Senator JOHNSTON (2:05 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Defence and Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Robert Hill. Will the minister update the Senate on the visit to Australia of His Excellency Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan? Will the minister also advise the Senate of progress in the forthcoming deployment of Australian troops to Afghanistan?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —I thank Senator Johnston for his question. The government is pleased to welcome to Australia His Excellency Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. His visit anticipates the critical national assembly elections which will take place in his country on 18 September. His visit also reflects the growing significance of our relationship with Afghanistan’s growing democracy. The Australian government is proud of the role Australia has played in helping remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan and in denying a sanctuary to al-Qaeda.

Although many security challenges remain, Afghanistan has made remarkable progress since its liberation. Some 26,000 Afghan security personnel have been trained and are engaged in combating terrorism in their country. Registrations for the upcoming elections are particularly strong. It is notable that large numbers of women will vote for the first time. Afghanistan is now a significant recipient of Australian foreign aid. We have committed more than $110 million in aid to Afghanistan since September 2001. This commitment supports the heroic part that the Afghan people are playing in resisting fundamentalist terrorism and reflects the geostrategic significance of Afghanistan in this global conflict.

Afghanistan has long been one of those countries that, by the accident of geography, has been blighted by invasion, civil war and fundamentalist ideology. We have a strong shared interest in defeating al-Qaeda and in promoting a healthy and stable democracy in Afghanistan. The Senate will recall that, on 13 July, the Prime Minister announced that in the next month Australia would be committing a special forces task group to Afghanistan and that the government would also explore the possibility of making a contribution to a provincial reconstruction team. I can advise the Senate that planning and preparation for the first of those deployments is well advanced. The advice that the government has received from Defence is that the special forces contingent will need to be approximately 190 personnel to provide appropriate mobility, force protection and adequate logistics support. This represents some increase over our initial planning assessment but the challenge of logistically sustaining a small force so far from home required the commitment of additional support personnel.

The challenge in Afghanistan remains twofold. Whilst contributing to a national reconstruction is a major focus, there is nevertheless an ongoing combat challenge. It is essential that the international community assist Afghan forces to defeat those who, through force of arms, remain determined to defeat the progress of democracy and return Afghanistan to the appalling theological dictatorship under which it had for so long laboured. It is this dangerous but vital role in which our troops will be engaged.

The government is planning a farewell function before the Senate returns, at which we expect the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition will address the troops. I am sure that all honourable senators will join me in thanking our forces for their service, in wishing them well in their deployment and obviously in wishing them a safe return.