Last updated: December 28, 2014


Breaking News

Australian Prime Minister Gillard closes debate on Afghanistan

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has wound up the parliamentary debate on the war in Afghanistan vowing to see through Australia's mission.

The debate has been running for four parliamentary sitting weeks.

Ms Gillard today acknowledged that she and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had agreed on the need for Parliament to make wise decisions about war.

"On this at least ... we are at one," she told the Parliament.

Ms Gillard said the right thing had been done by discussing so openly Australia's part in the war.

"There will be many hard days ahead but we are cautiously encouraged by what we've seen.

"Australia will see the mission through."

Ensuring Afghanistan did not become a safe haven again for terrorists and maintaining Australia's alliance commitments with the US were key factors.

Ms Gillard said she believed the NATO-led coalition strategy was right and Australia was on track to complete its training mission in two to four years.

She acknowledged some parliamentarians had said not enough ground had been made since Australia became involved in 2001.

"I do not agree," she said, adding the military assessment was that operations were reducing the effectiveness of the insurgency.

But she admitted it was a resilient insurgency and the situation in Afghanistan remained dangerous.

Australia's mission was clear, despite some MPs suggesting it was not, Ms Gillard said.

"I disagree, it is an achievable task."

While Ms Gillard maintained the Taliban should never be allowed to return to power in Afghanistan she noted there were preliminary signs some senior Taliban leaders were looking at a path of reconciliation.

"Reconciliation will only work if it is an Afghan-led process."

Ms Gillard said she had no problem with the Parliament questioning the structure of Australia's forces in Afghanistan.

Australia would argue for two main outcome at the NATO summit on Afghanistan in Lisbon this weekend, the Prime Minister said.

The first would be a "credible and conditions-based strategy" for transition to Afghan-led security by the end of 2014.

"If leaders at Lisbon endorse such a framework, then commanders on the ground working with the Afghan government can provide the detailed planning on when and where transition will take place."

The second would be a commitment by the international community not to abandon Afghanistan.

At the centre of the parliamentary debate was the fact Australian soldiers were fighting and dying in Afghanistan, Ms Gillard said.

"The gravity of the debate reflected the gravity of the war itself," she said, adding nobody could deny the human cost of the war.

"The war has seen more tears outside the house than in."