Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question and acknowledge her own family's history and contribution to this country and to the security of this country. The security of this country is more important than ever given, as the dire situation unfolds in Ukraine, we are seeing in the Indo-Pacific the build-up of missiles and nuclear weapons by the Chinese government. This is a very serious time, and we as a country need to be in a position of strength to work with our allies, to invest appropriately and to make sure that we can take the decisions that will allow us to keep our country safe not only today but in the decades ahead.

This government announced the AUKUS agreement as a key part of the defence of our nation and a very important part in the deterrence of any aggressor who would seek to take action against Australia. The declaration is a clear one from our country, from the United Kingdom and from the United States that we stand as one against aggression and coercion. We don't believe that the alliance between China and Russia is in the world's best interests, and we will continue to take decisions on and make investments in our Australian Defence Force to keep us safe.

There are many people who opposed AUKUS, and I think it is important for people, when I'm asked about alternative approaches, to understand the difference between the sides of the House. Our side built up the investment in Defence after Labor cut it to its lowest level since 1938. We have invested in our relationships. AUKUS is a result of that. It's designed specifically to keep our country safe.

People are asking, 'What would the other side of politics bring if they were elected at the next election?' It's a fair question to ask. If you want to know what an Albanese-Bandt government would do after the next election, what a Labor-Greens Alliance would do—it's an important question—

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