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Katie Woolf spoke with Member for Solomon Luke Gosling · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: To nationally, which is one which I know a lot
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  Speaker 1: of territory territorians will be interested in. Taliban insurgents have
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  Speaker 1: seized the presidential palace in Kabul after taking control of
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  Speaker 1: nearly all of Afghanistan in just over a week. Now,
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  Speaker 1: what we do know is that Taliban fighters took control
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  Speaker 1: of much of the capital city overnight, rolling into the
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  Speaker 1: city from all sides and completing a dizzying sweep is
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  Speaker 1: how it's been described by the ABC, in the face
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  Speaker 1: of little resistance from Afghanistan's army two decades after they
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  Speaker 1: were overthrown by a US lead invasion. Now, what we
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  Speaker 1: know is that a lot of territory will a lot
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  Speaker 1: of territorians served in Afghanistan. Joining us on the line
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  Speaker 1: to talk a little bit more about the situation is
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  Speaker 1: the member for Solomon Luke Gosling. Good morning to you.
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  Speaker 2: Luke, Good morning Katie Luke.
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  Speaker 1: We know that, as I mentioned, a lot of territorians
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  Speaker 1: have served overseas in Afghanistan. Firstly, I mean, what do
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  Speaker 1: you make of this situation in Afghanistan at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we always knew this day would occur. Maybe the
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  Speaker 2: last couple of days has rolled out a bit quicker
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  Speaker 2: than anticipated, but we've got to remember that there's been
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  Speaker 2: peace negotiations going on for some time, and we pulled
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  Speaker 2: our embassy out months ago, so it has not been
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  Speaker 2: a surprise. And unfortunately, because we pulled out our embassy
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  Speaker 2: so quickly those many months ago, now we've not been
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  Speaker 2: able to evacuate so many that are now in desperate situation.
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  Speaker 2: Regardless of what the Teliban says about not seeking retribution
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  Speaker 2: on those that served alongside the Americans and the Australians
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  Speaker 2: over the last twenty years, you could understand and why
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  Speaker 2: there's a lot of distressing cable right now.
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  Speaker 1: Now I know that. Well, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison
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  Speaker 1: has been out today and will convened an urgent meeting
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  Speaker 1: of the National Security Committee, but wouldn't comment to the
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  Speaker 1: media earlier this morning on whether the speed of the
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  Speaker 1: Taliban offensive had derailed plans to airlift Australians to safety.
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  Speaker 1: What is the current situation for those out there listening
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  Speaker 1: this morning who maybe aren't aware, I mean, do we
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  Speaker 1: still have like how many Aussies would we still have
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  Speaker 1: over there right now?
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  Speaker 2: There are a number of Australian aid workers and journalists,
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  Speaker 2: some of whom are saying that they're going to stay.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not sure of the exact numbers of Australians we've
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  Speaker 2: got on the ground, but it's from where I stand,
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  Speaker 2: it's pretty negligent now when we've got an ADF who
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  Speaker 2: trains relentlessly for these types of evacuation operations to say
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  Speaker 2: that those plans may now be derailed. The Prime Minister
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  Speaker 2: himself said that we wouldn't be joining in any evacuation
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  Speaker 2: plans some time ago now, and I think what he's
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  Speaker 2: doing is just trying to manage the politics because of
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  Speaker 2: the veterans around the country who are absolutely disgusted and
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  Speaker 2: pushed the federal government to act to do something. Having
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  Speaker 2: said that, Coatie, there is not a time for blame.
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  Speaker 2: But I just think I owe it to every Afghan
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  Speaker 2: veteran out there that just doesn't know what to make
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  Speaker 2: of all this and what our contribution over there has
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  Speaker 2: come to, to say that it is disgusting how this
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  Speaker 2: has played out, and I believe it will be a
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  Speaker 2: stain on our country and I just hope that there
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  Speaker 2: are still credible plans, not managing the politics, but credible
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  Speaker 2: plans to get whoever we can out, particularly those who
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  Speaker 2: risk their own lives for Australian service people and diplomats
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  Speaker 2: over these past years.
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  Speaker 1: Look have you been in contact with any of those
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  Speaker 1: veterans over the last couple of days and what have
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  Speaker 1: they been saying to you.
