the world. instead of trying to talk it down, we should be celebrating it. it is opening businesses; it is creating employment; it is training apprentices; it is backing our academy programme. how typical of the party opposite; all it wants to do is talk down great british businesses. >> does the prime minister agree that what this government do, as when they helped us save the medway insolvency service, is represent the interests of ordinary, decent trade unionists, who too often are lions led by donkeys? >> i absolutely agree with my honorable friend, and may i pay tribute to him for his work in saving the medway insolvency service? this is important; the fact is that those in the party opposite are in hock to union leaders, and that is why they refuse to investigate the scandal of these rigged appointments. that is what this scandal is

about, and that is what they refuse to talk about. >> large developers are major contributors to conservative party funds, so could the prime minister tell the house what role they have played in shaping conservative party planning policy? >> as a member of unite, the honorable lady speaks with great authority on this subject. let me explain again: when people donate to the conservative party they are not buying votes for the leader, they are not buying policies and they are not buying votes at the party conference. the reason the leader of the opposition has his job is that trade unions bought votes in the labour party and put him where he is. that does not happen in any other political party, and if labour members have got any sense at all, they will realise it is profoundly wrong. >> i am sure the prime minister will agree that there is no better way to build a stronger

economy and a fairer society than through apprenticeships. in solihull, the number of apprenticeships has nearly doubled already, and i am on a mission to build on that success by working with local businesses to create 100 new apprenticeships in 100 days. will the prime minister support that objective? >> i would certainly support my honorable friend's campaign, as i would support the campaign of all members across the house to encourage people to take up apprenticeships. that is about encouraging not only young people, but businesses. in solihull and the west midlands we have the advantage of jaguar land rover, a company that is really powering ahead, taking on many more employees and also investing heavily in apprenticeships. >> this morning, a constituent contacted my constituency office threatening to commit suicide because they were so depressed from the effect that welfare reform was having on them. i would like to say that that was a unique incident, but it

was not. will the prime minister tell the house what the government are doing to analyse the effect of welfare reform on the mental health of this country and how he is going to react to it? >> as i have said many times at this dispatch box, i am always happy to look at individual cases, but the fact is that we badly need to have welfare reform in this country; the system was completely out of control. housing benefit was out of control, and disability living allowance had gone up by a third in the past 10 years. we need reforms, and it is no good the shadow chancellor gesticulating, because he now is in favour, apparently, of welfare reform; the only problem is that he opposed all £86 billion of the reforms that we have made. >> engineering work financed by this government is under way to re-double the line between stroud and swindon, which is fantastic news. does the prime minister agree that it is a good example of sensible investment in infrastructure, leading to

economic growth for gloucestershire? >> my honorable friend is absolutely right. investing particularly in some of the branch lines which have been single-track lines, such as the ones that serve my constituency, and turning them into double-track lines really makes the service far better and far more reliable; we can also get more people out of their cars and on to trains, and use the service like that. >> has lynton crosby advised the prime minister to model himself on senator mccarthy? >> what i say to the honorable gentleman is that he needs to examine again this relationship between the unions and the labour party -- that is the problem. yes, they do this: they give you the money, they buy the votes, they buy the leader. that is how it works. >> that was this past weeks>> prime ministers questions from the british house of commons. you can see that live on c-span to every wednesday 7:00 a.m.

eastern and again on sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. eastern. british foreign secretary william hague on the situation in the middle east and north africa. then questions from members of the british house of commons were he addresses concerns over syria and the likelihood of military intervention in egypt. this is a little more than 45 minutes. >> the secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs. secretary william hague. >> i will update the house on the uk's response to events in the middle east and north africa. members on all sides will be concerned about the situation in egypt. offeringsy in cairo is

assistance to british nationals and we advise against all nonessential travel to egypt outside the red sea resort. thede clear last week at united kingdom does not support military interventions into democratic politics. although we recognize that many egyptians welcomed the action that was taken. i have been in close contact with the acting egyptian foreign minister, and i have emphasized the importance of an urgent return to democratic processes and express our deep concern over the deaths of 50 protesters. the egyptian authorities have announced an interim prime minister and a timetable for new elections. this process should be inclusive , open to all parties, and lead to free and fair elections. this should therefore mean the release of political journalists. an agreement on a new constitution. the checks and balances of a democratic system. urgent steps to reform egypt's economy. the egyptian people demanded a real democratic voice, and jobs

not corruption in the economy. so far their leaders have failed to deliver this. the hunger and aspiration for a better egypt is as strong and urgent as ever. it is vital for their own country and the region that all sides rise above self-interest and work towards an open, democratic, and reforming egypt. there is no alternative to the long work of making the success of the transitions in egypt, tunisia, libya, and yemen. the is why i announced to house yesterday that the uk will train 2000 libyan armed forces and basic infantry skills. this is part of a broader effort with the u.s., italy, and france, agreed at the g8, to help the government disarm and integrate militias and imprudent or did. , credit change is a process not an event. progress is a process not an event.

providetherefore patient, long-term support to governments and civil societies in the region as we are derived -- doing through our -araberships and the uk partnership. we support women's dissipation, electoral reform, and the building of democratic institutions. achieving lasting, positive change will be the work of a generation. this goes hand-in-hand with our support for the middle east peace process. i take tribute to secretary kerry for tirelessly preparing the ground for a return to negotiations. andundersecretary of state i have visited is really and palestinian leaders to urge them to enter negotiations. we are ready to work with the european union and arab nations and offer practical support, and i call on israelis and palestinians to show the courage that is necessary. this may be the last opportunity to achieve a two state solution.

