A Liberal MP has dismissed a Labor call for a parliamentary debate on Australia's involvement in Iraq and Syria, describing it as nothing more than a "political bone" to appease the hard Left.
Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek, in sponsoring a motion on Monday, said Australians needed to know how the increasingly complex scenario would be resolved in the government's view.
But Liberal backbencher Andrew Nikolic, who served in Australia's first deployment to Afghanistan in 2001, expressed puzzlement because he thought there was a settled bipartisan strategy on the conflict.
He noted the loudest opponents to the strategy were the Greens and Labor Left factions of which Ms Plibersek was a prominent leader.
"Let's call this motion for what it is, a political bone designed to appease the hard-left members of the Labor Left faction and their fellow travellers in the Greens party," Mr Nikolic told parliament.
"This isn't about military strategy, it's about her `Kill Bill' (Shorten) strategy."
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