Letter to Senator Christine Milne

Dear Senator Milne

I write to you on behalf of the Campaign for an Iraq War Inquiry to ascertain The Greens’ policy in the context of the current Federal Election campaign on several matters which are of central importance to our membership.

Our members and supporters would be interested to know your answers to the following questions:

1. Do you believe the Prime Minister should continue to have the authority to take Australia to war on her/his own?
2. Would you support a new bill requiring parliamentary debate and approval before the Australian Defence Force is deployed in overseas combat operations?
3. Do you support taking ANZUS back to its

(a)   Original obligation of consultations (not automatic military action);

(b)   Original geography (the Pacific area); and

(c)  Original purpose (defence against an armed attack)?

4.  Do you support Article 1 of the ANZUS Treaty which obliges Australia “to refrain… from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations”? Would you support legislation to require UN authorisation for Australia to go to war other than in response to an armed attack?
5. The United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark have each initiated a public inquiry into their involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Do you support a review of the process by which the Australian Government decided to join the invasion, in order to determine whether the process was satisfactory?
6. Do you believe that Australia should defer to the established international channels for WMD verification, monitoring and compliance?

Yours sincerely,

Paul Barratt

President