this also requires progress on gaza. the status quo is not sustainable. all sides need to implement a cease-fire agreement. it should include a permanent end to rocket attacks and an easing of israeli restrictions grid we will also make every and iran's nuclear program. we look forward to a new government to give a comprehensive response to our proposal for a confidence building measure and to cooperate fully with the iaea. we will respond in good faith to positive action by iran. we are ready to improve our relations on a step-by-step doubt but no one should our resolve to prevent nuclear proliferation. the middle east is vital to our national interest and security. it would be a major strategic error for our country and our allies to turn away from the region. this includes the conflicts in syria, or the death toll is mounting, extremism is growing,

and the risk of the total collapse of the country is ever present. the assad regime has ramped up its military assaults using airstrikes, missiles, and artillery. as many as 13,000 syrian civilians have been killed since my last statement to the house on the 20th of may. u.n. figures for the total number of deaths will soon exceed 100,000 people. million internally displaced people inside syria, and 1.7 million refugees are placing an immense strain on the economies of neighboring countries. by the end of the year, 10 million people to be in need of assistance, almost half the population. we judge that iran is providing personnel, equipment, and weapons to the assad regime, which is also being supported by thousands of hezbollah fighters from lebanon. we call on syria to allow the u.n. unfettered access to investigate incidents of chemical weapons use in syria.

those responsible for any attacks should be held to account. we have passed evidence of the use of sarah and asked in syria. confirmednfirmed -- attacks in homs. have three objectives. to promote a political solution in syria, to help save lives, and to protect the national security of the united kingdom. first, political transition remains the best hope of ending the violence. i attended meetings of the core group of the friends of syria on the 22nd of may and on the 22nd of june could we agreed to increase practical support to the opposition and to channel that support for the national coalition. we all want a political solution, but that will not be possible if the legitimate opposition can be obliterated. on the 17th of june, the g8 including russia reaffirm the call for a second conference in geneva leading to the creation

of a transitional governing body with full executive powers. the national coalition has expanded its membership significantly to include other opposition groups on the moderate armed opposition. it has pledged to increase the the buildup of local government structures. we will work with the new president to help the syrian opposition promote its vision of a free, democratic, and pluralistic syria that defends the rights of all syrians. the regime offensive of recent weeks has made it even harder to bring a geneva conference together. we will continue our diplomacy with the u.s., russia, arab nations, and the u.n. to bring about a conference while preparing for the risks if the conflict worsens. lives.working to save we have already provided more than 12 million pounds and nonlethal assistance to the national coalition local councils. we have provided armored

vehicles, body armor, generators, communications equipment, and other equipment as well as training for human rights activist to document violations grid we will provide a further 20 million pounds and nonlethal assistance in the coming months, which we have already announced, including communication support and turning for the national coalition. we are exporting the possibility of adding civilian policing ofuctures and the supply protective equipment against chemical and biological weapons use. this week we will again deploy our uk experts to syrian borders to train professionals and human rights defenders to document evidence of rape and sexual violence. we areid in march, providing technical assistance for the protection of civilians greeted this includes providing advice and training on how to maintain security in areas no longer controlled by the regime. as well as advice on coordination between civilian and military council on how to protect civilians and minimize

the risks and how to maintain security during the transition. on the question of any future of legal support, that is arming the opposition or intervening militarily, the government's position has not changed. no decision has been made, and any decision will be put to the house on a substantive motion. we have doubled united kingdom's humanitarian assistance to syria and its neighbors to 348 million pounds over the next two years. this includes 50 million pounds for syrian refugees and host communities in jordan, 50 andion pounds from lebanon, i condemn yesterday's bomb t and called on lebanese parties to work together to resist efforts by extremists and terrorist to undermine lebanon's hard-won peace. the longer the serious conflict continues, the more important it becomes to provide stabilization and development support where we are able to do so as well as

urgent humanitarian assistance. the uk will continue to lead efforts to improve the effectiveness of the international response. the development secretary hosted a meeting with like-minded dates and will also host a separate event to plan international support for syria after a transition. third and finally, we are determined to protect a british national security against risks posed by groups in syria affiliated with al qaeda. they are taking advantage of ungoverned space created by the conflict. we judge that there are now over 100 uk-linked individuals who have traveled to syria. some individuals returning to the uk can pose a long-term terrorist threat. the most important step to tackle the terrorism threat is to end the conflict and secure a transition to a new legitimate government. but extremists should have no doubt about the action we are prepared to take to protect our national security. our intelligence agencies are

working to to disrupt potential threats. the police have the power to examine and detain individuals at the uk border to investigate anyone suspected of terrorism involvement. uk nationals seeking to travel from the uk can have their passports refused or withdrawn. foreign nationals resident in the uk can have their passports revoked if they are deemed non- conducive to the public good. international diplomacy has failed so far to resolve the crisis in syria. the uk will continue to play a leading role in promoting a political solution even though we may have to persist over many months and saving lives. safeguarding our national security at all times. we will continue to help peace in the middle east and africa, to make transitions, keeping faith with people, rejecting the interest of the uk, and trying

to widen international peace and security. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the minister for his statement and let me turn to events in egypt. for the events of the past to become it has been a major setback for the mock receipt. any not not represent any reversal trend. the military in any democracy must be subject to it executive oversight. the priority must now be a return in egypt to civilian rule through a credible transition process that results in swift fair and free elections. i welcome the recent statement by the interim president setting a deadline for new elections to be held before february 2014. however recent report suggest that not all parties have accepted this process including recent statements from the muslim brotherhood refusing to take part. does the foreign secretary agree that it is vital that the transition process for interim to full civilian government must

be inclusive and representative if it is to be seen to be legitimate? mr. speaker, recent reports of the arrest and imprisonment of political activists and journalists in egypt are deeply concerning. including reports today about egypt's prosecutor's office issuing warrants for a number of people affiliated with the muslim brotherhood. will the foreign secretary also make clear when he response the british government's position on political prisoners in egypt? egypt's long-term future will be secured not simply by an end to violence, but also with a start to economic recovery. the foreign secretary spoke about the partnership in his remarks, but can you tell the house specifically how much of the $38 billion originally intended from that fund as cited in his uncertainty in october 2011 has actually not been allocated, and if he cannot give us those figures, can you place a note in the house of the library?