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  Speaker 2: They're just sickened by it all. And of course the
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  Speaker 2: moral injuries are compounded by the way that this is
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  Speaker 2: been handled by the government, and there's no two ways
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  Speaker 2: around that. I think what we've seen is a whole
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  Speaker 2: generation with thirty nine thousand Australians have served over there,
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  Speaker 2: if you think there's at least one hundred thousand family members,
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  Speaker 2: and unfortunately what we've seen in the last couple of
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  Speaker 2: days is a lot of sort of re triggering. And
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  Speaker 2: just think about in our own community all those mates
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  Speaker 2: of Scottie Palmer, a Territori and who was killed over
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  Speaker 2: there in twenty ten. The ripple effects of our time
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  Speaker 2: in Afghanistan will continue to be feld. And that's why
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  Speaker 2: I guess I just wanted to finally say Katie that
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  Speaker 2: this is a time to reach out to your mates.
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  Speaker 2: Don't be alone thinking about this. Catch up with your
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  Speaker 2: mates and just have a chat about it. Have a
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  Speaker 2: chat about how are you feeling about it, go for
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  Speaker 2: a walk on the beach, and I just wanted to
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  Speaker 2: say that not only am my thoughts very much with
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  Speaker 2: those those families in Afghanistan who are now terrified in Kabul.
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  Speaker 2: Let's not forget that so many Afghanis who work with
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  Speaker 2: us over those years saw hopefully a future for their mums,
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  Speaker 2: for their sisters, arnies, for their wives not to be
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  Speaker 2: subjected to the treatment that they were in the past
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  Speaker 2: under the Taliban. Now the Taliban says they've changed. Only
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  Speaker 2: time will tell how true that is. I just wanted
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  Speaker 2: to let everyone know who's invested in that place, their time,
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  Speaker 2: their time away from families, their health, their physical health,
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  Speaker 2: their mental health. Just know that we're thinking of you,
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  Speaker 2: and to reach out to a mate.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, oh look, I tell you what, it's a really
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  Speaker 1: difficult situation. And Luke, we actually got in contact with
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  Speaker 1: Ray Palmer, the dad of Scott Palmer, Northern Territory born
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  Speaker 1: commando who you did just speak about, killed during the
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  Speaker 1: war in Afghanistan. We were hoping to have him on
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  Speaker 1: the show this morning. He actually he wasn't available, but
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  Speaker 1: he did say to us to get in contact with you,
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  Speaker 1: which obviously we've done. And like you said, we're thinking
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  Speaker 1: of all of those territorians who served over in Afghanistan.
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  Speaker 1: I know that they would be feeling for some of
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  Speaker 1: them certainly would be feeling pretty disappointed today, to say
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  Speaker 1: the least.
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  Speaker 2: Very disappointed. But I want to say to them clearly
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  Speaker 2: that what you did over in that country did make
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  Speaker 2: a difference. It absolutely did, and the challenges that so
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  Speaker 2: many millions of people in Afghanistan will face from here
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  Speaker 2: on in will be more more able to be worked
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  Speaker 2: through because of the resilience that was built during that
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  Speaker 2: time and the education that was able to happen during
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  Speaker 2: that time. So please don't think it was.
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  Speaker 1: In vain spot on Luke. We will wrap up, mate,
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  Speaker 1: But are you Are you stuck in camber at the
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  Speaker 1: moment or did you manage to get back?
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  Speaker 2: No? I didn't. I'm lockdown and it's the only way
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  Speaker 2: if we get out here in act of lockdown, that
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  Speaker 2: I can get to Parliament on Monday. Whether Parliament on
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  Speaker 2: Monday will go ahead is very unclear, so and I'm
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  Speaker 2: just thinking of everyone in the territory. Just enjoy it
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  Speaker 2: while you can, because you never know when things are
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  Speaker 2: going to have to be put in place to keep
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  Speaker 2: territory and safe. But I know territorians will take it
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  Speaker 2: in their stride and what they need to keep the
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  Speaker 2: territory safe. So thinking of you all.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, Luke, we are anticipating that the Chief Minister,
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  Speaker 1: Michael Gunner is going to be at around ten thirty
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  Speaker 1: this morning holding a press conference. I know that they've
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  Speaker 1: had a SEMPSI meeting earlier today, so all eyes will
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  Speaker 1: be on that press conference just to see exactly what
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  Speaker 1: situation we are in here in the Northern Territory. Luke Gosling,
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  Speaker 1: the Member for Solomon, always appreciate your time. Thank you
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  Speaker 1: for speaking with us this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you Katie, and thanks for all your
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  Speaker 2: support in trying to push for getting these people evacuated
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  Speaker 2: as well. It's very much appreciated by the veteran and
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  Speaker 2: broader community.
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  Speaker 1: Good on you, Luke. Thank you,