Page 800 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
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I cannot, for the life of me, accept that it was a good war because one side lost - a side one might oppose for very good reasons. I think Mr Stefaniak has lost sight of the real effect of what has happened.
It certainly will lead to changed circumstances throughout the Middle East. Who knows what those changed circumstances might be. In my own heart I am confident that, if the nations who attacked Iraq eventually had exercised more restraint, then the outcome might well have been a negotiated settlement of some sort or another. But those who wanted the war did not choose to do that. That is history and there is nought that we can do about it.
One thing I will not do is support this war as a good war because one side lost heavily and the other side did not lose much at all. I am deeply regretful of the casualties that were suffered by those allied with the Americans. I am grateful to providence that nobody on the Australian side of things was injured. But I have to repeat that I feel a great deal of outrage at what Mr Stefaniak said.
I have to comment briefly on what Dr Kinloch has said. Dr Kinloch has long given the impression that he was an anti-war person, a peace person. I wish to draw to the attention of this Assembly again that it was Dr Kinloch who refused to vote against the pro-war motion of the Government opposite and bolted from this Assembly.
Dr Kinloch: Mr Speaker, I am really offended by that.
MR SPEAKER: If you wish to make a personal explanation, you may have leave to do that later.
MR BERRY: You may well be offended, Dr Kinloch, but my eyes did not deceive me, nor did my ears. I have a grave difficulty with what has been said opposite. Mr Stefaniak, for you to say that the peace movement has had its morals proven wrong by the outcome of this war is also an outrage. The peace movement will always be alive and well. I suppose it receives energy from the outrages committed on both sides of the fence in this war and it will work hard to ensure that there is no more war.
On a lighter note, Mr Speaker, may I just express concern at the Government's refusal to accept today, after notice had been given of a motion to censure a Minister, the often practised precedents of other governments to suspend standing orders to enable the motion to be put when it was raised in this house.
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