let me turn to the ongoing crisis in syria. i welcome the confirmation of the uk's commitment to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis, but the situation is nonetheless deteriorating. only this morning the intelligence and security committee published a report which expresses "serious concern about al qaeda's elements gaining access to the vast stockpiles of chemical weapons within syria." it is a matter of wheel were great that the recent g8 summit in northern ireland hosted by the uk failed to deliver the breakthrough that we wanted to see in relations with syria. could the foreign secretary today be more specific about what he judges the prospect for geneva to actually being convened in the weeks and months ahead? i welcome the secretary's commitment that the prime minister intends to recall parliament and call for a vote

on the substantive notion -- motion if any decision is take my the government to send military equipment to the syrian opposition. i would also ask the foreign secretary about jordan. it seems a curious omission. jordan has a been a long- standing ally of the united kingdom. could i press the foreign secretary about what consideration is being given to what other assistance can be provided to jordan beyond humanitarian support given the strain that is being felt by that country given the extraordinary generosity it has shown in relation to the crisis? let me turn to the middle east he's process greatly welcome welcome the recent efforts by u.s. secretary of state john kerry to bring parties together to reinvigorate the stalled talks. after his five visits to the region last year -- this year, secretary kerry spoke about the progress being made.

we welcome the foreign secretary statement of support for this process, but will be set out what steps the british government is taking to help ensure negotiations are ongoing? these negotiations take place at the time of great upheaval and uncertainty in the wider region. we welcome the election of president rowhani, but there are steps he needs to take if the ongoing nuclear crisis is to be recalled -- resolved. a nuclear armed iran is not simply a threat to israel, but a risk to all nations. the government will have our support in pushing for the talks that have so far not yielded sufficient progress. in conclusion, the foreign secretary statement comes at a time of unprecedented uncertainty across the middle east and north africa. this transformative time of a people and conflict poses fundamental questions not just for the foreign secretary but for policymakers across the region. it should therefore add to the

urgency of efforts being made to try to resolve the ongoing intractable conflict that has for too long defined history in the region. >> i am grateful to the right honorable gentleman. i think on most if not all of these subjects are is very strong agreement across the floor of the house. i absolutely agree with the way he put the opposition's attitude on egypt and what has happened is may be a setback for democracy, but it needn't be any reversal trend. i think that is absolutely right. he is right to point out that the parties in egypt, some of the parties have not agreed to the timetable of constitutional declarations, parliamentary and presidential election set out by the new president, in fact, most of them have not agreed, including the national salvation front who are one of the prime movers behind last week's event.

though there is widespread objection to the details of this announcement, this cannot be resolved in any other way than an inclusive and legitimate process inside egypt, as he has said. we call on all parties to do that. it would be a terrible mistake for the authorities in egypt to act in a way which drives the muslim brotherhood or any other legitimate parties out of democratic politics. that is a mistake that must be avoided at all costs. it would also be a mistake for the muslim brotherhood to now refuse under all circumstances to take part in democratic politics. i think and all nations who hold dear the stability and future of egypt as we do, we have to encourage people to resolve these differences and counsel against making those mistakes

whether it be in the muslim brotherhood or the new authorities. part of that is releasing prisoners print i absolutely agree about that. i have made that point to the foreign minister, the acting foreign minister of egypt. my friend has been pursuing it with the egyptian ambassador in london this morning. they should be released unless they are our criminal charges against them. -- there are criminal charges. the holding of prisoners for political purposes does not help the process we have been speaking up. the $38 billion was not a fund. it was the total financing for all global institutions available to the countries of the region. if and when pursuing economic policies that give them access to that, one of the problems of the outgoing government in egypt was that they did not agree on an imf program and did not win

international financial support. the part of the partnership that involves grants, that involves funds that can be given away is much smaller than that. we have been determined during our presence at the g-8 to make them make a tangible difference. this year, the partnership transition fund has started to deliver practical support. there are projects of over $100 million that have been approved this year. these support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. this is the part that is a fund. the potential international financing is vastly greater. if the right economic reforms are undertaken. i welcome what he said about iran and i think there is strong agreement across the house in support for further round of negotiations with a new government in iran.

also strong agreement on the middle east he's processed. -- peace process. i have said before that we have to be ready in the uk and other european countries to want -- to offer incentives or even disincentives at times during those negotiations for israelis and palestinians to try to make it a success working with united states. first we have to get negotiations going. we have been urging israelis and palestinian leaders to take the opportunity of working with john kerry on this, stressing that there is no alternative. there is no one else other than the united states who will be able to bring the necessary authority to this, to bring israel to the necessary agreements, to enter negotiations and make a success of them. working with john kerry is essential.

we await further announcements in the coming weeks. on syria, on a date for geneva, there is no date at the moment. after the g-8, further meeting was held between the u.s., russia, and the u.n. in geneva on the 25th of june. a trilateral meeting. that again did not produce a date. the fundamental problem is that while the regime is engaged in military offense is as it is in homs, the regime does not have any incentive to come to meaningful negotiations nor is the opposition in a frame of mind to come to negotiations. those military offensives are making it harder for either party to come to geneva. finally on jordan, jordan was not an omission. i referred to our humanitarian assistance for it i also referred in the house in the past to the other assistance we

are giving jordan. we have sent military equipment to help the jordanian armed forces operate on the border, collecting refugees, bringing them to refugee camps. we have 1.5 million pounds going to jordan through our partnership fund to support civil society. we are in regular touch with jordan. i spoke with the jordanian foreign minister earlier this week, particularly to thank him for jordanian citizens for the legal assistance treaty. i have also made clear to him that we are happy to give her their assistance from the uk -- further assistance from the uk if they ask for it. >> on egypt, may i acquaint my right honorable friend with the news that when i arrived as a national servicemen in the charming town of series 64 years ago, ceres 64 years

its townspeople were busy writing against -- rioting against the party. 64 years from now, i have little doubt that the egyptian people will still be rioting. may i make the constructive suggestion to the foreign secretary that there is little he can do to help, except by not sending in british troops to restore order? [laughter] >> i can assure my right honorable friend that i have no plans to send in british troops to restore order. the only time since the second world war that we have sent british troops into egypt, i do recall my right honorable friend it does bear out the wisdom of experience. we will not be doing that.

