Adam Bandt: My question is to the Minister for Defence. Given that one of the oft-stated rationales for our involvement in Afghanistan is the propping up of the Karzai government, is the government concerned about the reported level of corruption, to the highest levels of the Karzai government, and does the government agree with US General David Petraeus’s reported comment that the Afghan government is a ‘criminal syndicate’?

Greens MP Adam Bandt has called on the government to do better in this week's Afghanistan debate than Defence Minister Smith did in question time today.

Mr Bandt asked the Minister if the government agreed with the Pentagon's assessment that the Karzai government was a "criminal syndicate"? The Minister failed to give a direct answer.

"The character of the Karzai government is a key question for this week's debate", Mr Bandt said today.

There is no more serious issue for Parliament to debate than the deployment of 1500 troops. 

That is why the Greens have long pursued a Parliamentary debate on Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan.

There will be one uniting factor and that is our support for the troops in Afghanistan. All Parliamentarians are hugely proud of them, their courage and commitment and their service to this country.

Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam will be among the speakers to address a public rally in Perth tomorrow (SAT 9 October) against the war in Afghanistan.

WHEN: 12 Midday, SATURDAY 9 October, 2010

WHERE: Wesley Church (corner of William and Hay streets, Perth)

MEDIA CTS: Rally organiser Alex Bainbridge 0413 976 638; or for Senator Ludlam, Media Advisor Fernando de Freitas on 0417 174 302

Talks between the Karzai government and Taliban leader Mullah Omar, aimed at reconciliation, highlight the need for Australia's Parliament to debate the involvement of Australian troops in Afghanistan, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today. 

After ten years of Australian involvement in the Afghanistan war, the Gillard government has agreed to the Greens' request for the first full parliamentary debate in Canberra. 

"The Greens maintain our position of bringing Australian troops safely home now," Senator Brown said. 

The Australian Greens fully endorse a call made by former army chief Peter Leahy today for the Australian parliament to decide when to send our troops to war zones, not just the Prime Minister and executive.

"We have repeatedly said that taking our country to war is one of the biggest decisions any government can make and should therefore be subject to parliamentary approval," said Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.

"Perhaps if this had been the case we might not have found ourselves mired in the Iraq debacle nor the endless war in Afghanistan.

Senator Brown expressed his condolences to the families, friends and communities affected by the deaths of two Australians in Afghanistan who died in the service of their nation.

Senator LUDLAM-I have some questions on mental health funding. There is an increase of $16.6 million to improve mental health services. Could you step us through where that funding is headed and talk us through the thinking behind that?

As foreshadowed last year, Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown will today move for the first Senate debate of the year to call on the Government to begin safely and securely withdrawing Australian combat troops from Afghanistan.

Last year the Government and Coalition voted down a Greens' motion to debate the ongoing deployment of troops to Afghanistan.

Following the London conference on Afghanistan, Senator Bob Brown said it was urgent the Parliament debate Australia's ongoing combat role in the region.