SENATOR CLAIRE CHANDLER

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

LIBERAL SENATOR FOR TASMANIA

SENATOR JAMES PATERSON

SHADOW MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS 

SHADOW MINISTER FOR CYBER SECURITY

LIBERAL SENATOR FOR VICTORIA

The Coalition is concerned at the Albanese Government’s dismissive response to calls for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a terror organisation.

Yesterday in Senate Estimates, government officials revealed in response to questions from Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Claire Chandler that no work at all had been done by the Government to enable a listing of the IRGC.

This is despite 22 members of the US Congress writing a bipartisan letter directly to Prime Minister Albanese urging Australia to join the US in listing the IRGC, and an explicit recommendation of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References committee that the IRGC should be listed as a terror group.

“It is incredible that the Albanese Government has done absolutely nothing to progress recognition of the IRGC as a terror group,” Senator Chandler said.

“The Attorney-General’s Department formed the view in January that the IRGC cannot be listed under current legislation. Yet this week it revealed that four months later, they have not even been asked to prepare any advice or options for Government on amending legislation to enable a listing of the IRGC, a group acknowledged as a terror organisation by the US and known to directly support a wide range of terrorist activities and terror groups.

“Listing of the IRGC has been identified as an urgent priority by our counterparts in the US, by the Iranian-Australian community, and by many experts and stakeholders. It is incredibly disappointing that the Albanese Government continues to use the excuse that they are unable to act, despite the Coalition offering bipartisan support for legislative amendments to enable a listing.

Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Senator James Paterson said the Albanese Government has an opportunity to stand in solidarity with Australia’s allies who have taken strong action against the IRGC’s egregious acts of violence and terror.

“Right now, Australia is an outlier. By joining with our allies to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, Australia will send the unequivocal message that we will not tolerate the IRGC’s campaign of terror conducted by a desperate regime.”