{"id":15559,"date":"2014-09-03T06:00:55","date_gmt":"2014-09-02T20:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=15559"},"modified":"2014-09-04T08:22:55","modified_gmt":"2014-09-03T22:22:55","slug":"a-time-for-action-not-more-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/a-time-for-action-not-more-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"A time for action\u2014not more talk!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Parliament<\/a>Much has been said in recent days about the need for parliament to debate and decide whether to deploy Australian military forces in support of international humanitarian relief operations in Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n

The flag bearers of this fanciful notion are principally the Greens Party and Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie. Theirs is an idea which amounts to little more than dangerous mischief or unhelpful farce.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing in the Constitution or defence legislation that requires the executive to engage in debate, or get a vote through parliament, before committing military forces.<\/p>\n

Such a decision is a prerogative of executive government, which in turn is answerable to the parliament. While it is customary to consult with the Opposition, the decision is clearly a matter for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.<\/p>\n

The parliament of course is free to debate those matters and the Prime Minister or Defence Minister regularly provide updates on the use of our troops\u2014and both things are entirely consistent with accepted practice.<\/p>\n

In 2008 the Greens Party similarly tried to introduce legislation that removed the exclusive power of Government to deploy troops. A Senate Committee at the time concluded<\/a> that proposal was \u2018not a credible piece of legislation\u2019.<\/p>\n

At the time of the Second Gulf War, Bob Hawke said<\/a> on the ABC AM Radio Program that \u2018\u2026of course (it) is appropriate for the executive to make a decision\u2019.\u00a0Hawke was right.<\/p>\n

Students of Australian history might remember that Australia went to war in August 1914 while federal parliament was prorogued. The conservative government of Joseph Cook was elected in May 1913 with a majority of one and a hostile Senate, and went to a double-dissolution election in June 1914. Australia declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary on 4 August 1914. Labor leader Andrew Fisher won the 5 September 1914 Federal Election.<\/p>\n

A case for executive decision\u2014and action\u2014by the Government of the day, can be made quite sensibly and reasonably on four equally clear grounds.<\/p>\n

The first relates to the presence of a clear and dangerous threat;\u00a0the second to the Government\u2019s freedom to respond in a timely fashion;\u00a0the third concerns the trust, faith and common sense of the Australian people;\u00a0the fourth reflects longstanding parliamentary convention.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s unpack those, particularly the first three.<\/p>\n

First, the threat from ISIL (sometimes known just as IS or ISIS). The danger is clear, present and pressing\u2014a fact underscored by the utter evil of its avowed intention. ISIL is not just another terrorist movement. Rather, it\u2019s an \u2018aggregated terrorist corporation\u2019 looking to cement and grow a fundamentalist terrorist home or state. The world has not seen or faced down such a challenge in our lifetime.<\/p>\n

ISIL is a cancer on all religions and faiths, and something which, if possible, must be excised completely from the Middle East. ISIL appears to have emerged from nowhere, although perhaps the West has been blindsided by competing strategic issues. The ISIL clarion call to aggrieved young hot-heads will be a serious security threat for Western democracies for the next decade. No nation will be immune.<\/p>\n

Second, the imminence of that threat. The threat is close and imminent, and is increasing exponentially. Its proximity includes the possibility of \u2018blooded\u2019 ISIL fighters returning to their countries of origin to, in effect, decentralise the mayhem. It\u2019s arguable that ISIL\u2019s grip on some parts of the Middle East now exceeds the point below which its destruction was possible. Perhaps the West must accept that and attempt secondary and subordinate dual objectives\u2014humanitarian relief and containment.<\/p>\n

Finally, to the matter of the trust, faith and common sense of the wider electorate. The Australian community has faith in the nature and maturity of our democracy and its institutional structures. It holds an increasingly nuanced appreciation of international affairs. The electorate understands the need for occasioned and even protracted parliamentary debate. Equally, it understands when such a debate is unwarranted, needless, or even dangerous to the livelihood and wellbeing of others.<\/p>\n

Australians realise and appreciate that the ISIL abomination unfolding before the world does not warrant further talk by politicians. They know and accept that what is required is leadership and collective international intervention in the name of humanity.<\/p>\n

That such a stance also happens to fit with longstanding Australian parliamentary convention just happens to make the acceptance of such a course all the more reasonable, necessary and yes, easy. But it\u2019s action now which will save lives\u2014not more talk.<\/p>\n

Recent events reinforce that ISIL is a malevolent wellspring of barbarism, perhaps not seen since the Middle Ages, which must be confronted by the combined efforts of Western, liberal, civilised society.<\/p>\n

Some would have Western parliaments debate and pontificate over the starkly obvious\u2014for the sake of public profile and individual relevance\u2014while innocents are dying. The time for action is now. All that Andrew Wilkie and Christine Milne offer is, at best, opaque and uninformed commentary as people outside both the government and the alternative government and, at worst, statements which, however unwittingly, give comfort to Australia’s international protagonists.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s more than reasonable for the Government to commit forces now as part of a wider international force, and to consider whether to increase its commitment further in the future, should such a need be consistent with our national interests.<\/p>\n

Andrew Nikolic is the Federal Member for Bass and a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. He is a former senior Australian Army officer and First Assistant Secretary in the Defence Department. Image courtesy of Flickr user\u00a0Michael Dawes<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Strategist has invited contributions from the\u00a0ALP and Greens to this debate and will be posting them as they become available.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Much has been said in recent days about the need for parliament to debate and decide whether to deploy Australian military forces in support of international humanitarian relief operations in Iraq and Syria. 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