STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator SHOEBRIDGE (New South Wales) (13:49): I know that people from Afghanistan here in Australia are hurting today. We just received information about a blast at a school in Kabul that has injured nearly 50 children and tragically taken the life of two. While information is still coming in, we know this area was in a school that was predominantly a Hazara area.

The Hazara people have faced horrific and untold persecution at the hands of the Taliban. I know the Hazara community here in Australia are watching in horror at these scenes and at the information that comes in. Reports that many of those injured are girls no older than 14 years make it even more devastating.

As more information on this blast comes out over the coming hours, we stand in solidarity with our friends and the community here. Your culture and your history is safe here, but there must be a full investigation. We've seen previous attacks on young women and groups like Hazara people since the fall of Kabul five years ago.

In fact, this week was the commemoration of Afghanistan's Black Day. I want to thank the Afghan Peace Foundation for bringing the amazing women from the Afghan cricket team here in parliament, and I want to give a shout-out to my friend Tahera Nassrat for doing a terrific job emceeing that event. But what we heard was genuinely appalling.

The Taliban regime has not only stopped women from speaking in public; they're stopping them from even being seen in their homes or seen out of their homes. It is gender apartheid at a shocking level. It reminds us that we need to do more.

We of course need to make sure that there are humanitarian pathways for people from Afghanistan to come to Australia to seek safety. Many of those worked with Australia during the war. We also need to open more scholarships and opportunities to get people, especially women, out.

There is a wealth of talent, knowledge and brilliance as well as ancient cultures in Afghanistan that the Taliban is brutally repressing. Australia must do more. We owe it to all the people of Afghanistan.