we have to stress that what we are calling for can only be brought about by egyptians. we must not pretend anything other than that. what we say and what other countries say does matter. how we are prepared to help in the future does matter. we have to make those things clear to the egyptians even though it certainly does not involve the to plummet of british troops. >> it is clear that the foreign secretary was familiar with the right honorable gentleman's activities. mr. jack straw? >> contrary to the distinguished but dismal prognosis, with the secretary except that across africa, there has been remarkable progress in recent decades to produce democracies? one of the things that will set that back is if the west appears to be equal the coal about -- equivocal when it does not approve of negotiations? this was a military to. -- military coup. if we do not accept it, we will feed the extremists on the islamic side, that we regard democracy as an optional extra

when the people that are elected are only people we approve of. >> half of the fastest-growing economies in the world are now in africa. there is economic success and there are many democracies becoming established. that is something to be welcomed and respected. that is why i was clear on wednesday night last week that the united kingdom does not support military interventions in democratic politics. we should always be prepared to state that clearly. and to state what i was saying an answer to the shadow foreign secretary, a muslim brotherhood must not be driven out of democratic politics. or any other country.

i think across the house we can uphold those things strongly. >> i welcome the foreign secretary statement. the peace process remains the best hope for the people of syria. if as he says iran is implicated in that conflict, isn't it now essential to reach out to the new regime of dr. rowhani and involve them in the peace process in syria including geneva to it is to do otherwise is beginning to look unhelpfully dogmatic? >> he is right about the importance of iran given iranian intervention in syria on such a scale. the extent to which they can be involved in the peace process will be heavily up to them. they have not hitherto supported the outcome of last year's conference, the creation of a transitional government with full executive authority. without agreeing with that, it is very hard to see how any success can be made with participation in negotiations over the coming months. of course, those negotiations have to be in circumstances that will produce the maximum success. a judgment about iran or how iran is involved will be guided by that objective.

>> can i welcome his commitment that any decision to arm the opposition or to intervene militarily will be put to the house on a substantial notion? can i ask that that not happens can i ask whether he intends that it happens not as in libya after the decision has been activated before?, but before -- activated but before? >> i do not think it is right to compare this to libya. in libya, we acted urgently to save lives with armored columns advancing on benghazi.

we would not have been able to take that action with france had we waited however many hours to call the house together. i do not think it is possible to give 100% guarantees. on a question such as the supply of arms to someone else in the world, it is possible to anticipate that. >> mr. speaker, with my right honorable friend agreed with me that although the premises -- the prognosis from egypt is indeed gloomy, it was always going to take generations to fix a difficult social and political situation in egypt, but wouldn't he agree that this country has a major role to play in assisting many countries in the middle east in terms of governments, in terms of improving opportunities, as rations for their people, and training people so they can get what everybody wants all over the world, which is jobs and some security? >> we have a big role to play. the european union using its

collective economic weight is a big role potentially to play. while we must never pretend that these matters can be sorted out by anybody other than egyptians, we mustn't understate what we can do to assist. british companies are the biggest investors in egypt. there are a myriad of family and business and personal connections between the people of egypt and the people of the united kingdom. we mustn't understate our influence. what we can do can help. what we say does matter. >> thank you, mr. speaker. my right honorable friend and the foreign secretary and indeed president obama all regretted or expressed regret over the military intervention in egypt. however, the special envoy of the quartet to the middle east suggested that the military intervention -- they had no alternative, it was inevitable. i realize the foreign secretary has been busy, but i wonder if he has had an opportunity to discuss those remarks with a special envoy?

>> the former prime minister, the special envoy, does not have to clear with the foreign secretary of the day everything that he says. i'm not sure he would've ever cleared it with the foreign secretary of his own government. [laughter] he certainly doesn't clear it with the foreign secretary of the next government. that would be hoping for too much. i thought things in different ways from him. as she has noted and several others have treated -- have. we do have to acknowledge that there was enormous dissatisfaction in europe -- in egypt with a record of that government, and therefore, as of last week, what happened was very popular. nevertheless, i think we should be clear as we discussed a few moments ago that we cannot support military interventions in democratic rossa says. -- processes. >> the sentiment emerging from the middle east is that leaders who introduce reform are grudgingly receiving the respect of their people.

nobody is doing better than this then the king of jordan. can you assure me you are doing everything you can to help the king introduce the constitutional monarchy that he is proposing? monarchs are emerging as beacons of stability in the region. >> yes, he makes a good point. monarchs enjoy greater legitimacy over their populations. then many other alternative heads of state. perhaps a lesson of our own history here in the united kingdom as well. of course, we are seeing various very substantial reform programs to forward by the king of jordan, overseen by the king of morocco -- that would be another example. he discussed this very regularly with his majesty the king himself who was here in the uk.

i discussed it with him a few weeks ago. we do help to advise with expertise in the assistance i described. there is no cap on the amount of advice, expertise, or ask -- or assistance you can give if requested. >> like many other people, i am really worried about that message, that the west is standing by and watching the military overthrow a democratically elected government. the foreign secretary's colleague in turkey has said "it is unacceptable for a government which has come to power through democratic elections to be toppled through illicit means and even more military coup." weeks ago. we do help to advise with expertise in the assistance i described. there is no cap on the amount of the foreign secretary knows that language really matters in the circumstances. will he joins turkish colleague and recognizing that this has been a military coup? >> i think i have already done

that in some of the interviews that i have given and made that clear. i have spoken in detail with my colleague who is extremely concerned about it. i simply added that we have to understand that it was a popular intervention or coup. that doesn't mean this is the right way to proceed. it does mean that we have to

think about and give good counsel on how the various parties work together in egypt now. whatever happens, this is not going to be preserved by military intervention. however great our disapproval, we have to now encourage all concerned in egypt and offer democratic processes, protecting human rights, making the economic progress that the country desperately needs. >> may i welcome the assurance that the foreign secretary has given that that -- that no legal support will be provided to the searing opposition without prior

