient land to enable them to run their affairs cooperatively without the threat of war hanging over their heads. It is important that nations like Australia stand ready to assist in this process by any means possible. Therefore, I urge members of this Assembly to put aside all thoughts of ideology and to support this motion. The motion, of course, is very similar to the one which received almost universal support from members of both houses of the Federal Parliament.
As one who participated in the Vietnam war in accordance with the directions of the elected parliament at the time, I also hope that the postwar treatment accorded to soldiers who fought in that war and to their families does not happen again. Finally, I would urge members to consider that only by taking resolute action against acts of tyranny such as the invasion of Kuwait will we be able to avoid the need to construct further pillars at the memorial on Anzac Parade.
MR BERRY (3.43): This motion before the house, relating to a very serious matter which affects the world, diverts the attention of this Assembly from the duties that it is supposed to be performing for the people of the ACT. One of those duties is to direct attention to those important social issues which affect us here. That is not to say that members of this Assembly should not have a view on world affairs; in fact they ought to. And so do other people in the Australian Capital Territory. In fact it is fair to say that territorians would be divided in their views on this issue.
Mr Stefaniak: I do not think so, Wayne; 75 per cent for, 18 per cent against.
MR BERRY: Even Bill "lock-em-up" Stefaniak agrees that the community is divided. The fact of the matter is that there are people who are against war, and they are against war for good reason.
This motion is mischievous in its intent because it sets out to try to create further divisions in this Assembly, which, I am sad to say, does nothing for the image of the Government opposite. I wonder how Hector Kinloch stands on this issue and whether he will stand up for this Government's support for the confrontation which goes on in the Gulf. I am certainly opposed to war of all kinds. That issue is clear. What needs to happen in the context of the Gulf conflicts is that the Australian Government needs to initiate a renewed international effort to secure an immediate cease-fire and a negotiated settlement of the Gulf crisis. That is not what I hear from the members opposite. I seem to hear from them that they want to see more bloodshed and they want to see Saddam Hussein killed. It just seems to me that they want to see another country thrashed into submission.
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