Senator ALLISON (Leader of the Australian Democrats) (2:29 PM) —My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer to the fact that British Prime Minister Blair announced his plan last week for British troops to be gradually brought home over the next 22 months, saying Iraqi forces could take on responsibility for the security of Basra and surrounding areas. Why is it that our Prime Minister cannot seem to make plans for troop withdrawal? Is it because he is waiting for President Bush to give permission? Isn’t it the case that the British military chiefs have for months advised that the presence of British troops in Basra is increasingly unnecessary, even provocative? What was the advice of our military advisers? Why exactly did the Prime Minister announce 70 extra troops to conduct training? Is it the case that they were not even requested by the Iraqi government—and, if not the Iraqi government, who did the Prime Minister take his orders from?

Senator MINCHIN (Minister for Finance and Administration) —I think there were about 25 questions there, most of which sounded very much like Senator Evans’s question to me first up.

Senator Chris Evans —Not as eloquent, though, not as eloquent.

Senator MINCHIN —Perhaps not as eloquent. I am not sure that I have much to add to my answer to Senator Evans, with great respect to Senator Allison. I will just repeat that the UK has made an enormous commitment to the people of Iraq. I think they started off with some 46,000 troops in order to bring freedom to the people of Iraq as part of the original coalition. They have been gradually reducing their commitment since 2003. Their latest announcement will bring their troops down to some 5,500—still some four times the total contribution being made by Australia. So there is still a very significant UK commitment to the people of Iraq and to the efforts by the coalition to bring peace to that country.

We think the most significant role we can play, indeed, is to assist in training the Iraqi security forces to provide for their own security. Of course, that is the condition upon which we base our presence in that country: that at the point we believe the Iraqi people can provide for their own security is the point at which it is appropriate for us to leave. The best way to achieve that is to ensure that we provide, as we are capable of doing, some of the best training in the world. We are pleased that we can increase our training commitment by some 70 personnel to enhance the coalition’s capacity to train Iraqi security forces and thereby hasten the day on which the Iraqi people can provide for their own security. We stand strongly by our ongoing commitment. We note and appreciate the UK’s continuing commitment of some 5½ thousand troops at the same time that they are significantly increasing their commitment to the war on terror in Afghanistan.

Senator ALLISON —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister did not answer my question as to whether it was the case that not even the Iraqi government requested these 70 extra troops for training. Was the Prime Minister perhaps taking his orders from Mr Cheney, who said last week that the jihadists had to be stopped, otherwise they would come down from Afghanistan, through the Middle East and South Asia, all the way to Indonesia and beyond? Does the Prime Minister believe this domino theory?

Senator MINCHIN (Minister for Finance and Administration) —I can assure Senator Allison of one thing and that is that this Prime Minister and this government make our own decisions about what is in Australia’s interests and what commitments we will make overseas. We are not told by anybody what to do or what not to do. We make the decisions. We made the decision that we should increase our training commitment by 70 people to bring about what you apparently want, Senator Allison: to hasten the day on which the Iraqi people will be able to look after themselves and we can exit.