votes in parliament, and also a similar assurance given by the leader of the house of which i was not aware until recently -- may i remind the foreign secretary that by coincidence we have tomorrow debate being moved by honorable friend on that very subject? may we therefore presume that if the house divides tomorrow, government ministers will be voting for the motion rather than just sitting on their hands? >> most government ministers are elsewhere tomorrow. i am not able to say what most

of them will do, but as for governments, we have made our position clear could the government having already done so, the government says -- sees no need to vote for or against the motion of this kind. >> is the right honorable gentleman aware of the continued and increasing redefinition of borders by the israelis whereby, for example, one family is allowed to live in a house it is house is defined as being in the west bank, not to the balcony because the balcony is defined as being in jerusalem, and another family is allowed to live in the house but not use the toilet because the toilet is defined as being not in the west bank but jerusalem -- would he agree with me that this continual, tyrannical oppression which makes people's daily lives an utter misery is not conducive to any kind of peace negotiations which will result in freedom for the palestinians and a secure israel? >> mr. speaker, it is the advanced of settlements on

occupied land which makes return to negotiations in the peace governments, we have made our position clear could the government having already done so, the government says -- sees no need to vote for or against the motion of this kind. >> is the right honorable process so urgent. those settlements are illegal. they create, as well as creating many anomalies, including the kind the right honorable gentleman just described, and i visited families whose homes had been demolished. i went to see the b-1 area, which is of enormous importance, in determining whether a viable palestinian state can be created. i think our views in this house are very well expressed. that is how we have also expressed them at united nations could -- nation security council. >> thank you, mr. speaker. what hopes does my right

honorable friend have that the syrian opposition, especially the al-nusra front, can achieve its aim of providing a free, democratic, and pluralistic syria that defends the rights of all syrians after the demise of the assad regime? >> we cannot look to the al- nusra front to provide a free, democratic syria. they are not the majority. either of people fighting for the opposition, and certainly not among people who simply want to see peace and dignity and prosperity for their country and a change of government. i think my honorable friend should be able to trust us invariably over the national coalition. with their expanded membership and new leadership, this includes many secular figures and minorities from across syria. i have found in all of my meetings with them that their commitment to a democratic, nonsectarian syria is credible and it is sincere.

>> it sese politicians might have sympathies for those people in tahrir square. would he agree with me that it is important to reject those that say that islamic politics is all one-dimensional, that the muslim brotherhood are the same as jihad ease, and that there are divisions within the muslim brotherhood? if we say to islamists who have turned to democracy, there is no place for them, we commit a very serious error. >> i think that is well put by the honorable member. this will be important not only in egypt but in libya, tunisia and many other countries as

well. it is important to have a sophisticated enough understanding to see that there are many different shades of opinion. we should be clear in our principles to welcome participation in democratic procedures and to uphold those over time. i agree with him. >> britain has always condemned ethnic cleansing wherever it takes place around the world. will he therefore condemned the israeli parliament for its vote to evict 40,000 headwinds -- bedouins? >> we do not agree with the decisions about removals of the bedouin people. i visited a bedouin encampment

to illustrate this point. i met some of the people. their original land was in the desert. they have since moved. into areas of the west bank. we want to see those people, of course, this is one reason why we want to see the middle east peace process taken forward. we want them to have their own clear rights and their own places where they can live. while i'm not going to add further language to what the government has said during this telik a time -- delicate time, i think we can see clearly where we stand on this. >> the foreign secretary was right to express his concerns over the involvement of hezbollah in the syrian conflict and also elsewhere across the middle east, but given that

investigations in bulgaria and in cyprus have uncovered evidence of as the law activity hezbollah activity in europe, what conversations is the foreign secretary having about the prescription -- about hezbollah? >> i have been having lots of conversations. there have been some differences of you. but i think we have made some progress on it. there will be further discussions this month and we are coming up to a meeting of eu foreign ministers and 12 days time. i cannot say it will be resolved then, but there will be further discussions in and around that meeting. i will continue to advocate the designation of the military wing of hezbollah -- there has to be a clear consequence and a clear price exacted by european countries for terrorist acts on european soil. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the secretary of state will be aware of paragraph 87 of the g8 communiqué which made it quite clear that all the countries have committed to a decision that they supported a u.n. commission to syria to see if

chemical weapons have been used. relation to that, how far away are we from having a mission in syria? russia has not been party the two that mina k. -- partly to that communiqué. finally, when there is a mission and a finding, does the foreign secretary understand that russia has not been a party to this, will they support the findings of the report? >> my friend raises an important point. we continue to press for the u.n. mission to have access to all the necessary places in syria in order to make the evaluations about the alleged use of chemical weapons. we have certainly seen, as we said before, substantial evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the regime.

the assad regime has not given permission for access to the relevant places. at the moment, that mission is stalled. yes, we have discussed that. he is quite right that it was important language at the g8 on this. we have been discussing with russia and others at the u.n. security council about how to proceed on this. we will continue to ask for russia's help in ensuring that there is access to the relevant places. >> in a region in turmoil, with

the foreign secretary not agree that the biggest single threat to world peace is actually iran's potential development of a nuclear weapon? it is widely accepted that i ran as an enriched uranium beyond the 3.5% necessary for civilian nuclear use, but what knowledge does the foreign secretary have that iran may developing a plutonium plan b at its iraq nuclear facility? the heavy water section of which has been off-limits to inspectors for the last 18 months. >> my friend is also right to raise this. there is grave concern including concern expressed by the international atomic energy

authority over the heavy water plant at iraq. as one of the aspects of iran's nuclear program to which the iaea wants greater access. the president elect mr. rove on he -- rowhani has said he is committed to transparency. one way to demonstrate that would be to be transparent about it, and otherwise will be increasingly alarmed. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as soon as egypt is able to restore stability and democracy, then the sooner it will be able to exert a positive influence in the middle east. i hope the secretary of state will agree that while we disapprove of the military

intervention that now is not the time for either the uk or other nations to withdraw aid and support when the egyptians try to resolve their difficulties. >> the latest report discerning afghanistan. 7:00 a.m.ive at eastern on c-span. >> we are bullish on cable. initially, it was video. over time, that has become rollingd voice, and out other services on top of that like home monitoring.

