Is this a constitutional crisis? On Friday 12 Jan 2024, a USA official spokesman announced that Australia was to provide a support role for the UK and USA troops who were about to attack Yemen. No announcement had been made to this effect by the Australian Government. The Australian people had to wait for the next day to know definitely if in fact such a decision has been made. How is it possible for the USA spokesperson to announce an Australian policy decision – on going to war against another sovereign state, no less – before it had been declared by the Australian Government?
Maybe Parliament should be recalled to discuss how such a situation could have arisen? Has the secret signing of more and more AUKUS documents handed our foreign policy over to the USA? It certainly looks like it. And the AUKUS texts seem to support this claim.
The whole world, with the exception of the USA and Canada, has just demonstrated at the United Nations our disgust at the Isreali attack on the entire population of Gaza, an open prison camp from which Gazans cannot escape to safety (and it has been so for 17 years). With 23,000 Gazan already dead and 70% of buildings destroyed, with refugee areas being deliberately bombed, this abuse and genocide can be compared to that of the Warsaw ghetto when the Nazis did exactly the same to the European Jews. And now the descendents of those European victims …….
In such a dire situation the Yemenis decided to attempt to stop those ships plying the Red Sea intending to deliver supplies to Israel. Now, weeks ago Israel stopped ALL supplies into Gaza, including water and fuel – a crime against humanity – which raised just a whimper from the USA and Australia. But US warships are immediately sent in to protect supplies going to Israel, and they have demanded that the Australian military supply them as they attack Yemen, a country already devastated by an 8-year long war led by Saudi Arabia with US support.
South Africa is currently pursuing a case at the International Court of Justice of intentional genocide by Israel against the people of Gaza. Should this court make an interim decision to call for a cessation of Israel’s attack on the Gazans, the Australian government will be caught well and true with its pants down as it actively supports US action in the Red Sea that is for the benefit of Israel.
That the US government can announce Australian military support on behalf of the Australian government is unacceptable at any time, but in the face of the horrors being carried out by Israel and the possible legal determination of genocide by Israel, the Australian government should not be the play thing of the USA, but should be actively supporting the world-wide calls for a ceasefire. Not only is this a constitutional crisis it is also an aberration of Australia’s duty as a world citizen to protect world citizens against abuse of all types.
Parliamentarians should now be demanding a recall of parliament to discuss not only the constitutional crisis but also Australia’s inaction in the face of hard evidence of the most appalling crimes by Israel, not only now but over the decades of settler colonialisation of Palestine, rubbishing the requirements of international law.
Ann Pavet
Ann Pavett, retired teacher/lecturer of foreign languages. 15 years editor of Neighbours Paper (Ealing,London), a community journal for my locality. Lifelong interest in the peace movement in UK. Moved to Austra;ia in 2012 to be with family..