Armenia–Azerbaijan war
Kim WELLS (Rowville) (09:45): I stand by the many Armenians who live in Rowville and the south-east region. There are few things that have left me speechless, but after my recent visit to Armenia, I and other members of Parliament are struggling to describe the atrocities that we have witnessed. It is just unbelievable to me and deeply saddening when children become involved in war. As a parent myself, I cannot think of a worse position to be in than not being able to provide food and shelter for my children. I spoke with a mother who had just fled her home, and she said she had absolutely nowhere to go. Her only relative who was not already fleeing, her mother, was in Yerevan. Having already taken in her sister’s family, she had no room left.
Tragically, thousands of Armenian parents are in an impossible situation, fleeing for their lives from the Azerbaijan military. It is estimated that a total of 300,000 Christian Armenians will be forced to flee their homeland. As a First World nation with the privilege of being free, it ought to be our responsibility to endeavour to provide the same freedom everywhere. I strongly urge my parliamentary colleagues both here and in Canberra to support Armenia and its citizens. They not only desperately need our help but they deserve it.