it could be things like managing the thermostat or turning on your heater. or a nanny cam. there were new services beginning to roll out on that platform. >> we just issued an annual report. what we found was consistent with what we found in recent years. most peopleprice subscribed to continues to go up. it went up six percent last year. the price per channel has come down. what we see are consumers getting more channels. not our job at the moment. >> more from this years annual annual cable show, "the communicators." now, highlights from the australian parliaments june session, including remarks from the prime minister and her successor, who claimed his

position as prime minister following a leadership. is courtesy of australia's all the affairs channel. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> hello. coming up, we will show you highlights of the latest sitting of the australian parliament. for those who follow australian parliament, déjà vu. a new prime minister has been installed just before an election. from those watching abroad, this may seem strange but it has happened before, only three years ago. the 43rd australian parliament, kevin returns to the top job. julia replaced him three years a lawyer. and faced aled couple unsuccessful challenges

over the years. finally, kevin had the numbers. just before julia had to enter , theament for questions prime minister put on a brave face. >> the prime minister -- [laughter] >> thank you very much. to the leader of the opposition's question, a pity he did not listen to some of the answers earlier. i can assure him and the australian people that i am getting on with the job.

that is why i can come into this parliament today and say through these are elements, we have legislated to improve school funding to invest in our nation's future to invite every chance to realize full [indiscernible] thisve worked on patiently over five years and today, it has gone through parliament. we are continuing discussion. i was able to report to parliament today the premier has opened the door to those discussions. we me assure the parliament will be walking through the door. at the same time, we are continuing to make sure our economy grows and offer stable jobs and opportunities.

--are deliberating delivering our plan to create jobs today and invents -- invest in tomorrow. our clean energy future, from then, so we move stages of inventing new knowledge to using the new knowledge to create jobs and opportunity for the australian people. we are continuing to chart our nation's course. including me personally committing myself to an annual leaders dialogue with the president of indonesia in the coming days. we know our future is in this offers our that nation and the stork opportunity to engage in growth. the leadership continues with his negativity and continues to hide his plan, continues to be

out there rather than with solutions to problems. jobre getting on with the to building a stronger and smarter and clearer australia. in september, people will have the opportunity to judge. they will have the opportunity to judge who has the best land for investment in our nation's toure, and who has a plan bring our nations economy to a standstill by cutting too hard in the wrong places. the australian people will make that choice and i believe the australian people will vote for a better future under a labor government. an hour later, the prime minister sat down with me for what turned out to be her final interview as prime minister. she announced there would be a ballot for the leadership and she said whoever should make a

commitment to lead together. is a petition circulating within the labour party to call for a leadership ballot. me old-fashioned, but the way in which these things are normally done is by challenger , you shake hands and the ballot is held. that has not happened. in theot think it is best interest of the nation and the labour party for this matter to be resolved. while i have not been approached by anyone saying they wish to be prime minister or labor leader, it is my intention to call a ballot for the labor -- leadership. >> you will stand? class every time. i believe policy government is about purpose, not about personality but about values

and getting big things done the nation needs. , in today, in the midst have been very focused on our education reform and improving schools. that is my focus. i believe politics is about purpose and not about personality. i think everyone involved should expect a few conditions on the ballot and should come to understand the true significance of the ballot. anybody who believes they should be made the leader should be putting themselves forward. opportunities.re tonight is the night. this is it. personality.ut all of those issues need to be resolved tonight. cannot have the government or the labour party go to the next

election leading the labour party and that person floating around as a potential alternate leader. believe anybody who enters the ballot tonight should do it on the following conditions, that if you lose, you retire from politics. that? >>e going to do absolutely. >>you believe parliament? correct. i think that is the right thing to do for the nation and the political party i lead. we cannot be in a circumstance -- so much of my prime minister ship, truth be told. i have been in a political contest with people from my own political party. certainly, no leader

should be in a position in the run-up to an election. this is it. am asking my political party to endorse me as a leader and prime minister of purpose. people will make their decision. after, it is over. for the person not successful to retire from politics. third time is coming to a head. who do you blame for that? when he says he is not interested in challenging -- >> i will let all of my colleagues decide on that. would say for myself, and i know these things -- what has always driven me in politics and isl continue to drive me getting things done in accordance with labor values. [indiscernible]

keep coming back to this? do you accept any responsibility for the fact so many of your colleagues want to bring this on again? >> i except responsibility. people need to respect -- except responsibility for their conduct. it i can certainly tell you have never been diversion from that task in achieving the big things. i am aware how debilitating this nonsense is for my political party, for my parliamentary colleagues, which is why i am making it where i think the only decent thing for anybody to do is to say, that is it. toight, this is the moment decide. i except the outcome.

i am not successful, i will not run at the next election. whether it is me or someone else who emerges from tonight's contest, that can go to the next ,lection, leading a united team because there is no one seeking to divert from the reelection campaign. >> has anybody approached you to call on you to bring it to bill? >> they have not. i was joking with my colleagues this was the political equivalent of the loch ness monster. -- actually them has a photograph of it. , and i do not want to be critical of your profession. when things get like this, there are all sorts of claims and

counterclaims. we are talking about leading the nation. i will not let speculation run. --ill not let us parliament it has business to do and big things to be done, and of being and downo going up parliamentary core doors in the hopes of catching someone so can get half a sentence, not the way i want to do things, so let's get it done. i have the confidence of my support. i have very much received good support for my colleagues. people who are doing very good and important work for the country. this is a pressurized time.

what is in the best interests of the nation and the labour party. i answer those questions by saying what is in the best interest of the nation -- to have a sense of values and purpose and discipline, and that is why i am shaping up tonight. >> in a nutshell, publicly, before that caucus ballots tonight, why are you a better prime minister? i speak to caucus colleagues about the way -- to answer your iestion generally about why came into politics believe in government could provide opportunity.

