1,000 signatures reached
To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
No more foreign wars without a vote in Parliament
Australia joins practically every US war, in what is often a knee-jerk response.
Going to war is one of the most important decisions any government will face and yet right now the decision can be made by the Prime Minister or Executive alone.
Why isn’t our national Parliament consulted or allowed a vote before we join overseas wars?
Under existing law the government is not required to give local MPs and Senators a vote before it sends defence personnel to foreign conflicts.
The Parliament had no say when John Howard sent troops to the horrendous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Parliament also had no say when Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese agreed to AUKUS.
Australia continues to join wars that may be illegal and are nearly always disastrous.
There is no transparency, and inadequate scrutiny, before a decision is made.
The toll of war is immense - civilian and defence casualties, economic and environmental ruin, war crimes and veteran suicides. Our ADF members deserve better, as do Australians who pay for these wars.
Australia needs legislation requiring parliamentary approval for entering armed conflict overseas. Genuine debate, scrutiny and a critical appraisal of this vital decision are urgently required, before Australia is asked to join another war, far from our shores.
The Albanese government needs to end the John Howard style ‘captain’s call’ system, which allows the PM and a small group of ministers to make this ‘life and death’ decision.
We call on the government to support War Powers Reform legislation to make parliamentary approval for overseas wars, a legal requirement.
Please help us end this anti-democratic and unaccountable system and add your name to this petition.
Why is this important?
Going to war should always be an absolute last resort, especially when the war is in another country or region and there is no direct threat to Australia.
But time and time again Australian governments have joined destructive and sometimes catastrophic wars with little to no proper debate or scrutiny (Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan).
These decisions are often taken despite clear opposition from the Australian public. In the lead up to the Iraq war in 2003 a clear majority opposed our involvement but the Howard government sent troops anyway.
In recent years the military establishment in Australia have regularly claimed that war with China is likely and just around the corner.
These claims receive an enormous amount of media coverage despite no evidence to back up the assertion that China is a threat to Australia.
While there is real tension between China and the US over the future of Taiwan, the idea that Australia should automatically join such a potential conflict is absurd.
Parliamentary debate and approval would put the brakes on instant, kneejerk decision-making and would make sure all our politicians were accountable.
The contentious AUKUS military pact with the US and UK, and the plan to spend $368 billion on submarines is another clear example of government decision-making without any proper public or parliamentary debate.
In modern Australia it is unacceptable that the prime minister can decide on war and deliberately exclude MPs, senators and the public from these crucial issues.
A nationwide survey in 2023 found that 90% of Australians wanted the war powers changed to give all MPs and Senators a vote on overseas deployments.
The Albanese government must end the current, top down, anti-democratic system and enact genuine reform.