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Parliament must vote to deploy ADF troops overseas

New polling released today shows 87% of Australians are supportive of The Greens’ calls to change how Australia goes to war. 

The poll of 1500 people, commissioned by Mike Smith, a journalist, former Howard Government adviser, and supporter of Australians For War Powers Reform, found that support for war powers reform has jumped 4% in less than a year. 

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, Peace Spokesperson said:

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A Bill to increase ADF transparency and ensure a vote of Parliament before ADF deployment

Greens bring on a bill to increase ADF transparency, scrutiny, and ensure a vote of both houses of parliament would be needed for the ADF to engage in any future wars.   

The Australian Greens War Powers Reform Bill will be before the Senate on Monday. This bill would mean that to deploy the ADF overseas there would need to be a vote of both houses of Parliament.

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Parliament must debate whether to follow unpredictable Trump’s Afghanistan backflip

Australian Greens Defence spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, commented today on the worrying implications for Australia of Donald Trump’s backflip on Afghanistan.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “We can expect that in coming days Australia will, yet again, be asked to commit more troops and more resources to the longest running conflict in our nation’s history.  Already we can see our Government preparing to capitulate - Defence Minister Marise Payne has refused to rule out sending ADF personnel back into a combat role.

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Greens say Paris attacks should inspire empathy with asylum seekers

The Australian Greens have welcomed the Syrian refugees beginning to arrive under Australia's emergency intake, cautioning the world against lashing out in anger over the horrific attacks in Paris.

"A united Australian community is much stronger in helping to defeat these threats than one that's divided. Hate is the problem here, it's not the answer," said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale.

"As a community we need to recognise that the people seeking refuge in Australia are fleeing the kind of violence and barbarism that we've seen in Paris.

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Syrian air strikes: PM Abbott throws Australia onto the wrong side of history

The Australian Greens have condemned the Abbott Government's decision to commence airstrikes in Syria, warning it will worsen the refugee crisis and aggravate extremism.

"At a time when our community is desperate to show compassion to people fleeing war in Syria, Tony Abbott is dropping bombs," said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale.

"I'm so proud of the way Australians have told the government loud and clear that we are strong enough to offer protection to people seeking refuge from war.

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Parliament should decide on Syria bombing, not Abbott or US

Greens Leader Richard Di Natale says it shouldn't be up to Tony Abbott or the United States to decide if Australia will join air strikes in Syria.

"Australia needs to have its own independent foreign policy, and the Parliament should decide whether or not we send Australians into harm's way," Senator Di Natale said.

"Ultimately it doesn't matter if the request to bomb Syria came from Mr Abbott or the US - the only way to be sure that political self-interest doesn't determine whether our troops are put in danger is for the Parliament to decide.

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Jihadist doctor & terror: saying "just don't do it" won't do it – Milne

Christine Milne 26 Apr 2015

Greens Leader Christine Milne says that Daesh is running a sophisticated propaganda campaign and the Prime Minister's response is inadequate.

"Where are the prevention programs Mr Abbott?" Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

"This propaganda is sophisticated and appealing to hearts and minds.

"It's not enough for the Prime Minister to just stand there with his eight flags and say "don't do it". That won't work. It a recipe for complete failure.

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PM Abbott has no idea what success in Iraq would look like – Milne

Greens Leader Christine Milne says mission creep in Iraq has accelerated and Prime Minister Tony Abbott has committed troops to an unwinnable war.

"Tony Abbott continues to blindly follow the US further and further into the Iraq quagmire. He has absolutely zero idea of what success would look like," Senator Milne said.

"The Prime Minister says he will review the deployment after 12 months but against what criteria? What will constitute success or failure, what will determine whether we stay or come home?

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