you were entitled to lead a life your ownunity with endeavor and hard work. that is how i have brought the reforms we focused on. nothing more important than reforms. .hese are labor values that is what drives me. i am not interested in public accolades and applause and any of the personality politics. >> do you think kevin does not share the labor values you just articulated? >> i would not be presumptuous enough to speak for him. --do you see for the future >> i am not going into hypotheticals for tonight. >> i am announcing i will be candidate for the position of leader. petition has been collected

about one third in number requesting they resolve the question of the party leadership. the statement of half an hour or so ago removes the need for such a petition. many mp's have requested me for a long time because of the circumstances we face now. less politely, various ministers set me free and frank advice to me. for thee it is time matter to be resolved. the second but more important reason for contesting leadership is the tens of thousands of ordinary australians who have been asking me to do this for a very long time. it is your voices, the voice of the australian people, those

voices have had a huge effect on me. i happen tovoices hear around the corridors of the building. thousands of australians have said to me over the last year or so, they are genuinely fearful about what he could do to them if he were elected, let alone elected with a massive majority, including a majority in the senate, which he -- he is currently on track to do. asked lukehey had power, they brought in work choices. people are very afraid they will try to do it again. no one forgets work choices. australian families are afraid about what he could do. what could happen to their jobs, what he would do to pensions, and what it could do to the environment. we are on course

for catastrophic deceit unless there is change. i am thinking to respond to your call. to do what i can to prevent mr. abbott from becoming prime minister. there is a third reason for my contesting for leadership. a real choice in this election. a real choice. at present, if you talk to them long and hard, they do not feel as if they have got one and they are frustrated we are denying them one. they are angry we are leaving them with little choice at all. a real policy inaustralians wat debate on our vision for the country's future and mr. abbott vision. the future of our economy and on nationalional --

security, education, health, climate change, and how we would make these competing visions work. this has become urgent for the future of the economy in particular. i believe what the nation needs now is strong, proven, national economic leadership to deal with the formidable new challenge australian now faces with the end of the decade long boom, and its impact on us trillion jobs and living standards into the future. given our economic relationship with china alone now accounts for nearly 10% of the total size of our economy, this is a massive new challenge. productivity and are no longer important for australia. they are essential for his trillion. -- australia. the alternative, economic policy, is to copy the british conservatives, launch a

national/and burn australia -- slash and burn austerity drive, and a tripled recession in the united kingdom. i therefore believe with all my heart i owe it to my country to offer the australian people a viable alternative for them to choose the future they want for themselves, their jobs, and their families. questions willc affect us all. sooner than we think. is time for proven national economic leadership. these are the three core reasons i have changed my position on leadership.

the requests i have seen from my colleagues, the police -- believe australian people deserve a competitive choice, and my fear if they do not offer it, mr. abbott will win by the biggest and shot -- landslide, release and a result -- an assault on the people and those of us in thethe requests y colleagues, the police australin labor government, to protect them. position.nged my i have simply given you the reasons today i have done so. i take full responsibility for my previous statement and i will leave it to you to judge whether i have made the right call. everyin this ballot, effort i have in my being will be dedicated to uniting the australian labor party. retributions and no paybacks, none of that stuff. it is all politics. the values which drive our movement are those things that should unite us. for those colleagues and wantds who choose to and to serve, my general principle will be to embrace them serving.

for those who believe they cannot serve, i wish them well and thank them for their service and welcome the opportunity to renew the government. if i lose, of course, i would announce i would not contest the next election and i thank julia for making the same commitment. love this country of ours and i am doing what i honestly believe to be in the best interests of australians. the numbers game began. the ring around was underway from both kevin and julie trying to lock in support for .eadership this time, kevin have the numbers. from one key fashionable player, who is pivotal in bringing

him down. he announced his change of heart minutes before the ballot. >> what i am about to tell you, i informed the prime minister. what guides me as a member of pg him down. is what iseveryday in the best interest of our nation and democracy and the australian people. the australian labor movement is a cause i believe passionately in and to which i have dedicated my whole adult working life. i believe this government has delivered once in a generation reforms in very difficult circumstances in a minority government. some of the causes and issues this government has accomplished in this term of government include but are not limited to a national insurance game, a better deal for every inld in every school australia, more retirement income for hard-working australians so they do not work hard for their whole lives and

then retire poor. i believe it represents a once for theeration risk investment of people in the station. it is the wish of the caucus there be a ballot for the leadership labor party tonight. members of the caucus, each with an individual vote. i have carefully considered my position. i have now come to the view that labor stand the best chance to defend the legacies of this term of government, and to continue improving the lives of millions of australians if kevin rudd is our leader. i understand this position that i have adopted, may come at a personal cost to myself.

it has weighed heavily on my mind in recent weeks. i am a great admirer of our prime minister, julia gillard. i have supported her loyally for three years. i believe she has accomplished remarkable things. the future of our nation and the labor party is at stake here. therefore, i shall be supporting kevin rudd tonight. i believe the australian people want a choice in the coming election. i believe kevin rudd will provide australians, my colleagues, and those who want to support the labor party the best chance of labor winning office after the election. the achievements of the first term and second term labor governments are many. it is these achievements which i want to fight for. i believe fundamentally that australians, regardless of their politics, want to see the labour

party perform as strongly as it can at the next election. if prime minister gillard wins the ballot tonight i wish her well and will offer my resignation as a cabinet minister. regardless of that, i will serve and to support enthusiastically whoever is elected leader tonight of the labor party. as i have said, this is not an easy decision for me personally. they will be even amongst my friends people who do not support what i have just announced. it is my personal conviction that the best interests of the australian nation and the labor party must come first, not debate about factions or personalities. i believe kevin rudd being elected tonight provides the best platform for labor to be competitive in the next election. thank you very much. >> with the support gone, julia gillard's time was up. a number of key players shifted. in the end, kevin rudd was

elected leader. >> we have just conducted the ballot. i can announce the result. it is kevin rudd, 57 votes. julia gillard, 45 votes. the position vacated by wayne swan as deputy leader of the house, he declared anthony albanese duly elected. >> do we have numbers? >> i can give you those numbers. in terms of leader of the house, the ballot was anthony albanese, 61, simon crane 38. >> as you would probably be aware by now, kevin rudd has been elected as leader of the parliamentary labor party. i congratulate mr. rudd on his election. in view of his election, i have written for the governor general for her to commission rudd as

prime minister of australia. i will shortly leave from this parliament on this matter. in accordance with the pledge i gave earlier today, i announced i will not contest the federal electorate at the forthcoming federal election. i will have time in the coming weeks to be back home in my electorate and say hello and goodbye to the community i have had the absolute privilege of representing in this parliament since 1998. i will keep comments about my electorate in till that time. three years ago, i had the very great honor of being elected as labor leader. it followed having the honor of being elected deputy leader and deputy prime minister following the 2007 election. this privilege was truly humbling. i thank the australian labor party for that privilege, and i thank the australian people for their support.

