Nick Xenophon told the Senate this week that once the urgency over the situation in Iraq and Syria has passed, any extended use of Australian military forces in the fight against Islamic State (IS) should be approved by parliament.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the use of the RAAF supported by Australian special forces this week to supply arms to the Kurdish regional government who are fighting IS in northern Iraq.
While the deployment received support from Labor, Greens leader Christine Milne tried to force a debate on the issue.
Senator Milne accused Mr Abbott of following the United States into the conflict, comparing it to Australia’s engagement in Iraq in 2003. The Greens motion was defeated after Labor rejected it as a “stunt to score cheap political points”.
In his speech, Senator Xenophon said that while there was no constitutional requirement “for the executive to seek the blessing of the Australian parliament before troops are committed to war”, past experience suggested parliamentary backing provided “a valuable check on the executive being dragged into a quagmire”.
“What the government says of the present situation in Iraq and Syria is that time is of the essence. We need to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
“However, once the urgency has passed and the troops and resources have been deployed, I believe it is reasonable for the parliament to have a say and that the continued deployment should be subject to parliamentary approval”.
Mr Xenophon said that Australia needed to be “alert to the grave dangers of escalation” and that lessons had to be learned “from the catastrophic
consequences of George W. Bush’s handling of Iraq and Australia, seemingly heedlessly following the US without question”.
The Senator added that a parliamentary debate and approval was desirable to avoid “mistakes, not just of the recent past but of previous conflicts, such as Vietnam. Minor incremental increases in the mission can lead to a qualitatively different scenario before we know it”.
Mr Xenophon wished Australian troops embarking on the mission to Iraq well. “I am sure they will do us proud,” he said.
Within hours of his remarks the RAAF made its first delivery of munitions to the Peshmerga forces in the Kurdish city of Erbil.
On Wednesday, as it became clear a second US journalist – Steven Sotloff, held captive by IS had been beheaded, Prime Minister Tony Abbott indicated that Australia will become more involved in Iraq.
While confirming that Australia has received no specific request from America to engage in military action, the PM said he had received “a general request” and would be considering what Australian military resources could be made available.
