Mrs DRAPER (9:07 PM) —I rise to support the motion that this House:

(1) notes the overwhelming choice for independence exercised by the East Timorese people on 30 August;

(2) welcomes United Nations Security Council Resolution 1264 authorising a multinational force to restore peace and security in East Timor, protect the United Nations' mission in East Timor and facilitate humanitarian assistance;

(3) endorses Australia's agreement to the United Nation's Secretary-General's request that Australia contribute to and lead the multinational force;

(4) expresses its full support for the Australians serving with the multinational force and its full confidence in them; and

(5) looks forward to their safe return home.

I support this resolution, particularly as a former serving member of the Women's Royal Australian Navy within the Australian Defence Force, and I am pleased that the opposition also supports it. It is a great honour to have served in the Australian Defence Force and now serve the Australian people as a federal member of parliament for the seat of Makin.

However, it is with some surprise and concern that I note the Australian media so far has not given credit for the fact that the Prime Minister has displayed some of the greatest statesmanship of all our prime ministers this century. The following ministers should be given credit for their endeavours to secure a peacekeeping force under the auspices of the United Nations: the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer; the Minister for Defence, John Moore; the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Bruce Scott; and the Prime Minister.

Many countries are participating from within and from outside our immediate region. I understand that so far we have commitments from Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States and the United Kingdom. I am delighted that all of these countries have made such a commitment, due largely to the efforts of our Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

However, on a sad note I am disappointed at the opportunism displayed by some members of the Labor Party on this issue. It can only be detrimental to the morale of our soldiers and all of the peacekeeping forces currently in East Timor. In fact, I am ashamed and appalled at the way the opposition is behaving in this matter. As the Prime Minister said in question time today, it is time to look forward—to work and concentrate on the present—to our continuing success in Operation Stabilise. It is at this point that congratulations of all of the Australian people should go not only to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence but also to our soldiers and the tremendous professional work that they are carrying out in East Timor.

I am heartened by the knowledge that all of the peacekeepers, but in particular our own Australian soldiers, are highly trained professional, committed and dedicated men and women. I salute all of them and their courage and would like them to know that this is not only my own personal point of view but my view as a federal member of parliament representing many Australians who are also justifiably proud of our peacekeepers. I also salute and commend the courage of their families and loved ones back home. I am heartened by the fact that our ministers and their support staff are doing everything in their power to support the families and loved ones of our men and women serving overseas.

Again, I would like to point out that it is simply irresponsible for the Labor Party to behave in the manner that it has. It was simply irresponsible for some people to suggest that the government should have somehow pushed harder than it did for Indonesia to accept a United Nations peacekeeping presence before the independence ballot.

It is on the record that our Prime Minister raised this very issue with President Habibie of Indonesia before the ballot, but that the Indonesian government was, at that stage, resolutely opposed to the idea. By suggesting that Australia should have pressed this case further than we did, in the face of clear Indonesian opposition, the Labor Party is suggesting that we should have thrown away our entire relationship with Indonesia at that point. Not only that, but we could possibly have jeopardised the prospect of there being any independence vote for East Timor at all. Instead, we did the only sensible thing under the circumstances: we prepared our own forces for what might—but still we hoped would not—happen.

Imagine Labor's alternative policy, that Australia humiliate the Indonesian government in international forums—and send our troops to be slaughtered. Even if the ballot had still gone ahead, under these circumstances Labor's policy would have guaranteed the unnecessary shedding of Australian blood in East Timor. Not only the militia but very likely the Indonesian military and the government would have been deeply antagonistic to our presence in East Timor under those circumstances.

As it is the INTERFET commander, Major General Peter Cosgrove, has reported that he has received cooperation from Indonesian military authorities. It is important to note here that our Prime Minister has praised President Habibie for realising the need for peacekeeping forces to enter East Timor under these difficult and tragic circumstances. No mistake should be made on this point. However dangerous our position in East Timor—and it is dangerous—it would have been made immeasurably more so had we acted in the way that the Labor Party is advocating.

The approach of this government to the East Timor question has been by far the most principled of any government since East Timor was integrated into Indonesia nearly a quarter of a century ago. This government has faced the issue squarely and acted at all times to find peaceful and diplomatically sustainable solutions to the East Timor question. In particular, I would like to commend Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for their tireless efforts in the face of confused and contradictory criticisms from the opposition and some foreign policy commentators. I would also like to take this opportunity to send my personal message of thanks and good wishes to Australian personnel currently serving in East Timor as well as all of the United Nations peacekeeping forces. With those brave people go all of our thoughts and prayers for a safe and successful mission.

We are not in East Timor because it is the safe thing to do or the politically expedient or the popular thing to do. We are there because it is the right thing to do for the East Timorese. I applaud the conviction of our Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the courage of our defence forces and the tremendous generosity and goodwill of the Australian people.

I would like to echo our Prime Minister's comments, as I am sure many Australians do, that we pray for the speedy and safe return of all our Australian soldiers and that security and peace can be restored in East Timor for the good of the East Timorese, Indonesia and the security of our region in general. I hope that Australia can look forward to rebuilding its relationship with Indonesia.