when i first put myself for consideration as labor leader in 2010, i had the overwhelming support of my colleagues. i thank them for that, and i thank him for giving me the opportunity not only to serve the nation but to serve as the first female prime minister of this country. in the years in which i have served as prime minister, predominantly, i have faced a minority parliament and i have also faced internal division within my political party. it has not been an easy environment to work in. but i am pleased that in this environment, which was not easy, i have prevailed to ensure that this country is made stronger and smarter and fairer for the future. i am very proud of what this government has achieved, which will endure for a long term. very proud of the way in which we achieved health reform against the odds. with newly elected conservative

leaders. very pleased that we pushed through and put a price on carbon, a historic reform that will serve this nation well and required us to have the guts and tenacity to stare down one of the most reckless fear campaigns in this nation's history. what we have achieved through disability care to launch on the first of july this year, apparently an obvious reform to everyone now but something that it took this labor government to get done. i am very proud of it. i'm proud of the work we have done in australian schools. we passed legislation that means 60% of schoolchildren are covered by our new reforms. this great mission must be

concluded. not only in the days that remain in till the 30th of june, but in the days beyond. it has been the defining passion of my life that every australian child gets a great opportunity of a life of work and the dignity that comes with work. it's a great opportunity for the education they should have. this reform is almost completed and needs to be part of the continuing labor project to get it done. i am also very proud of having commenced the royal commission into child sexual abuse in institutional settings. this royal commission is now working its way around the country. i believe it will have many years of work in front of it, but it will change the nation. it will change individual lives as people get to come forward and tell their story. it will change the nation, because we will learn how to better protect our children for the future. i am also very proud of the foreign-policy achievements of this government for the things people said could not be done, we have done, particularly we have strengthened our alliance

with the united states while taking a major stride forward in our relationship with china. we have taken big strides forward in other relationships, including our relationship with india. i am confident i leave the prime minister ship having strengthened the relationship with our major partners, every one of them. i also believe that the work we have done in afghanistan is something to be proud of as an australian nation. one of the things that has most delighted me as prime minister, and before that as deputy prime minister, has been getting to know our defense force personnel. i cannot claim i came out of opposition with any great experience in defense or any great exposure to australian defense force personnel. now i have had both experience in defense and that exposure. whilst there are issues to address in our defense force

about the treatment of women, overwhelmingly the men and women of our adf are great australians, and getting to know them has been a real privilege. i have attended 24 funerals for soldiers lost in afghanistan. i am very aware of the courage and the sacrifice, and part of being prime minister has been being there for those families in their darkest moments. my colleagues through all of this journey have provided me with great support, and i want to thank them for that great support. they defied political gravity time after time to provide me with more support as leader of the labour party when the going got incredibly tough, when all of those who do the commentary on it were saying there was only one logical conclusion, and that was to change the leader.

my colleagues showed courage, determination, spine in the face of that kind of pressure. they showed conviction in our labor project and in our labor cause. they showed believe in the agenda of this labor government. i understand that at the caucus meeting today the pressure finally got too great for many of my colleagues. i respect that, and i respect the decision they have made. but i say to my caucus colleagues, do not lack the guts, do not lack the fortitude, do not lack the resilience to go out there without a labor agenda -- with our labor agenda and to win this election. i know it can be done. i say to my colleagues, that will best be done by putting the divisions of the past behind us and uniting as a political party making sure we put our best face forward at the forthcoming election campaign and in the

years beyond. i want to just say a few remarks about being the first woman to serve in this position. there has been a lot of analysis about the so so-called gender wars. me playing the so-called gender card, because heaven knowns no one noticed that i was a woman until i raised it. but against all that background, i do want to say about all of these issues, the reaction to being the first female prime minister does not explain everything about my prime ministership, nor does it explain nothing. i have been bemused by colleagues in the newspapers who have admitted i suffered more pressure as a result of my gender than other prime ministers in the past but then concluded it had zero effect on my political position or the political position of the labor party. it does not explain everything. it does not explain nothing. it explains some things.

it is for the nation to think in a sophisticated way about their -- those shades of gray. what i am confident of is it will be easier for the next woman and the woman after that and the woman after that, and i'm proud of that. can i say now a few thank yous, particularly to my colleague, wayne swan, who i think will address you shortly. he has been fantastic. i have had loyal and capable colleagues. i want to thank them for their dedication and determination. politicians are not fashionable in the australian community, but take it for me, even as they go out the door, politicians work incredibly hard, and overwhelmingly people come into this parliament with a sense of service. that certainly defines my colleagues, their sense of service to the nation. i want to thank the people who worked with me. i want to thank the staff.

i want to thank the afp. what is a few sandwiches between friends? do not worry about it. i want to thank my personal staff, led ably by ben hubbard. unfortunately, it is becoming part of our political debate to draw staff members into the political contest. i think that is wrong. i have always believed that is wrong. i hope that this desists now. i would like to thank my electorate office staff, particularly michelle fitzgerald and carlos, who have been with me since i was elected in 1998. i would like to thank tim and my family, and i would like to say, as i have already said by way of text to our niece, who is due to have a baby in july, look forward to the most meddlesome great aunt australia's history. thank you very much. [applause] >> personally, can i say what a privilege it has been to serve as deputy prime minister and