Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before I begin, I want to agree with the member for Riverina. Defence of Australia's sovereignty is a bipartisan issue because defence, national security and Australian sovereignty affect everyone. They affect everyone in this room. They affect my community, in Robertson, on the New South Wales Central Coast. They affect people in the member for Reid's electorate and that of the member for Riverina. They're so important that we have a bipartisan approach to our national security and to Australia's sovereignty, because they affect us all.

With that, I say the Albanese Labor government is committed to the safety and security of our people in every electorate, in every corner of the company, rural and remote, metropolitan and regional, coastal and inland—everyone. We realise that this is of paramount importance.

As was said by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence recently when this statement was brought before parliament, the risk of conflict is now less remote than it was in the past, and we now live in a less safe and less stable world. This highlights to me, to every member of this parliament and to our community the importance of international diplomacy and the fact that we need to work collaboratively with those within our region, particularly those throughout the Indo-Pacific. Our interests are not only onshore. Our interests are not only within Australia but across the entire Indo-Pacific region, across our neighbours, and peace and security throughout our region are what we must absolutely strive for. Every person in this place must continue to champion that for the sake of Australia's sovereignty.

As was also noted by the Deputy Prime Minister, we have benefited from our trade with China and we absolutely value a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with China and seek as a government to stabilise this. Furthermore, Australia and the government must continue to work collaboratively and constructively with countries throughout our region to continue to reduce tensions but also to maintain the peace and security which has led to years of ongoing economic prosperity right throughout the region.

Our international partnerships and relationships are vital in advancing our interests and allow us to navigate the complex strategic environment that is our region and that is our world. We must ensure that the norms, the principles and the rules throughout the Indo-Pacific are reinforced by our partnerships with nations throughout our region. Moreover, it is important that, with these partnerships, we champion a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. That is done by pooling resources and combining our strengths. In doing this, we can deter conflict. We can have a free and open region. We can have peace.

We are continuing to strengthen our cooperation and partnerships with our neighbours throughout the region. I am talking about the likes of Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, a nation I have spoken about in the chamber before—teman-teman di utara, our 'friends to the north'—a nation we will continue to strengthen our relationship with now and into the future.

Our continued commitment to investing in groups and bodies that champion peace prosperity throughout our region such as ASEAN and the Quad is paramount. It is crucial to stability, security and, importantly, economic development in the Indo-Pacific and the broader region. To give some further examples that were discussed by the Deputy Prime Minister in parliament earlier this week, for over 30 years our friends the nation of Singapore, in South-East Asia, have trained in Australia to mutual benefit and for Australian sovereignty. From major exercises in the Shoalwater Bay area to helicopter training and pilot training at RAAF Base Pearce, Australia's been proud to support Singapore in building its capabilities. This cooperation continues to our shared security and, furthermore, to ensuring a secure Australian sovereignty.

Singapore training in Australia has brought significant advantages, particularly for sovereignty, including investment in our ADF facilities and economic benefits to Australian business. And they have helped us in our times of need. Singapore have definitely helped us in our times of need. The Singaporean armed services made a significant contribution to our local communities here in Australia during the Black Summer bushfires in 2020 and the floods in 2022.

I want to reiterate what the Deputy Prime Minister said: we are no longer blessed with a benign strategic environment. The world is a less safe place than it was years ago, and that's why we need to work collaboratively with our partners through the region—in particular, I should stress, Indonesia, our friends to the north—and make sure that we champion those ideals that I've mentioned to make sure that we have peace.

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